IT’S IN THE KAN FOR MORGAN
Schneiderlin: N’golo is best player in Prem But my vote for best team goes to... Spurs
EVERTON v CHELSEA
The Everton midfielder says his admiration for Kante is based on the dirty work the Frenchman does for Antonio Conte’s Premier League leaders – not the fact they are international team-mates.
And the Toffees star insists his belief that Spurs are No.1 is not based on the gratitude he feels for the role Mauricio Pochettino played in his career when they worked together at Southampton.
Schneiderlin has the chance to do his old boss a massive favour when Chelsea visit Goodison Park today.
He said: “Tottenham are the most impressive team I have seen, who play the most attractive football.
“Mauricio Pochettino is someone who changed my perspective of how I see football and how I looked at myself.
“When I was at Southampton, everyone liked him. Everyone likes TREATMENT ROOM Bolasie (knee), Mccarthy (hamstring), Coleman (broken leg), Mori (knee), Lennon (muscular). No injuries. ODDS TO WIN Everton: 29/10. Chelsea: 21/20 27/10. him now and we still have a good relationship. What he is doing as a manager with Tottenham is amazing. “I hope he gets the title – if not this season, then I am sure he is going to get it in the next few years because when I watch Tottenham play, I just say, ‘Wow!’ It’s very entertaining. “You don’t need to be good at maths to know that, if Spurs win and we beat Chelsea, it’s down to one point. “After that, everything is possible. I am sure Tottenham think like this and they hope we can win.” Schneiderlin, 27, is rebuilding his career at Goodison after an ill-fated 18-month spell at Manchester United. And he appreciates the role Kante is playing at Stamford Bridge. The Frenchman was a key player in Leicester’s title triumph last season. And his contribution to a Chelsea team on the brink of doing the Double was recognised by his peers last week when they voted him player of the year.
Schneiderlin said: “I voted for N’golo. You might think it is because I am French, but no.
“The thing he does best is read the game, making tackles and intercepting passes.
“He gets up and down and gives good stability to the players in front of him, such as Hazard, Costa, Willian, and offers protection to the players at the back.
“The first time I met him was with the French squad. He is very shy and doesn’t talk a lot. He does his talking on the pitch.
“N’golo is someone who runs and runs, who gets the ball back, who plays simple, good passes. All teams need players like that.
“My first task is to stop Eden Hazard, Willian and Pedro and, after that, I will play my game.
“I’m sure I will rise to the challenge and our midfield can cause big problems.
“It will be nice to have a bit of excitement at the end of the season, to see who is going to win the title. But, for us, it’s about winning to get a good platform for next season.”
If Spurs win and we beat Chelsea, it’s down to one point