TOFFEES COULD GET STUCK IN DROP ZONE

SAM ALLARDYCE has warned his Everton players their honeymoon is over after a fourth successive defeat.

Ronald Koeman’s successor looked to have revived the Toffees when he took over at the end of November, racking up five wins and three draws from their first eight matches.

But the wheels have come off with defeats to Bournemouth and Manchester United, an FA Cup surrender to Liverpool, and Saturday’s capitulation at Spurs.

“I think the honeymoon period is over,” said Allardyce (above). “They’ve got to get back down to listening to what we need to do, to make sure we don’t get drawn back into the relegation zone – because that’s exactly what we’re doing at the moment.

“We have to face facts: we can’t hide behind the wonderful results, when we went on a run of eight games without being defeated, when the clean sheets allowed us to win.

“Now it’s five games, two draws and three defeats and, if we take Liverpool as well, it’s another defeat in the cup. We’ve got to realise that we are threatening ourselves with a relegation fight again, that’s a fact.”

Allardyce handed a debut to Turkey striker Cenk Tosun after his £27million move from Besiktas. But the Toffees failed to register a single shot on target and Tosun was substituted after 62 minutes.

Everton now host a West Brom side fresh from their first league win since August. And Big Sam fears his men (Phil Jagielka, above) will be kneedeep in trouble again, if they are beaten at Goodison next Saturday.

“The game is massive in terms of whether we’re going to start slipping into that relegation zone, or decide we don’t want to be there and put three points on the board,” he added.

“If we show any complacency whatsoever, any lack of desire or determination next week, then this Premier League will punish you.”