Frank Lampard could face tough Everton question we all now struggle to answer

“Dad, are Everton going to be relegated?”

I wonder if Frank Lampard gets asked that by his children, because mine are coming to me with this particular poser, on an increasing regular basis.

The Blues boss himself revealed it was his son’s first birthday last Thursday and Lampard was “juggling” watching Sunday’s opponents Wolverhampton Wanderers beat Watford with family duties.

While his youngest obviously doesn’t fully understand what’s going on yet, both in terms of the candle on his cake or what his famous father does for a living, Lampard’s older children, like mine and all those other young Evertonians out there, are left wondering.

We can attempt to shield our kids from many things and there’s a lot of issues in the news right now that put the fortunes of football teams into context – in recent weeks, I (probably along with millions of parents across Europe) have been asked by my teenagers to provide definitive assurances that there won’t be a Third World War – but when they see Everton losing week after week, it becomes ever more difficult to sugar-coat any ripostes.

Observers of all ages can tell you that eight defeats in nine Premier League matches during 2022 is a wretched run from the Blues and there’s been no new boss ‘bounce’ for the former Derby County and Chelsea gaffer.

I wish I could respond with all the defiance and certainty of Anthony Gordon who when asked in an interview last Thursday for the Sunday newspapers if he was worried about Everton’s chances of staying up, replied with an emphatic: “No. Not at all.”

Should we be encouraged by the Blues home-grown hero’s confidence or are he and his team-mates just blind to the facts of a situation now staring the rest of us in the face?

Somehow,