James Tarkowski has never been one to shy away from a battle, and the Everton captain delivered a fiery response to a Premier League legend after the pundit made what he described as “disrespectful” comments about the Toffees live on television.
The pundit, speaking from the Sky Sports studio before Everton’s Carabao Cup clash with Newcastle United at Hill Dickinson Stadium, had suggested that Everton were “a team destined for a relegation battle” and that anything other than a comfortable Newcastle victory would be “a major shock.” He went further, arguing that the club’s recent form proved that they “don’t belong in the top half of the table.”
Tarkowski, speaking to the broadcaster after Everton’s stunning 3-1 Carabao Cup victory, was having none of it.
“Disrespectful? Yeah, I’d say so,” Tarkowski said, his voice firm. “He sat there and said we’re destined for a relegation battle. He said anything other than a comfortable Newcastle win would be a major shock. He said we don’t belong. Well, I hope he was watching. I hope he saw every minute of that. Because we’ve just won again. We’ve just fought for every ball. We’ve just showed the character that this club is built on. And he’s sitting in a studio somewhere telling the world we’re nothing. That’s disrespectful. Simple as that.”
Tarkowski continued, his frustration clear.
“He wasn’t here. He wasn’t on the pitch. He wasn’t in the dressing room. He was sitting in a studio somewhere, watching on a screen, and he’s telling us we don’t belong. That’s not an honest assessment. That’s a lazy one. We’ve got a team full of internationals. We’ve got players who have won trophies. We’ve got a manager who knows how to win. And we’ve got a support that fills this stadium every week and sings for 90 minutes. So don’t sit there and tell us we’re relegation fodder. We’re Everton. We’re always going to be here. We’re always going to be fighting. And we’re always going to be winning.”
The Everton captain’s response drew immediate praise from the Toffees faithful, who took to social media to celebrate his words. One fan wrote: “James Tarkowski is a proper captain. He defends his club. He defends his teammates. He defends the fans. That’s what a leader does.” Another added: “The pundit got exactly what he deserved. You don’t disrespect Everton and get away with it.”
But Tarkowski wasn’t finished.
“Listen, I’ve got respect for the pundit as a player. He was a great player. He won trophies. He knows what it takes to win at the highest level. But as a pundit, he’s got a job to do. And that job is to give his honest opinion. But there’s a way to do it. And calling us a relegation team? Saying we don’t belong? That’s not honest. That’s just disrespectful.”
Tarkowski was also asked whether the pundit’s comments had motivated the players.
“I heard what he said before the game,” Tarkowski said. “I heard it all. And I’ll tell you what I thought when I heard it. I thought, ‘We’ll see.’ And we did see. We saw today. We saw what this team is capable of. We saw what this club is capable of. And we saw what happens when you write us off. You get proven wrong.”
The Everton captain was keen to emphasise that the win was not just about proving the pundit wrong, but about sending a message to the rest of the Premier League.
“We’re not here to be disrespected,” Tarkowski said. “We’re here to compete. We’re here to win. And today, we did both. That’s all that matters. The pundits can say what they like. The critics can write what they like. But we know what we’re capable of. We know what we’ve got in that dressing room. And we know that when we play like we did today, we can beat anyone.”
Tarkowski also spoke about the atmosphere at Hill Dickinson Stadium, which was rocking as Everton secured their place in the next round of the Carabao Cup.
“This stadium is special,” Tarkowski said. “The fans have been incredible since we moved in. They’ve made it a fortress. And tonight, they were the difference. They pushed us on. They lifted us when we needed it. And we gave them something to celebrate. That’s what this club is about. That’s what Everton is about. We fight for each other. We fight for the fans. And we fight for this badge.”
The pundit, to his credit, acknowledged Everton’s performance on air after the match.
“I’ve got to hold my hands up,” the pundit said. “Everton were excellent today. They deserved the win. I said before the game that they were a team destined for a relegation battle. I was wrong. They’re much better than that. And James Tarkowski was right to call me out. Fair play to him. He’s a proper captain and he defended his club. That’s what you want to see.”
The exchange between Tarkowski and the pundit has sparked a wider debate about the way pundits talk about so-called “smaller” clubs and whether their comments are fair or simply dismissive. For Tarkowski, the answer is clear.
“We’re not here to be disrespected,” he said. “We’re here to compete. We’re here to win. And today, we did both. That’s all that matters.”