BECAUSE HE’S UNSWORTH IT Cottee: Everton must be brave and go British
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the club inside out. I know the fans inside out and the demands of what is needed.”
And Unsworth, 44, will want to conjure up the kind of spirit that Joe Royle fostered when Everton lifted the FA Cup in 1995.
With John Ebbrell and Duncan Ferguson also alongside their former team-mate, there will be no shortage of Everton experience.
And Unsworth is also ready to lean on boyhood Blue Wayne Rooney for his expertise as he tries to instil the kind of Everton values that were beyond Koeman.
Unsworth said: “You have to scrap for every Premier League point. But I know what our fans demand and we will give them that.” » Leicester City have lost their last two PL games against Everton. » This is Everton’s lowest points total (8) after nine games of a Premier League season since 2005-06, when they won four points under David Moyes – but finished 11th . » Jamie Vardy has had a hand in four goals in four previous PL games against Everton (2 goals, 2 assists). » Wayne Rooney has scored in each of Everton’s last two Premier League games – he hasn’t scored in three successive Premier League appearances since January 2016. DAVID UNSWORTH is the man to lead Everton’s Premier League revival, says former Toffee Tony Cottee. Unsworth has the manager’s job on a caretaker basis since the sacking of Ronald Koeman last week and will be in charge for this afternoon’s clash with Leicester at the King Power stadium. And Cottee (below) believes he should get the job full-time. The former striker got to know Unsworth during his spell at Goodison Park. “He was a young player coming through,” he recalled. “And he was local, Everton through and through. “The club means everything to him and I believe it is important to have that connection. He played for the club. He knows the club. And he was been working with the Under-23 team. “I can’t think of too many people who are better qualified to do the job. He has played there and been coach there. He is aware of the history and the tradition of Everton.” Cottee also feels that the appointment of Unsworth will give a chance to a British manager in a league where foreign often means good. “Many of the clubs have foreign owners and it seems that their first reaction is to appoint a foreign manager. British ones don’t seem to get a chance. “That is why I would love David Unsworth to get his opportunity. It is the same with young English and British players. The young England teams are doing well at so many age levels – but their chances seem limited. That can’t be right.” Cottee had six years at Everton and says: “I loved my time there. I want them to do well and, under David Unsworth, I believe they can.” It was at Everton that Cottee scored his 100th league goal – against Spurs, the club against who he scored his first as a 17-year-old. But he also played spent three years at the Foxes and said: “I had a good spell at Leicester, a club that is close to the community, a bit like Everton.” But Cottee was disappointed by the departure of Craig Shakespeare last week – and it not overly impressed by his replacement, former Southampton boss Claude Puel. “For me, Craig was very unlucky to be sacked,” said Cottee. “I feel he should have been given more time. They did well in the Champions League with Craig in charge and they stayed up comfortably.”