Manager Simon Grayson has been speaking about how he expects an incredibly tough clash against Everton later this evening.
Making the trip to Goodison Park for tonight’s EFL Cup third round clash, Grayson warned that Everton will be the proverbial ‘wounded tiger’ as they look to end a run of four straight defeats and they are actually winless in their last six – albeit their last three Premier League ties have seen games with Chelsea, Tottenham and Manchester United.
Speaking to the Official Site as he met with the media to preview the game earlier today, Grayson said that with plenty of changes in their squad – and the quality of the players – he fully expected it would soon click for them, and we had to be careful it wasn’t tonight.
‘It can be good or bad time to face them. They will be desperate for a result and any team that is criticised and wounded can be difficult to play against. They have some talented players and who knows what team they will put out. I would expect it still to be pretty strong considering the squad they have got.’
Adding.
‘They will be like us, just wanting to win a football match very quickly.’
With it potentially being a quick meeting with Jordan Pickford following his switch over the transfer window, Grayson had positives words for him, having worked with the stopper at Preston.
‘I think Jordan deserves the credit for where he is at this moment in time, and the people that developed his career. He got that experience of going from non-league to the league and then to the Championship, then to be fair to the lad he`s grasped that opportunity and done ever so well.’
He went on to say about their new number 1.
‘He`s learned how to develop and backed himself to play. When I was at Preston I did say I thought he`d be a Premier League regular and England`s number one in the future. I keep in touch with him even now, I sent him a text last year to ask for a donation to my prostate cancer justgiving page and within five minutes it was done and dusted. All credit to the lad and I hope he goes all the way.’
