DON’T BLAME MARCO FOR OUR MESS

Richarlison says Everton stars are at fault after clear-the-air meeting to revive season

EVERTON star Richarlison insists manager Marco Silva isn’t to blame for the club’s wretched start to the season.

Silva (below) is in the firing line after three wins in the first 10 games of the Premier League campaign have left the Merseyside Blues hovering just above the relegation zone despite a £110million summer investment in the transfer market.

A clear-the-air meeting between the players after the recent defeat at Burnley brought an instant improvement with a victory over West Ham.

But a cruel VAR decision at Brighton last weekend saw Everton blow a 2-1 lead in the closing stages – and today’s visit of Tottenham is huge for both clubs.

Richarlison said: “Now is the time to separate the men from the boys.

“It has been difficult, but the coach can’t take all the blame. It is us that go out on to the pitch and need to take responsibility for this.

“We need to go for the win, it is 11 versus 11, and at times our performances have left a bit to be desired. We are aware of the pressure – but we are all under pressure.

“The players have been giving everything, but the results haven’t been happening so we all got together and had a meeting as a group.

“We asked each other the questions, ‘What is happening? What can we identify? Where can we correct things?’

“It was after the Burnley game, when we conceded from a corner after spending the whole week in training on defending set-pieces.

“It was good that the players took it on themselves on how to correct things.

“We beat West Ham and at Brighton last week we had the three points in our hands again before they got a penalty that only the VAR could see. “It was very frustrating, but on Tuesday we beat Watford to reach the quarter-finals of the Carabao Cup – and now we have a classic against Tottenham.” Richarlison’s form has been good enough to maintain the place he won in Brazil’s squad for the successful Copa America campaign in the summer. And the 22-year-old insists he has no regrets about agreeing to join Everton in a £35m deal from Watford just over a year ago – despite Paul Merson’s TV criticism of the fee.

“He was a footballer?,” asked Richarlison incredulously.

“I sent him a Tweet when I was called into the Brazil squad to thank him for his kind words.”

The Nova Venecia striker claims he uses any negative feedback to drive him on.

He is friends with Liverpool’s Brazilian trio Roberto Firmino, Alisson and Fabinho – despite admitting Merseyside’s historic rivalry makes things “difficult”.

It didn’t sit easy with him that Everton’s fans took so much joy out of preventing Jurgen Klopp’s men win the Premier League title last season when there has been no silverware on show at Goodison for 24 years.

Richarlison said: “Everton should be a bigger club than that.

“We all know about Liverpool’s Champions League success and how close they were to the title. And I joke with the boys at Liverpool that we are going to beat them and they say the same thing to me.

“But the way I look at it is that Everton is a club that needs to be at the top fighting for titles and looking for a Champions League place every season.

“So yes, we need to grow ourselves and maybe we can bring even more players on board to help us achieve those objectives.”