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Everton’s Silva under pressure ahead of ‘must-win’ v. Cardiff

Southampton FC v Everton FC - Premier League

SOUTHAMPTON, ENGLAND - JANUARY 19: Marco Silva, Manager of Everton looks dejected as Ralph Hasenhuettl, Manager of Southampton looks on during the Premier League match between Southampton FC and Everton FC at St Mary’s Stadium on January 19, 2019 in Southampton, United Kingdom. (Photo by Jordan Mansfield/Getty Images)

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Marco Silva’s only been on the perpetually hot Everton hot seat for seven months, but he’s — surprise surprise — already feeling that seat as it gets uncomfortably warm following a poor two months of Premier League results.

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So warm and so poor, in fact, that Silva went so far as to call Tuesday’s visit to 17th-place Cardiff City (Watch live, 2:45 p.m. ET, on NBC Sports Gold) a “must-win” game if he is to comfortably continue on in his job — quotes from the Guardian:

“We must be more competitive in some moments, keep more focus in other moments, be more aggressive and show that desire we showed earlier in the season to go against this bad run we have had in the last two months. Cardiff is a must-win, it is a game to win for sure, and like always I prepare the game to win.”

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While he refused to campaign on his own behalf, Silva rightly acknowledged the constant upheaval that Everton has experienced in the last few years — “four managers in the last 18 months,” as he put it — and his belief that the club could use a bit of “stability” and continuity. That much should be granted without thinking twice, especially given the number of new arrivals to the first-team squad over that same period.

“The club has had four managers in the last 18 months and signed more than 20 players over maybe the last 18-20 months. Forget Marco Silva and the players we signed, it is not about the names. What we have to do is the right things and everyone is working in the club to take the right decisions.”

“It’s not for me to talk about myself, but stability is important. No one wants to have [a different] manager, manager, manager inside 20 months, and 20 players inside 18 months. You have to create something, an identity with our club, and you have to allow for some adaptation for this football, to adapt within our club and also to the Premier League. It is a special club and the players have to feel they can create an identity with our fans also.”

Follow @AndyEdMLS