Everton have so often been famed for their unflinching fanbase, who follow them relentlessly home and away.
However, of late Goodison Park has understandably faltered, plagued by the ongoing horrors which have made following football a chore.
Every match-day is plagued by off-pitch debates about financial issues no normal fan should have to discuss, yet it is now front-page news and directly killing the club.
James Garner has sought to offer his verdict on the atmosphere of late.
What James Garner said about Everton fans
Since joining the club under Frank Lampard, the former Manchester United man has grown into one of Everton’s most important players in the midfield.
His partnership with Amadou Onana is integral to everything they do, and the dirty work he goes through unnoticed is so key to keeping the system functioning.
However, things have been flat of late, and the maestro has come under criticism for perhaps hiding at times when he could be demanding the ball.
Now, speaking following last night’s match, he has implored the fans to stop doing one thing. He told the Daily Mail: ‘It was a very frustrating night. I can understand the fans’ frustrations, I am frustrated myself, but there is so long to go [in the season],’ he reflected.
‘We need the fans to be supporting us and not booing us. That is important going forward.
‘I didn’t even realise we are now out of the bottom three but that is a big boost, especially going into next week against a tough team (Brighton). We just need to keep ourselves above that dotted line, and hopefully when the results of the appeal come back, we are much higher up the table.’
This comes after the home team was met with a chorus of boos at half time for an admittedly turgid and sloppy performance.
Garner is right about Goodison Park
Unfortunately, the 22-year-old midfielder makes a very good point regarding the atmosphere at Goodison Park.
And whilst there is an argument to be made that the players should do something to spark the fans into action, this is very clearly a bunch of players devoid of confidence and quality. It has been that way for years now, and yet the fanbase still expects them to take the initiative.
They very clearly do not have that kind of character in them, and instead it needs coaxing out of them by the home crowd.
However, the Old Lady has recently devolved into a nervy cauldron of anxiety, likely spurred on by the same terrifying prospect that has scared the players into non-action.
What is often unforgivable is the booing though, as it is an unnecessarily angry reaction that draws widespread ridicule from rival fanbases and helps no-one.
The players are not trying to play poorly, and underwhelming performances would be rectified far quicker were the home crowd to cheer and chant them forward rather than lambast them into action.
Garner is bold to go against the fans in such a blatant manner, but something had to be done. Goodison Park only really sparks into life nowadays when the team go ahead, which is very rare, or if the referee makes a particularly poor decision.
The players then feed off that.
Perhaps, as the home support, we might need to just swallow our pride and take the impetus or risk falling to relegation out of pure stubbornness.
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