Sam Allardyce has tried to appease disgruntled Everton fans upset he compared their side to West Ham and Newcastle by insisting the Merseysiders have a much richer history than his previous clubs.

Everton fans took exception to Allardyce’s comments last week, but he felt they were misconstrued when he suggested the demands at Goodison Park were similar to those at St James’ Park and East London.

"Everton is far greater than Newcastle and West Ham, but every fan has great demands and when there are big crowds the demand is bigger. That's what it's all about," said Allardyce.

"For me Everton is completely different to Newcastle or West Ham but it was just a comparison. It wasn't anything other than that.

"The ambition at Everton is different to Newcastle and different to West Ham, but if you don't play as well as they expect you to play and don't entertain they show their disapproval and that's what you have to deal with as a manager."

Successive away defeats have left Everton with work left to guarantee their Premier League survival. They play Brighton at Goodison Park this weekend, with Allardyce hoping a more positive conclusion to the campaign can convince majority shareholder Farhad Moshiri to give him a chance to lead the club beyond the end of the season.