Sam Allardyce may have eased the pressure that threatened to bear down on him following Everton’s third successive win (the last on against Brighton and Hove Albion last Saturday), but it hasn’t all gone away – not by a long chalk. Allardyce admits that a bad result against Stoke next weekend could have the fans baying for his blood again.
But at the tender old-age of 63, “Sam-the0man” says he is far better equipped to deal with the ups, downs and pressures of life as a Premier League football club manager than he was 15-years ago. Perhaps that’s just as well, as he is now awaiting news of the extent of the knee injury that has befallen Gylfi Sigurdsson and that could rule him out for the rest of the season.
If so, he will be sorely missed as so far this season, the Icelander has created 38 goal-scoring opportunities for his side.
The concerns about Sigurdsson’s knee injury
Sigurdsson sustained the injury during the game against Brighton and Ove Albion, when he went down holding his knee. He was given treatment and went on to finish the match. The only worrying concern is whether by playing on, he might have actually aggravated the injury and made the outcome worse.
As well as being an important player for The Toffees, Sigurdsson is also a key player for the Icelandic national team. If the injury turns out to be a bad one, not only will the 28-year old miss out on the rest of the domestic season here in the UK, he will also be ruled out of the World Cup.
To add even more drama to the situation, these will be the first World Cup finals that Iceland has participated in. They badly need Sigurdsson’s services to be at their best.
Knee injuries have already cost Everton, dear
Allardyce knows how debilitating knee injuries can be. Last season Everton’s Argentinian defender, Ramiro Funes Mori, was put out of the game for nigh-on ten-months. He underwent an operation on his knee at the end of last season and only made his return in February this year when the Everton under-23s played Arsenal’s under 23s.
According to Sigurdsson’s brother, Olafur Mar Sigurdsson, who spoke to the Icelandic media, Gylfi may have damaged the joint of his right knee. All eyes will be on the medical results once the injury has been properly evaluated.
Small comfort
The only crumb of comfort for Sam Allardyce is that he may have had a decision already made for him. Only recently “Big Sam” stated that in his opinion, he couldn’t play Rooney and Sigurdsson together in the same side. This is due he says to their lack of pace. It meant that he would have had to have chosen which of the two to put in the supporting role. It could now be clear cut.
Rooney, who started his career with Everton has been welcomed back to the fold. An extended run in the side could help him to secure the recognition which Emile Heskey said he so richly deserves from both players and fans alike.