Everton: Frank Lampard decision 'selling Toffees players down the river'

Everton manager Frank Lampard is selling his players ‘down the river’ with his choice of tactics at this moment in time, according to Daily Star journalist Paul Brown.

The Toffees are in real danger of dropping into the second tier of English football for the first time since 1953/54 and losing their status as one of only six clubs to have never been relegated from the Premier League.

A potentially pivotal 3-2 defeat to Burnley last time out has left Everton sitting just one point and one place above the Clarets, who occupy the final spot in the relegation zone.

It was hoped that the arrival of Lampard as Rafa Benitez’s successor on deadline day in January would spark an upturn in the Merseyside outfit’s fortunes but that is yet to be the case.

In the 43-year-old tactician’s opening nine top-flight fixtures at the helm, Everton have picked up just two wins, losing on the other seven occasions.

And Lampard has deployed a variety of tactics in order to try and drag the Blues out of their current plight, lining up in a 3-4-3, 4-4-2, 4-2-3-1 and 4-3-3 formation during his short reign, as per FBref.

However, none have proved overly successful. Everton have only scored two goals from open play in their last six outings, conceding 13 times along the way, highlighting their woes at both ends of the pitch.

Brown believes that Lampard’s approach has hindered Everton in recent weeks but also reckons the current crop of players lack ‘leaders, grafters and fighters’ as they edge ever close to the bottom three.

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In an exclusive interview with GiveMeSport, he said: “I think the problem at the moment is probably a little bit of both.

“It’s that players are obviously