Peter Reid has stated he feels sorry for the Everton players, suggesting they cannot whip up the Hill Dickinson crowd with big challenges.
Everton are currently on a seven-game winless run at their new stadium, and fans have started to grow a little concerned.
David Moyes has suggested it was always going to be tricky navigating away from Goodison Park.
What is going so wrong at the Hill Dickinson Stadium for Everton? 😳
It is now less than one win in every three following the loss against Bournemouth… 😤
A general exterior view of Hill Dickinson Stadium ahead of the Premier League match between Everton and Bournemouth.
Credit: Getty Images/Robbie Jay Barratt – AMA.
But supporters have been perplexed after the team actually got off to a good start at the Hill Dickinson Stadium.
It’s only in recent months that things have started to go awry.
And for Peter Reid, one big factor in this is because of how football has changed compared to his playing days.
Peter Reid suggests Everton players can’t whip up Hill Dickinson crowd
Peter Reid wearing an Everton scarf.
Photo by PAUL ELLIS/AFP via Getty Images
Some have remarked that the atmosphere at the Hill Dickinson is not a patch on what it was at Goodison.
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Goodison was famous for having a great atmosphere, and many have said that it had an intimidation factor about it.
Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink recently suggested he never fared well at Goodison due to the close proximity of the fans to the players.
For Peter Reid though, the Everton players can’t whip up the Hill Dickinson crowd due to the nature of football today.
He told the Liverpool Echo: “With great respect to the modern-day footballer and football in general, Howard used to say to me ‘Make a tackle in the first five minutes, get the crowd going’.
“I feel sorry for them, because you can’t tackle these days.
“Listen, I don’t want anyone getting injured, but football is supposed to be a contact sport. Look at a penalty area before a corner or a free-kick is taken, they’re rugby tackling each other, but you’re seemingly not allowed to touch anyone in open play.”
Reid went on to urge: “You’ve got to get fans up, out of their seats and behind the team. At a stadium like Hill Dickinson, you’ve got to get at people.”
Everton manager David Moyes shouts from the touchline.
Photo by Matt McNulty/Getty Images
Reid may have a point about the nature of football today preventing the same kind of physicality as in his day.
But perhaps a bigger issue is that Everton’s brand of football under Moyes is not one that will get supporters out of their chairs.
Everton at the Hill Dickinson Stadium so far
Wins – 4
Draws – 4
Losses – 5
Goals scored – 16
Goals conceded – 18
He has done a brilliant job since returning for a second stint, leaning into pragmatism and moulding this team into an outfit that’s hard to beat.
It’s been great for stability, but not so much for the spectacle.
Right now though, stability is key.
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