Southampton v Everton: 5 takeaways as Away Day Blues Strike Again

Switch to a 4-3-3 formation has to happen when Doucoure returns

5. What options does Lampard have going forward?

While the two home games offer Everton fans hope that enough points can be secured for Premier League safety, this cannot be relied upon especially when Manchester City, Manchester United and Chelsea still have to visit Goodison Park.

Trips to Burnley, Watford and Leicester will offer chances to get points away from home, but Lampard will need to change the tactics and mindset of the players when playing away.

The mindset will be the hardest to implement as it has been an ingrained problem for sometime, weak and negative players have been causing issues for many years.

However tactically Lampard can look at changing things immediately and positively. Returning players from injury will assist with this but some answers are already in the wings.

A 4-3-3 formation will be the best way to play, especially with Doucoure offering more energy and steel in the middle of the park when he returns possibly for the Manchester City game.

Two changes can be made right away at full back, defensively at Southampton Coleman and Kenny were poor which means VitaliyMykolenko and Nathan Patterson should be included as soon as possible. There is no doubt Patterson will be earmarked for the Boreham Wood match, but even giving him a go against Manchester City would be fine.

This would give Everton more guile and attacking accuracy on both flanks, while shoring up the midfield with Allan and Van De Beek joining Doucoure in the midfield.

The three attacking areas is probably the most interesting area to concentrate on to get Everton firing away from home as well as at Goodison Park. While you would think Calvert-Lewin is a massive asset and has to play every week, once Gray returns from injury you could in theory leave the England striker out if need be.

Lampard could be justified in playing Gray, Richarlison and Gordon in a more mobile front three should Calvert-Lewin produce anymore abject performances like he did at Southampton. This would give more fluidity and movement up top and give them an ability to roam and change positions at every attacking opportunity.

Elsewhere you would have to bring Godfrey back in when available again, this might be for the Spurs away game or the two crucial home games in five days against Wolves and Newcastle, at the expense of Holgate. With Godfrey back in the side with his pace he can cover the more progressive full backs of Mykolenko and Patterson far more effectively than Holgate.

With Manchester City the next home game Lampard can ill afford to just concentrate on home games for points and games will come thick and fast after the international break at the end of March.

Even though the Newcastle game has been rearranged, they will still have the away game at Burnley and the home match with Leicester to be scheduled, and it would seem likely Watford away will also be rearranged in that time as the FA Cup Quarter-Finals are to be played that weekend.

A hard and tough week on the training ground awaits Lampard and his staff as it will be the last full week of training before fixtures come thick and fast. Picking the players up will be of course at the top of the agenda, but a more mobile and tough style must be sought away from home otherwise Everton will be facing a very stressful end to the season.