RICH: I’LL KEEP YOU POSTERED
Toffees’ talisman admits being in spotlight is his big motivation
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BRAZILIAN star Richarlison knows what it’s like to take the blame when things go wrong.
At £40million, the Goodison striker is Everton’s headline act and was used by Sky Sports in the poster shots to promote today’s clash with Tottenham alongside Harry Kane.
But with the global profile comes the responsibility of performing – and Richarlison knows that when Everton’s results aren’t going well he carries the can as the club’s most expensive signing.
He said: “I think it is normal when you are standing out for your team, you usually start appearing on the screens.
“And of course when we lose as a team it is my face that appears on the Everton badge as well!
“As players we try to do our best for the Everton fans and I hope I can continue bringing joy to them. That will mean I continue appearing.”
Criticism is nothing new for Richarlison, who still remembers getting blamed by pundit Paul Merson for “wrecking” the 2018 summer transfer window by switching from Watford to Everton for £35m.
Richarlison admitted: “There was a lot of criticism around the time I signed and I still remember quite clearly, even today. today There was Paul Merson on Sky saying I ruined the transfer window!
“Maybe he thought that because it was such a large transfer fee for Everton to pay.
“But he didn’t take any time to find out about me or know me – he just started mouthing off.
“But now I’m sure he knows who I am and I hope to continue developing this way, shutting the critics up.
“Last season I sent him a ‘thank you’ message on Twitter because that criticism gave me strength.”
When the flak flies Richarlison uses it as motivation – and his upbringing as a Brazilian footballer helps him.
He added: “Definitely. In Brazil we grow up being heavily criticised, so I’m used to it. When I get heavy criticism I use it to grow and use it to do the opposite of what I was criticised for.
“Last season I showed I could score goals and get into the Brazil national team and win an important title – the Copa America.”
Richarlison revealed that the players held a private team meeting after the defeat at Burnley last month after a shocking run conceding set-piece goals.
He said: “We lost 1-0 at Burnley conceding from a corner and we’d been training every day to defend corners. We had studied them and we knew that their was style of game.
Question
“So we had a meeting as a group and we asked each other the question, ‘What is happening?’
“We conceded in five games from set-pieces so we looked at how we could correct things.”
After losing away again at Brighton last week, the 22- year- old accepts Everton’s form hasn’t been good enough. But he reckons it is unfair that
Toffees gaffer Marco Marc co
Silva ( right) is taking ng most of the heat. responsibility He said: “It’s t our oo, r definitely. So now is the e time to separate the men en from the boys.
“It has been difficult t but the coach can’t take all the blame. me. It is us that go on the pitch. We need to take responsibility for this.
“At times our performance mance has left a bit to desire. But I think nk we are over that now.
“We are in the quarter-finals rter-finals of the Carabao Cup, we got that win in the Premier League and now we move on to the Classico sico against Tottenham.
“They are Champions ns League finalists so it will be tough, ugh, but we have to go for the three e points.”
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