Everton legend Peter Reid will be watching his former club face Manchester City through his fingers

Peter Reid has been to midnight mass to say his prayers. He confesses an allegiance to Manchester City, the team he played for and managed for three years, but it’s his other great love, Everton, he fears need divine intervention on Saturday.

‘I had the choice of going to the Etihad or the caravan in Abersoch,’ he says. ‘The caravan won. I’ll be watching the game there, through my fingers. I said my prayers last week but I’m not even sure the Big Fella up there can help Everton on Saturday.’

Of course, Reid the player would never write off a game but, after witnessing Everton’s worrying slide towards the relegation zone, there’s a sense of foreboding as they face the machine that is Manchester City.

Peter Reid (back left) said Everton must stick with Frank Lampard and show more fight 

‘Frank Lampard gets the club. He’s a principled man who has had an outstanding career and he likes to play possession football,’ says Reid. ‘I get that, but I think we need to mix it up, show more aggression and play more in the opposition half.

‘To be fair to Frank, you can tell he’s hurting, he’s missed having a centre forward as Dominic Calvert-Lewin is always injured and Richarlison’s sale was a big blow, but we need more fight, we need a bit more of Joe Royle’s “dogs of war” mentality.’

With perfect timing, Reid’s phone rings. It’s Joe Royle. ‘I was just talking about you…’ A mutual counselling ensues over Everton’s malaise. It has been a common theme. Reid met up with Kevin Ratcliffe, Graeme Sharp and other members of Everton’s great 1980’s side in a Liverpool pub for a festive get-together last week.

The Everton legend praised the current boss and said that he understands the club and culture

‘We were in The Bridewell, it’s a former police lock-up appropriately,’ he laughs. ‘Everton need a get-out-of-jail card. I took Ian Rush with me, even he’s worried about Everton but that’s because he’s always enjoyed a derby!

‘It’s like a love-in when we get together, we shared such great experiences that we will always remain tight and, naturally, there’s a great love for our club.

‘We are as frustrated as anyone and that’s our conversation, but we are behind Frank because he’s our manager. As much as we are proud of being part of a great history, we want to see the club create new chapters.’

Everton’s impatient support has been used as a tool against the team in recent weeks, as cited by Wolves captain Ruben Neves. It is perhaps surprising considering the fans’ role in keeping Everton up last season.

Reid in front of two of his most prized possessions – the former Everton man wants new generations to experience the glory days like he did

Reid called upon the players to show more fight so as to avoid a situation similar to last season

‘Give the fans something to shout about,’ says Reid. ‘I know pressure. We were so bad only 13,000 turned up to watch us play Coventry on New Year’s Eve at Goodison in 1983. We drew 0-0 and were booed off, they were calling for everyone to go. Howard Kendall gave us a right talking to in the week and told us buck up or he’d play the kids. We won the next one. We were young men who grew up on the pitch.

‘The game may have changed since my day, but the fundamentals haven’t. Those players need to put in hard graft and be hard to beat. We are in a battle.’

Everton fans rallied to raise their side last May when relegation seemed inevitable, and Reid admits he was brought to tears.

The former midfielder said the current crop have to give the supporters ‘something to shout about’ this season

‘They were sensational. I’m not sure whether it was the high emotion or sadness at what we had become but I had tears in my eyes. After the win over Crystal Palace, it was euphoric. I hugged Frank in the stands and told him “thanks” but afterwards I was embarrassed. We shouldn’t be celebrating those type of games.

‘I’m doing after-dinner talks and there is a generation of fans there who have never seen Everton win a trophy. That’s not right.’

With Everton following a familiar decline, Lampard is favourite to be the next Premier League manager sacked. Is that a course of action Reid thinks is merited?

‘No. There’s been too many changes of manager at Everton but who gets time these days? Frank needs a striker.

Erling Haaland is ‘ridiculous’, according to Reid – and makes the difference for his side 

‘As good as City are, Erling Haaland makes a difference. He’s ridiculous. I remember sitting in the bath post-match with Gary Lineker and saying to him, “Hey, you missed five chances on the bounce there, what’s going on?”

‘He just said, “Yeah but I’m there for every chance. I’ll get the next one.” Cold as you like. I liked that as with that attitude you don’t lose confidence. He scored 40 goals for us that season and Haaland has the same belief. It’s a gift. Everton can’t afford another like him but they need a finisher.’

Reid remains a frequent visitor at City. He and good friend Adrian Heath, now coach at Minnesota United, were guests of Brian Marwood, City Group’s managing director, for the Carabao Cup victory over Liverpool.

‘We don’t go to discuss old times just old tackles,’ jokes Reid. ‘Brian said he had a cold, but I think he was afraid we were going to kick him. It was great because Tony Book, the ex-City captain, who’s 88 now, came over for a chat too. City have changed but the club hasn’t lost its soul.’

The City of today is certainly a far cry from 30 years ago when Reid was manager under ruthless chairman Peter Swales.

‘There was no structure then under Swales, you never knew what the budget was until you started asking for a player.

Everton’s decisive victory over Crystal Palace last season brought a tear to the eye of the club legend

He said, however, that he was embarrassed after the fact – saying Everton should be celebrating more than just surviving 

‘We bashed heads a few times. I was a cocky lad from Huyton, he was a businessman from Altrincham. I wouldn’t advise telling your chairman to “F*** off” or calling him “shredded wheat head”, which I did. That I did regret. I earned two fifth-placed finishes but at the start of the fourth season he sacked me in August. He later admitted he made a mistake when I did well at Sunderland.’ It was at City that Reid forged his long-held friendship with Sir Alex Ferguson and feels he played a part in his old rival’s longevity.

‘We had finished above United. I remember Alex coming along to watch a reserve game and he was under the cosh, they were ninth, and you could see he was feeling the pressure a bit, looking a bit down, so Sam Ellis, my assistant, invited him in for scampi and chips and a glass of wine. We had a great laugh which seemed to work for him. Never mind people saying Mark Robins’ goal at Nottingham Forest was the turning point for him, it was the scampi!’

Reid is relaxing at his home near Bolton, surrounded by mementoes of a glittering career. A shirt from old nemesis Diego Maradona, signed photographs of City legend Bert Trautmann and an Everton shirt from the European Cup Winners’ Cup final.

On the floor is his 1985 PFA Player of the Year trophy. It’s dusty and in need of repair after his grandson asked for it to be brought down from the loft.

At 66, he looks remarkably trim, well below his playing weight of 11st. All the more remarkable as he had a stent fitted in his heart earlier this year after a wellness clinic, organised by the League Managers’ Association, picked up on a blood pressure issue.

‘They sorted me out and I feel great. I’m getting to games and doing yoga three times a week now at Yoga Universe in Hindley. I never used to bend like that when I played so I must be doing something right.’