For someone unfamiliar with the perversities of football, the atmosphere in the stadium would have made little sense. The fans of the losing team, the one under threat of relegation, never wavered in their encouragement; the supporters of the winning team were demanding their manager be dismissed.

Yet for Sam Allardyce, it has become so normal, almost, that if he ever again found a club where he was appreciated he would probably feel he was losing his edge.

“I don’t think I’ve had this kind of grief when we’ve been getting as many points, but I remember getting some at West Ham when we were fourth,” he said. “But you never know. I’m Marmite, aren’t I?”

Goals by Cenk Tosun and Idrissa Gueye gave Everton 14 points from their last seven matches, form as good as anyone outside the top four. On the touchline, Allardyce turned towards the away section in the stands and seemed to be fixing every dissenting fan with a hard stare.

“All I can do is keep trying my best,” he said. “The players are the key element for me. They’re the ones I’ve to work with, to get the best out of, get results and entertain the fans. For me they’ve been doing that. The players have picked up the messages we’re giving them and what we’re achieving now is very good.”