Everton manager Sean Dyche says making sure his side get the “details correct” will be central to their hopes of ending their long winless streak in the Premier League away to Newcastle on Tuesday.
The Toffees have not won in the league since before Christmas and Saturday’s 2-1 defeat by Bournemouth, sealed by a Seamus Coleman own-goal in the closing seconds, pushed them nearer the bottom of the table.
Everton sit just three points above the relegation zone with nine games left in their latest battle to beat the drop.
With a potential second points deduction for alleged financial breaches also hanging over them, Everton face a nervous end to the season.
“We have to make sure the details are correct because we haven’t been doing that and that’s quite obvious in both boxes,” Dyche told Everton’s website.
“That’s what has to certainly be intact when you go to places like St James’.”
The former Burnley boss added: “We don’t need a reaction in the sense of effort, it’s the details. Slightly less so against Bournemouth with the creation of chances, but generally, it’s all there for us to build on, but you can’t make mistakes — at both ends, by the way.
“It’s not fair to just question a defensive moment because we’ve had chance after chance we haven’t capitalised on. So we have to change both ends of the pitch.”
Newcastle will go into Tuesday’s match buoyed by a remarkable recovery against West Ham where they came from 3-1 down to win 4-3 courtesy of two goals from Harvey Barnes.
“(Newcastle have) had a great result and they’re a good outfit — we know that,” said Dyche.
Everton, however, beat Newcastle 3-0 in December, with Dyche recalling: “We did a really good job tactically and with the delivery of the performance against them earlier in the season.
“We can’t rely on that, but it’s a good marker that it’s achievable to take these games on. We need to play well because there are no gimmes in the Premier League and there are certainly not when you go to places like that.”
