Keane demands Toffees get stuck in ahead of Old Trafford tie
Michael Keane wants Everton to make the most out of the hectic festive schedule, starting this afternoon at Old Trafford against Manchester United.
The Toffees have been galvanised under interim boss Duncan Ferguson, who stepped in following the departure of Marco Silva.
The former Everton forward guided the team to a 3-1 home win over Chelsea last weekend and will be in the dugout again today.
With a League Cup quarter-final with Leicester ahead, before home matches against Arsenal and then Burnley on Boxing Day, the outlook could be much changed heading into 2020.
England defender Keane feels a strong showing in a run of four league fixtures in just 11 days would create a different perspective.
“The table is really tight this season, more so than normal, and a few wins in a row can catapult you right up that league,” Keane said.
“We are still thinking we can get into the top half – and the top six isn’t out of the picture at the minute.
“It is really tight and anything can happen, but all we can do is focus on one game at a time and they obviously come thick and fast over Christmas – but the sooner we start winning consistently, the better.
“Big Dunc came in and sort of galvanised us. He got us up for the game against Chelsea, and we knew the fans would get right behind us, especially with Dunc being in charge.
“We were after a reaction and that’s what we got. What a day it was for him and all the fans – it was deserved.”
Italian coach Carlo Ancelotti has been linked with the Goodison Park hotseat, along with ex-Everton manager David Moyes and Mikel Arteta, the former Toffees midfielder who is currently assistant at Manchester City.
Keane feels whatever appointment is eventually decided upon by the club, Everton’s new manager will be inheriting a high-calibre team, no matter what the current table may suggest.
“The potential in the squad is massive,” said Keane, who started his career as a trainee at Manchester United.
“I see what everyone is like in training every day. The talent is there, no doubt.
“We’ve shown that to the fans at certain times, especially at the end of last season when we were brilliant for the last three or four months.
“We gained a bit of confidence from last weekend, but we know we’ve got a talented squad.”
Keane came through United’s academy system, playing five times for the senior side, and made a permanent move to Everton during the summer of 2017 following a spell at Burnley.
Jesse Lingard, meanwhile, has revealed how a heart-to-heart with Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer helped give him a second chance to kickstart his season.
The 26-year-old midfielder found himself taking on more family responsibilities for his younger brother and sister after his mother fell ill.
Lingard admits the extra burden had impacted on his playing performances during the first part of the season.
However, after opening up to Solskjaer and making a return to form, the midfielder is looking forward to tackling the challenges ahead.
“I am normally quite bubbly and want to put smiles on people’s faces, but people have seen the change in my ways,” Lingard said.
“I have been down and glum, just worrying. I felt like everybody just passed all the stuff to me and it weighed on my shoulders. It was like, ‘Here you go Jesse, you deal with this on your own’.
Lingard added: “I wasn’t performing and he was on me all the time. He (Solskjaer) wanted more from me.
“I felt it was best to get everything off my chest and tell him why my head wasn’t right, so I knocked on his door.”
The England international feels he can now focus on playing again.
“When I came on the manager said to me, ‘just go on and play with a smile and enjoy it’. To hear that gives you confidence. He knows what kind of character I am. I need to be smiling.
“He has just told me that everything will be OK. Maybe I just needed someone to say that,” said Lingard.