Everton and Lampard facing huge fight for survival after Saints setback
UNDER PRESSURE: Everton's head coach Frank Lampard gives instructions to his players. Picture: AP Photo/Jon Super
Everton's statement described it as "a profoundly sad day" - and that was even before the game kicked off.
It was to only get worse. By the final whistle the crisis-hit Merseyside club was at its lowest ebb for nearly 70 years.
With supporters planning protests against the board, such was the concern for the safety of directors amid they were told to stay away from the ground.
Fans who had given the players a vociferous welcome on the streets outside Goodison Park in the hope of inspiring them to a much-needed victory had turned on the team at the end with boos, jeers and chants of "you're not fit to wear the shirt."
Frank Lampard received a vote of confidence from the club's owner Farhad Moshiri last week and there were no suggestions of an immediate U-turn after a shattering result that leaves them one place off the bottom of the table courtesy of a better goal difference than the side who had just beaten them.
But Everton desperately need attacking reinforcements before the transfer window closes and a drastic improvement in the second half of the season if they are to avoid the nightmare scenario of relegation from the top flight for the first time since the 1954.
Moshiri and his fellow directors - long-serving chairman Bill Kenwright, chief executive Denise Barrett-Baxendale and finance and stategy officer Grant Ingles - are reluctant to sack another manager mid-season with all the upheaval and costs involved. They've been down that road plenty of times before with Ronald Koeman, Marco Silva and Rafa Benitez.
Their hope is that with some new signings, Lampard can turn their fortunes round and pull off another escape but the statistics make grim reading.
The 15 points they have amassed after 19 games is their lowest tally at the half-way point of a Premier League season.
If 40 points is the accepted survival target they need 25 more points - the equivalent of eight wins and a draw - to reach it.
And that looks a tall order when you consider Lampard has only overseen nine wins in the 37 Premier League fixtures since he was appointed almost a year ago.
Lack of goals is the biggest problem and has been for a while. That is one of the biggest criticisms directed towards the board who sold last season's leading scorer Richarlison - Brazil's No 9 at the World Cup - without signing a replacement and with the other main striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin dogged by injuries over the last two seasons.
Everton have managed only 15 goals this season and have only scored more than once in a game on two occasions. It puts enormous pressure on any defence to keep a clean sheet if a team is only ever capable of scoring once.
And it was the same old story on Saturday with Everton unable to hang on to the first half lead provided by Amadou Onana's header.
The last words from Lampard and his coaching staff before sending the players out for the second half would have been along the lines of 'keep it tight, don't let them back in the game.'
Well, the message clearly fell on deaf ears with the impressive James Ward-Prowse showing neat footwork to take Che Adam's knock-down header past Ben Godfrey's sliding challenge before slotting a shot past Jordan Pickford.
As Lampard admitted ruefully afterwards it was "a goal that changed the game." Everton were then riddled with anxiety while Saints had their tails up.
Calvert-Lewin went close to restoring the lead when his shot hit the underside of the bar but Everton shot themselves in the foot when Anthony Gordon foolishly bundled over Adams in a bid to stop a Saints counter attack giving free-kick specialist Ward-Prowse the chance to score a superb set-piece goal from 25 yards.
Lampard refused to use the off-field protests towards the board as an excuse and vowed to fight on, insisting he hasn't lost belief he can reverse the slide despite the the Premier League being more competitive than ever.
The next three fixtures are a trip to fellow strugglers West Ham, a home clash with leaders Arsenal before the Merseyside derby at Anfield. If Everton lose all three then the board may have no option but to drop the axe.
“We have to take responsibility, myself first," said Lampard. "We have to do better. You can have good periods in games but if you are not scoring it keeps the other team in a game. It has been a problem for us, without a doubt.
"In terms of my own abilities I always remain confident. I know I am not a miracle worker and I know that I am not the best coach in the world, but I know I will work as hard as I can to be as good as I can be.
"When you take this job you understand the nature of it. I want to get things right here. We had amazing times last year, staying up when people thought we would be relegated.”
A year on and the fear of the drop is gripping Goodison again - and once more it looks like it will go down to the wire. Lampard will stay in charge for now but whether he will be there at the end remains to be seen.
(5-3-2): Pickford 6, Coleman 6 (Gordon 70, 4), Godfrey 6, Coady 6, Tarkowski 6, Mykolenko 5, Iwobi 6, Onana 7, Gueye 6 (Simms 81, 5); Calvert-Lewin 5, Gray 6.
Unused subs: Begovic, Holgate, McNeil, Mina, Doucoure, Maupay, Davies.
Goal: Onana 38.
(3-5-2): Bazunu 6; Lyanco 7, Caleta-Car 7, Salisu 6; Lavia 6 (A Armstrong 60); Walker-Peters 7, Ward-Prowse 9, Elyounoussi 6 (Perruad 84 ), Diallo 6 (Maitaland-Niles 84, 5); Edozie 5 ( Alcaraz 60, 5), Adams 8 (Mara 84, 5).
Unused subs: Orsic, Aribo, Caballero, Djenepo.
Goals: Ward-Prwose 46, 78.
: John Brooks.
CONNECT WITH US TODAY
Be the first to know the latest news and updates
