Abdoulaye Doucare insists Everton players DO care about the club’s plight

Abdoulaye Doucoure has assured Everton fans that the threat of relegation haunts the players’ minds as much as their own.

Amidst all the toxins flooding Goodison Park following the team’s fall into the drop zone, there have been allegations that the side doesn’t care as much as the supporters.

As Sean Dyche’s men prepare for a crucial game against fellow contenders Leicester on Monday night after a miserable run of two points from 18, including a 4-1 defeat at home to Newcastle last Thursday, Doucoure is adamant it’s not true.

‘I think about it every day. It’s what we do for our lives,” said the midfielder. “Everton is huge for everyone. We know it’s so important to the fans and to the people who work for the club.

“As players, we don’t want to bring the team down. It’s up to us to keep the club in the Premier League.”

Everton lost 4-1 at home to Newcastle on Thursday night – a defeat many have put on the wall for them

Sean Dyche watched in dismay as his side committed numerous defensive errors against Newcastle

How to turn the ship is another question. Everton have scored the fewest goals in the division with 25 from 33 games and Dwight McNeil is top scorer with five.

Off the field, financial hardship, the threat of point deductions for rule violations and the cost of a new stadium to complete all add to the pressure.

Everton haven’t been out of the top division since 1954 and Doucoure isn’t trying to hide the significance of the Bank Holiday clash, with only Southampton among them.

“The game against Newcastle was a big disappointment, but we must quickly forget this game. It was a failure and we have to go on it on Monday. Leicester are a direct opponent and also trying to stay in the league, so it’s a big game and we need to win. Every match is important.

The battle to avoid each club’s drop and run-in

‘There is faith. Losing a game like that at home can take away confidence, but we’re fighting for our lives. We must be honest and not feel sorry for ourselves.’

Everton fans who lined the route to approach Goodison an hour before kick-off on Thursday had fled before the end when their squad was dismantled.

They fear relegation will see an exodus involving everyone of market value, such as Jordan Pickford, Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Amadou Onana, with uncertainty over how much of their transfer fees can be reinvested.

Calvert-Lewin’s recent return from injury is the only hope Evertonians are clinging to. “He had some chances against Newcastle, but we know we need others to score as well,” added Doucoure.

Ex-Burnley star Dwight McNeil is the club’s top goalscorer this season with just five goals

The Farhad Moshiri era at Everton was nothing short of a total disaster – and a very expensive one

Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s return from injury is the only hope the Evertonians are still clinging to

“When you conced the number of goals we’ve scored, you need to score more than once to win a game. We have to find a place to stay in the league.’

A good omen for Everton is their 2-1 win over Leicester last May which lifted them out of the bottom three. Defenders Mason Holgate and Vitaliy Mykolenko scored the goals that evening and could be back on Monday.

However, the sobering fact for Everton is that they have not won more than one game since beating Crystal Palace 3-0 last October. After Leicester, they face a tough game in Brighton before taking on Manchester City.

Their last two games, at Wolves and at home to Bournemouth, appear to be winning, but they fear they will be too far adrift by then for those games to be relevant.