Dixie Dean, the only player to score more goals for Everton than Graeme Sharp, has his image next to him on the side of the Main Stand at Goodison Park
Graeme Sharp is an Everton legend. He’s a great man and he was given the opportunity to be on the Everton board and no Blue is ever going to turn that down.
What he did for the football club as a player will never be forgotten. It’s the final season at Goodison Park and we all want to see our heroes be given to get out there on the pitch and make their final farewells, whether it’s Graeme Sharp or whoever.
It won’t feel quite the same if people are missing. Of course, he probably feels that he’s made mistakes but who hasn’t?
Graeme loves Everton Football Club, and we loved him as a player. He understands Everton Football Club and I have no doubts that he’d be truly welcomed back if he was to return before the end of the season, along with the rest of all our legendary players.
Of course we’re back at Goodison Park on Saturday evening and Fulham have got some very dangerous players, especially ones who are strong on the ball and like to run with it. Rightly or wrongly, Sean Dyche has struggled, and he hasn’t got the results against Fulham at home, but we should have a bit of confidence after that win against Ipswich Town.
We need to make it difficult for Fulham when they come to Goodison, but I’ve said this time and time again now, even going back to the Carabao Cup tie with Doncaster Rovers, we’re giving our visitors too much time to settle into a rhythm. When they get into certain areas we’ve got to press with purpose and we’ve shown when we do that, we can create opportunities for ourselves.
What I don’t like to see at Goodison Park is us sitting back, being too deep and that’s what I’ve questioned about Dyche’s sides at home, they need to get out of that habit because it quietens the fans down. We need our crowd to be on top of the Fulham players and making it difficult for them, and that starts with the players showing the hunger and enthusiasm to press and if you do that, the supporters will back you absolutely.