Frank Lampard told to make Everton decision after four key changes already

Frank Lampard needs to get a settled formation for the rest of the season to ensure Everton avoid relegation from the Premier League. That’s the view of Gavin Buckland, who made the point on the Royal Blue podcast.

Lampard reverted to the 3-4-3 formation he first started with as Everton manager for Sunday’s 1-0 home defeat to Wolverhampton Wanderers but has also played 4-4-2, 4-3-3 and what looked more like a 4-2-3-1 at Tottenham Hotspur throughout his tenure so far.

The loss was Lampard’s fifth in six Premier League fixtures so far and leaves the Blues only outside the relegation zone on goal difference after taking just 22 points from 26 games this term – the club’s lowest ever tally at this stage of a Premier League season.

Buckland said: “Somebody said last week after the Spurs game: ‘Is this a wake-up call for the players?’

“I was thinking, the players have had more wake-up calls than I’ve had on a Monday in December when I’ve been on the ale on the Sunday night! If the message has not got home now, then it’s never going to get home is it?

“What is it, two wins in 20 games, eight defeats in nine? If you’re not worried now, you never will be. I think it’s more about the manager and what his response is.

“I think what he needs to do is get a settled formation and say: ‘This is what we’re going to play for the remaining 12 games of the season. These are my best players. Unless there’s a massive issue, I’m going to go with that.’

“That’s because we’ve played too many different formations. We spoke on Sunday about playing long ball. We tried to play it from the back on Sunday and it didn’t work, passing back and forth between the centre-halves and the goalkeeper.”

He added: “The best template to use would probably be