Rooney & Co have to step up for final’
DAVID UNSWORTH has told his big-name players such as Wayne Rooney that they must play a leading role against Watford – in a crunch fixture the Everton caretaker boss has called a ”cup final”.
The Toffees have lost their last five games, three of them under Unsworth, and sit in the Premier League relegation zone.
He left Rooney, Leighton Baines and Phil Jagielka at home for Everton’s 3-0 defeat by Lyon on Thursday, which ended their Europa League qualification hopes.
All three are set to be involved today, and Unsworth said: “Senior players are always important and they’re all top players with many appearances.
“We’ve got a few young players in and around the squad as well, so their importance to those young players is vital.
“Any time you go into big games, and Watford is a big game – a cup final for me – you always need your senior players who you can rely on and trust.”
After a seventh-placed finish last season and a summer of big spending, expectations among the blue half of Merseyside were sky high – making their current difficulties all the harder to swallow.
Unsworth, who has stepped up from the Under23s and hopes to be given the job on a permanent basis, believes Everton’s problems are collective.
He said: “It’s very difficult. For most of the games I’ve been in charge we’ve competed, the effort’s been there.
“Occasionally we’ve made silly mistakes that have led to us conceding goals, so we need to tighten that up.
“We also need to try to create a few more opportunities to give everybody the opportunity to try and score.
“It’s a little bit of everything and you try to tweak that as best as you can. You try and pick the best team and individuals for the next game, because all that matters is winning the next game.”
Unsworth has called on the Everton fans, who grew increasingly vociferous in their opposition to previous manager Ronald Koeman, to ensure home advantage counts against Watford.
He said: “We stick together, and that includes the fans as well.
“The players have got to play on the front foot.
“They’re well aware of what’s needed at Goodison and, if they’re not, I’ll certainly be reminding them. We need to try and play with freedom and positivity – and it’s my job to instil that in the players.
“Goodison is an amazing place to play football. I know it like the back of my hand. When our fans get behind us there’s no better place.”