Everton analysis - Cruel transfer threat looms as Jordan Pickford anger speaks volumes

You had to feel for Jordan Pickford when Will Hughes was presented with the simplest of tap-ins to score Crystal Palace’s fourth goal as moments earlier he’d made an impressive save to deny Conor Gallagher.

Once again, the Everton goalkeeper had been given next-to-no protection by the so-called ‘defence’ in front of him, and he understandably cried out in frustration.

Like the long-suffering Blues supporters, who travelled in great numbers again with many having to leave Merseyside long before dawn to make it to Selhurst Park in time, the England number one deserves much better.

Never mind the FA Cup, Pickford is one of several international class players in this Everton squad who finds himself in real relegation danger with fears that for the first time in 71 years, the club could be dropping out of the top flight.

This squad has been assembled at a much-greater cost than Palace’s but Patrick Vieira’s well-drilled outfit made a mockery of such facts.

Over the years, Everton have seldom looked comfortable when deploying a three centre-back system but so far 3-4-3 has appeared to be Lampard’s formation of choice.

You wonder how much longer that will be the case though as he cannot afford many more shambolic showings like this.

Regardless of the personnel or system deployed though, Everton’s schoolboy ineptness from pieces also reared its ugly head once more.

Such a pity one of their defenders couldn’t have reared theirs when defending a corner kick.

One small piece of encouragement that Everton brought into their FA Cup quarter-final with Crystal Palace was the hope that surely their display at Selhurst Park couldn’t have been as bad as their last visit here in December.

Sadly those who sought such solace couldn’t have