Can Frank Lampard still survive if Everton lose again at West Ham
On Saturday Everton face another huge match as they travel to East London to play fellow strugglers West Ham United with both sides desperate for the points.
The hyperbole about this game is for once genuine. After a terrible defeat at home to Southampton last weekend, a loss for Everton in two days time would be truly catastrophic and I think almost impossible to recover from.
And, surely a defeat at the weekend, especially a heavy one, would surely finally make it impossible for Lampard to survive.
The Blues’ hosts also need the win too as they are facing a similar situation making this a massive clash that could ultimately decide the future of one or other of these clubs.
The Toffees’ circumstances are even more serious than West Ham’s of course, as the problem isn’t just about a manager under pressure and player failings on the pitch.
Critically, the relationship between the Blues’ board and large sections of the supporter base is at an all-time low and seems permanently broken.
Even a victory at the London Stadium on Saturday won’t mend that relationship and the only way out I can see is for Farhad Moshiri to sell up and a new owner and board to be in place.
Anyway, that’s for the future, I hope. The immediate challenge once again is for Everton to somehow find a way to win at West Ham and end a horrendous run of results that have seen the Toffees’ lose seven of the last nine matches.
One small piece of good news is that there are no new injuries in the Blues’ squad as Frank Lampard prepares his players for this latest ‘must-win’ game.
That’s something after the constant injury problems that have so often plagued both the current and past managers.
The key questions then surround who will Lampard pick and how will he set up those players in terms of tactics and formation.
I think Lampard should stick with a three or five-man defence to try and provide the necessary defensive solidity this team desperately needs.
Up front I would prefer to see Demarai Gray play behind Dominic Calvert-Lewin with a three-man midfield built around Amadou Onana, who had his best game in an Everton shirt against Southampton.
In his press conference Lampard was quizzed about the news that Saturday’s opponents are signing Danny Ings, a player Everton have been strongly linked with recently.
He could even make his debut against the visitors and given his past history against the Toffees’, he is almost certain to score on Saturday too, it will probably be the winner too.
This news follows on from another claimed offensive target Dango Outarra who has instead decided to join Bournemouth rather than Everton.
It all adds to the depressing reality that the Blues’ don’t seem to have the resources to seal a deal for any of the multiple alledged attacking targets.
The club’s precarious position in the Premier League is also contributing to the difficulty Lampard and Kevin Thelwell are having when trying to bring in new players.