Everton’s once forgotten man becomes the backbone of the relegation battle

Lampard must continue to rely on Fabian Delph in the final few games

Lampard called Delph to deliver and he did as the Toffees pulled off a miraculous victory over Brendan Rodgers’ side. Delph was outstanding, playing 90 minutes, running the show in the midfield, kept Everton ticking and was the nucleus of the midfield.

The Englishman had 52 touches, second most for an Everton player, had a pass accuracy of 95% and made 11 recoveries. When in possession, he was not even dispossessed once throughout the game and made a key pass.

Under Lampard, Delph has played 335 minutes out of a possible 360 which goes onto show the trust that Lampard has put in the Englishman. Relegation battles can take a toll on the psychology of players and push them into self doubt. You need experienced players like Delph to bear the burden.

The Englishman has done exactly that, he has shown his leadership skills and led the midfield allowing others around him to play with freedom. This has allowed someone like Abdoulaye Docuoure to bombard the opposition box and be present everywhere on the pitch through his tireless running.

If Everton does manage to survive this relegation battle, Delph will be one of the pioneers of the fight back amongst the players. He has been a name to which fans never really warmed upto. He has never been the ace in the Everton deck but right now he’s just doing enough to keep Everton alive in the Premier League.

Will Fabian Delph finish on a high this season?