Frank Lampard is determined to be the calm head that Everton need to stay clear of a crisis but whatever he says to his players, the world knows there is potentially much more than a mere three points at stake tonight as his side face Newcastle United.
Speaking ahead of the fixture at St James’ Park, his first Premier League match in charge of the Blues, he said: “We have to absolutely isolate the game that’s in front of us, prepare well for it, try to get the right result and understand that there is a long way to go after it.
“Whatever the table looks like after, we will neither be safe, we will neither be relegation, we will neither be in the top 10 or whatever. There is a long road for that. We will just concentrate on this game.”
Lampard wants to emphasise that his Everton players need to see the bigger picture.
READ MORE: 'You don't expect anything' - Frank Lampard admits he's honoured by Everton fans' amazing gesture
READ MORE: Frank Lampard restored Goodison Park feelgood factor but new Everton boss knows more is needed
Yes their form under predecessor Rafa Benitez was woeful with just one win from his last 13 Premier League matches leading to his sacking rather than those former Liverpool connections but thankfully the points accrued from a bright start to the season before that ensure that the Blues do not find themselves marooned.
Back in 1994/95, the campaign that ironically brought the club’s last major trophy to date, Joe Royle took charge after 14 of the 42 Premier League games, guiding Everton to 41 points from his 28 fixtures (form that over an entire season would have got them into the top seven) but only secured survival with victory in their penultimate match.
In contrast, the current Blues side still have their heads above water with 18 games still to spare.
The reasons why Lampard is refusing to press the panic button and over-emphasise the important of individual fixtures are therefore obvious.
However, the fact remains that if next-to-bottom Newcastle United were to beat Everton tonight, they would climb to within a single point of them.
Lampard, again rightly, states that his new charges need to focus on themselves but while their own destiny remains in their own hands, they can play a role in shaping that of the Magpies, who are anything but your usual relegation fodder.
Closing the gap between themselves and the Blues would be a massive psychological boost for them and increase confidence that they can somehow pull off their own ‘Great Escape’ in May.
As we all know, following their recent Saudi Arabian takeover, Newcastle United find themselves in the bizarre situation of simultaneously fighting for their lives in the English top flight while also being the world’s ‘richest’ football club.
The Public Investment Fund that bought them from Mike Ashley reportedly possesses a mind-boggling collective wealth of some £320 billion.
Such colossal figures are difficult to digest in practical terms but for some kind of context, Manchester City’s Sheikh Mansour’s fortune sits at a ‘mere’ £23.3billion while Everton owner Farhad Moshiri is said to be worth around £2billion.
While it’s not realistic to imagine Eddie Howe sat there among a sea of gold like Scrooge McDuck or the dragon Smaug in the Hobbit, able to throw out ridiculous to entice the likes of Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland to Tyneside, his team’s fortunes over the next four months could be crucial as to whether they kick on in a major fashion this summer or the whole project receives a significant blow because they’re having to operate in the Championship for at least a year.
No truly top player is going to join Newcastle right now unless he’s unashamedly mercenary – a supposed late attempt to hijack Dele Alli’s deadline day move to Goodison Park did not succeed – but if they keep their heads above the trapdoor this term, that could all change heading into 2022/23.
The Magpies did try and splash the cash the best they could in January, bringing in Kieran Trippier, Bruno Guimaraes, Dan Burn and Chris Wood plus Matt Targett on loan – the latter ironically because he lost his place to Lucas Digne at Aston Villa after the Frenchman turned down the chance to move up to the North East – and it will be curious to see just how big an impact their new arrivals will make.
Wood’s arrival from fellow strugglers Burnley was particularly intriguing given the double whammy the deal represented of Newcastle bolstering their own firepower while taking away from that of a relegation rival.
Such is the dog eat dog nature of life near the foot of the table.
That’s why this clash maintains that extra layer of significance for Everton.
If the Blues are able to secure their first Premier League away win since Brighton & Hove Albion back in August – or at least prevent the Magpies from securing victory – then they are potentially buying Lampard time not just this season but next.
Everton will be hoping their new manager can banish any spectre of relegation this season and get them back challenging for Europe next term but that task would seem significantly more straightforward if Newcastle United aren’t going head to head with them because if that is the case then Alli’s equivalents in the future might decide to go the other way.
