Exclusive: Tony Cottee's Message to Maupay and Players Must Stay Focused Amid Everton Takeover Talks

Those days are long gone, and Cottee almost shrinks back when the conversation turns to Everton.

“When you see teams get involved in a relegation fight and then the next season a relegation fight and the next season... this has been going on for three or four years now. If you keep getting involved in relegation fights, eventually you're going to go down. No club is too big to go down. We've seen Forest, we've seen Villa, Newcastle, Wolves, some great traditional English clubs get relegated. 

“It can happen and I just really worry about them at the moment. To lose 3-0 at home and to get walloped 4-0 at Spurs, it's not a good start to the season. Sean Dyche will work with what he's got, but the question is; is what he's got enough to stay in the Premier League,” Cottee ponders in an exclusive talk with Tribalfootball.

“I think the three clubs that have come up are certainly stronger than the three that came up last year. Ipswich, Southampton and Leicester will all give a good account of themselves, and that will make it tougher for clubs like Everton to survive. But they've got a fantastic stadium coming next season and it's really, really important that Everton are not in the Championship at the start of next season.”

Be a hero and score some goals

Having seen how certain Everton fans gave a warm welcome to the  players arriving back home at the train station following the hammering at Tottenham’s, Cottee believes they're entitled to vent their frustration. 

“I had it myself a little bit. When I was at Everton, if you underperformed, the fans would let you know. And they are very, very knowledgeable, the Evertonians. They know their football and love their football. One of the most important things in their life is their football club. 

“They just want the club to stay in the Premier League and they want to give Goodison the fantastic send-off it deserves. There was a little altercation with Neil Maupay at the weekend, but I would say to Neil; go out and score some goals. If you want to be a hero at Everton, go and score some goals," says Cottee who managed 72 goals in 184 matches for Everton himself during a six-year stint.

“Whether it's Calvert-Lewin or Maupay or Dwight McNeil, whoever it might be, someone's got to take responsibility at the club. The players can't always turn around and blame everyone else. If you're lucky enough to play for Everton, you've got to go out and perform for those fans. Those fans deserve 100 per cent effort,” continues Cottee who is a firm believer his old team-mate Sean Dyche is the right man.

“He knows what he's doing. He's a well-experienced manager. It's always about getting rid of the manager, but people don't have an option of who to bring in. And even if they do bring someone new in, they're only going to be working with the same players because there is no money. All right. They sold Onana, but it's probably just paying the interests that's owed on other stuff at the football club.

“It's a real mess and they need a takeover. They need a group or an individual to come in, buy the club, clear the debt and just sort things out. And hopefully give the manager a little bit of money. Come January, it'd be nice if they can wheel and deal a little bit to try and get a few more fresh faces in. They might need it at that stage because who knows where Everton will be in January,” says Cottee, dismissing the thought the talk of ownership are beginning to affect the players.

“I had takeover talks when I was at both Everton and Leicester. As a player, that's not your job. You should not be concerned about that. You've got to switch off and not worry about it. But where it does affect you as a player is if you're thinking, “we need a couple of players into this squad,” but you can't buy the players because the money is not there. It is frustrating sometimes as a player. But players nowadays get paid good money. You go out, just do your job and try and win the games for Everton.”

- Tony Cottee was speaking to Tribalfootball on behalf of 1337 Games