SAY WHAT YOU WANT
I’m only hurt by losing raps Unsy MARCO NO FEARS OVER FALL OF TROY
May 2017: Everton 1 Watford 0 Dec 2016: Watford 3 Everton 2 Apr 2016: Watford 1 Everton 1 Aug 2015: Everton 2 Watford 2 Feb 2007: Watford 0 Everton 3 BAN: Deeney
Everton – 18 wins Watford – 3 wins Draws – 3 MARCO SILVA has rubbished the idea Watford cannot cope without banned skipper Troy Deeney.
The Hornets striker begins a three-match suspension today after being found guilty of violent conduct against Stoke midfielder Joe Allen. But ahead of his side’s trip to Everton, manager Silva insisted they have enough quality cover in attack to deal with his absence.
And he was quick to point out that as Deeney has started only three
DAVID UNSWORTH has found himself catapulted into the firing line – there to be shot at after being given the role of caretaker Everton boss.
And the snipers were out after the Under-23s coach suffered his third successive defeat, in Lyon, as Everton were dumped out of the Europa League. That followed Joey Barton’s tirade on Twitter that he looked more like a steward on the sidelines, that he was little more than a “glorified PE teacher” and that Everton will go down if Unsworth is given the full-time job. But the former Toffees defender says the only pain he feels is for the fans, who he is desperate to reward with a win at home to Watford league games all season – two of which ended in defeat – he is not irreplaceable.
Silva said: “It’s a normal situation and now I have to find the answers, like we have done in the past.
“It’s not a perfect scenario but we will deal with it. Troy has started three matches – and in the others we’ve used different players.
“So it’s clear we can cope.
“We have Troy, we have Andre Gray, we today. He said: “I’m not bothered about comments about myself.
“I’m hurting because we are not winning games and that is really important to me.
“I’m hurting when I see thousands of fans travel to Lyon and to Chelsea and Leicester and we don’t get the result for them. That’s what hurts me.
“Any personal insult, be it funny or really personal, does not interest me.
“We need to keep our fans with us and a win would certainly ease the anxiety.
“I can’t answer about my own position because I don’t know. I just want the win for the club and the players because the players need confidence.”
Unsworth is only too aware of the significance of three points in his first game in charge at Goodison in his second spell as interim boss.
He said: “We have to stick together, working harder as a team. That’s the only way out of a difficult situation. You have to fight.
“Our fans demand commitment. Our players need to show what it means to wear that blue shirt. “I don’t think it’s a flawed squad. There is a little bit of a confidence issue but nothing a couple of wins won’t put right.
“I have my opinions on the squad and I’d rather keep them to myself because that is the right thing to do as it’s not my squad at the moment.
“I know what I would want to do and how I would go about it. What I will say is that the players are giving everything.
“It’s just not falling for us – but I know in my mind what I want to do and how I want us to play and who I want around.” have Stefano Okaka, Jerome Sinclair and maybe Richarlison.”
Italian Okaka, though, would appear to be totally out of the first-team picture at Vicarage Road after Silva went public about the former Roma man’s mystery long-term absence from the squad.
Okaka, 28, has not been involved since starting and scoring in Watford’s opening day 3-3 draw at Liverpool.
And ex-Hull boss Silva said: “Everyone at the club knows why he hasn’t played. It is lies to say he doesn’t know why.’’