'Fireman Sam' to the rescue as Everton climbs league ladder

LIVERPOOL - Everton boss Sam Allardyce's ability to quickly get teams out of relegation trouble is the defining characteristic of his management career but his impact at Goodison Park has been so swift he is already looking at a top-half finish.

Everton's 3-1 win over Swansea City on Monday pushed the Merseysiders up to ninth in the Premier League and the worries of a long scrap against the drop already seem a distant memory thanks to the instant impact of the man dubbed "Fireman Sam" (referencing a children's TV animation character in the UK).

"The target now? Top half but let's not get carried away," said Allardyce, after goals from Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Gylfi Sigurdsson and Wayne Rooney, with a penalty, secured a comeback victory over the rock-bottom Swans.

Everton was in the relegation zone when it fired Dutchman Ronald Koeman on Oct 23 following a humiliating 5-2 loss at home to Arsenal.

The club's Under-23 coach, David Unsworth, then had an extended spell as caretaker boss, managing just two wins in eight games.

Unsworth's second and final win, a 4-0 success against West Ham United, came with Allardyce already watching from the stands and, while he was not on the bench for that game, he is making sure that victory counts on his record.

Since formally taking the role, Everton has beaten Huddersfield Town (2-0) and Newcastle United (1-0) and dug deep for an unlikely backs-to-the-wall 1-1 draw at local rival Liverpool before Monday's win.

"To collect 13 out of 15 points is outstanding considering the position where we have come from," said Allardyce.

"We have scored 11 goals in five games and kept clean sheets. We are a team that comes from 1-0 down to win. That shows the character."

Never relegated

Allardyce, 63, has never had a team of his relegated from the Premier League, despite working with clubs such as Sunderland and Crystal Palace, which were in deep trouble when he took over.

He managed to maintain top-flight soccer for the likes of Bolton Wanderers and Blackburn Rovers and took West Ham back into the Premier League - and kept them there - after its relegation.

Focusing on solid defending and good organization has again brought results for the former England manager but he said his assistants, such as ex-Leicester boss Craig Shakespeare and veteran coach Sammy Lee, deserve credit too.

"From a tactical point of view, I've simplified the game and I'm man-managing the players. I brought some experienced and talented staff with me, along with the rest of the staff - I want everyone to get better. To turn around so quickly is great credit to everyone. Not just me," he said.

"What looked like a desperate situation is becoming a comfortable one. Now people are looking up the table rather than down. The last clubs I took over were tougher to turn around initially."

The next test for Everton comes against third-place champion Chelsea at Goodison Park on Saturday.

"We've got to try and get a result against Chelsea and then we'll really know what we're made of," added Allardyce.

"With this confidence, if we can get a result we're on the right track for finishing as high as we can. Let's see if the lads can pull one out of the bag."

Reuters