Has Lampard's Time Run Out?

Holgate, Keane, Davies, even captain Coleman is part of the problem, let's face it.

Gordon, Gray, all pace with not much else.

Dwight McNeil, fair enough, that's on Frank (or Thelwell, or both).

The lack of quality going forwards is glaringly worrying and not even Pep would make this team any more potent.

We've seen Carlo Ancelotti holding his hands out in despair in his final game of the season: "Why? Why?? Why???" he asked when another simple misplaced 5-yard pass was made.

That's what we now have at this club.

Unfortunately, I can see from the positive odds in the bookies, he isn't going anywhere. There's no rumours, no confidence votes, nothing. I suspect our inept board are sitting on their thumbs and will act half-way through January, when we are bottom and some World Cup managers may be available.

Too little and too late this time. I really think our “luck” (we had it last season, we had it against Wimbledon) is run out, and the inept board are finally going to get what their management deserves.

There has to be a change in system and approach bolstered, hopefully, by a couple of signings. A striker is crucial. If, however, we start up again in the same vein as now, then Lampard will be writing his own dismissal letter. It is very much in his own hands. I really hope that he is brave and positive and ruthless.

Watching Brentford players tearing down the pitch at full tilt and in numbers, and other teams similarly last weekend, shows what can be achieved when well managed and positive.

My 2 sons weary of my cries of dismay when the ball goes backwards and side to side. Lampard has to be brave and positive and set out to score and win, not to avoid loss.

Yes, his resources are limited, but no more so than many of the teams around him. January, from my perspective, truly is shit or bust.

Also none of this..."We're closed for the bank holiday come back on Tuesday the 3rd" – Brighton at Home on the 4th looms large... we have Man City away on the 1st is true – but I'll take the draw with that one.

Simple questions. Has Frank improved us in the time he has been here ? No. We're unwatchable, it's only because we live and love the club that we do. Not for any footballing enlightenment. Were we any better under Benitez? No. In fact we we're probably slightly more of an attacking threat under Benitez. Under Frank at the moment we create next to nothing, and hardly ever score. No goals in five of the last six league games, most opponents shooting at will every few minutes. That cannot be acceptable.

I want stability, the next to last thing I want is a manger change. The last thing I want is relegation.

There's plenty of mangers out there who would be relatively on a par with Lampard and only a few that would do better with our squad.

So really it 100% depends upon who you are going to replace him with for a change to make any sense at all.

I'd be all for it if we can get a quality manager in who can guarantee to bring one, hopefully two forwards with him. Because whether we stick or twist with Frank the issue of goals is not going to go away without bringing some real threat in. Maybe even one buy and one on loan if necessary.

Without these two attacking players any manager will suffer and the death spiral will become inescapable.

Right now we have been given a remarkable gift, a parting of the Red Sea moment for EFC. A window of opportunity and a real chance to get out of our accelerating decline.

The biggest disappointment from me is letting Simms go and getting Maupay in. That decision worries me slightly. The idea of playing Holgate, Keane blah blah in the cup and what he said afterwards was bollocks, real bollocks.

Ever watched Chewin the Fat and seen the character who whenever she hears bullshit being spewed, she simply raises her nostrils and says, in a Scottish twang " shite"
Well that post-match interview was that right there. 100%, pure and simple, gold nugget, shite. That was on him.

We could have played an almost full strength team to win that and build confidence and he never. Naive and worrying. My axe has been lifted, not yet up over my head ready to fall... but it's been readied!

A finely balanced post, Steve, and your question has been answered on another Everton fan's website with between three or four fans voting for Lampard to stay to everyone who wants him out; That was out of 700 voters.

I said yesterday on another thread that Frank and his coaching staff have about 6 weeks before the next game to change his plans, style, ideas and system to try and get the squad right and ready to get more points on the board

But that begs the question: What has he and his coaches been doing since the players came back from their summer break? Only in the Crystal Palace game have they won convincingly.

None of us want this constant changing of managers. We know two or three players are desperately needed; if and when we get them in, can Frank be trusted to get them and the rest of the squad to gel together and become a team that we can be confident in to move us up the league and save us from another worrying end to the season?

Looking at his record as a manager, particularly at Everton, I'd say no. If he stays, I wish him the utmost luck and hope he proves me wrong.

We'd all love some stability and it would be great if he could succeed but it's not going to happen. There is nothing to cling on to as a beacon of hope when you watch them play. Every other team in the Premier League has at least something and every other team carries more threat and hope than we do. That's a shocking indictment of this club and of him as a manager.

I'd love the Bielsa rumours to be true because at least we'd know he'd sort the lazy ones out, get them fit, and go on the attack. It might not work with this pathetic squad but at least there'd be some entertainment and we'd go down fighting.

Like a lot of others have said on here lately, it just feels different, like our luck has run out and this time we're going to leave it too late and not get out of it. The fact that the Premier League is so much stronger and there are no obvious dead ducks makes it much more likely than ever before that we'll drop.

There's nowt wrong with what Frank has done defensively. Bad luck with Patterson, Mykolenko is a star, given his situation off the pitch.

Midfield 20 year old, turns 21 comes to Premier League. Newly capped Belgian, we mad, Gueye comes back, Doucoure from injury, Garner steps up, few minutes in Premier League.

Lampard is okay, but he needs 𧴜M for a pair of quality finishers. Whatever manager comes in will want the same.

If he had a fit, firing Calvert-Lewin, Maupay would be better, much better. Even Rondon would have been better. But we ain't, he hasn't. We are 9 points worse than we should be, cos of no finishers, no Mitrovich or Richarlison.

Moise Kean scored a brace for Juventus v Lazio last night. One against Verona five days ago, win. So us Mighty Everton loan out Moise Kean to Juve?????? Lampad, Thelwell get to Milan, talk to Juve, Allegri, Moise Kean. Allegri rates Kean now 4years on.I watched him, Beast!!!

So Juve don't want to pay us €27M. So ask Allegri to persuade Kean to come back for 21 games, score 12 to 15 in the Premier League, prove to himself, Allegri, Juve he's a top, top striker now.

Help us, bring another striker mate on loan. We give Juve the discount they want: €10M if his, their goals keep us up. No-brainer!!!! Frank. A solution.

34 points we are safe out of 69. 40points, half way: 12th. Don't sack Frank, give him, (and the fans) the strikers. Frank, will set up to Win games with two good strikers. No time for experimenting with Brereton Diaz, or young Everton players.

Maupay, the No 2/3 striker, Calvert-Lewin not automatic, he has to fight for his place..
Sell Pickford, Gordon, 5 surplus squad players if we need.𧴜M.

Play youngsters. Get Branthwaite back here in January.

Even top clubs cannot guarantee a particular manager will bring success; look at Man Utd, Chelsea, Spurs etc, and I have to confess I have absolutely no idea who would be successful for us.

I do believe however that re-appointing a past manager would be a retrograde step despite the number of posters on TW calling for Moyes or Martinez – it never works and they'll certainly have a large core of supporters against them from the start.

If I had to choose, I'd probably go for an up-and-coming manager from the Championship or lower divisions rather than overseas; the Championship is a tough competition and takes some winning.

After all, Moyes came after a successful spell at Preston! Whatever the outcome, the powers that be need to be identifying possible targets now and planning for a number of contingencies.

Am I confident that that is going to happen? You guessed it!

Looking at our next seven fixtures, only Wolves away, Brighton and Southampton at home look remotely winnable for Lampard, not easy though as two of those will have new managers installed. If we don't take any points by mid-January, he'll be long gone before we have to face Arsenal and Liverpool in early February.

The sensible thing to do would be to sack Frank this week and give an experienced manager the 6 weeks available from now until the end of the World Cup, to make his mark and install some sort of stability.

But you can virtually guarantee Everton will leave this decision until the 'last chance saloon' scenario, the end of January.

In my opinion, he needs to be sacked. #COYB

But then I warmed to him, thought he made a difference.

But I've seen a reactive animal over the last few games. Ever since he stated he was an "Evertonian" – this stinks of Bill Kenwright, so I say sack, and get Bielsa, before Bournemouth do.

Just as we could still have still qualified for Europe on the last day under Ancelotti.

But we'd rather have Bielsa?

I guess it's down to opinions.

It's all very well saying we should get Moise Kean back, even only on loan, but I really don't think he wants to set foot in this country again, let alone Goodison or Finch Farm.

Then again his nemesis, Duncan Ferguson, who put him on as a sub, then dragged him off about 15 minutes later at Man Utd, is no longer with us, so maybe he will re-consider and would return.

Somehow, I doubt it though.

I think it would be more likely that the players would need the grief counsellor after a couple of training sessions with Bielsa!!

Then we have seen him throw away the League Cup and be unabe to set us up to stop another hiding.

If we don't boot out the affable numpty now, we will be faced with trying to coax a saviour after the transfer window, with another couple of mediocre duds on the training field.

Let's face it, Dominic looks compromised and it might take a few months, if he avoids further injuries, for him to get anywhere near match fit.

Frank has shown that he has little tactical nous, can't motivate, and has a stubbornness that has seen him make the same mistake time and again. Such traits are clearly red flags.

Mark my words, he will take us down. To delay is making relegation more likely.

Agree, Moise Kean maybe doesn't fancy it. He was so young, couldn't adapt, difficult club to come to. But we bought him, a young 18-year-old.

Now, three or more years on, PSG starts goals. Back to Juve, scoring for fun, top striker. But an Everton player still. This is a different situation.

Allegri his manager might be the key. Juve want a discount and Moise Kean hadn't delivered €27million form. Moise Kean wants to play for Juve. Allegri his manager fancies him. So he tells Moise Kean "You go back, score 12 goals plus for Everton in the Premier League in 20 games. Dig your club out the poooooo. Keep them up. Show me, Juve, you're good enough to score, and win games v Man City, Liverpool, Chelsea, Man Utd, Newcastle, Spurs. Do that, show the Premier League you're a top striker. Show me, earn us a €10million discount."

So yep, I get it about a young Kean. But if Allegri says "Go, show us, do your job." Then it's up to Lampard and Thelwell. A good solution if the lad sees it as redemption, his future is with Juventus in the 2023-24 season.

I don't think there is any recall clause written into his loan agreement with Juventus though, so it seems he's there for the entire season, until they are obliged to pay us 㿈M next summer.

Does anyone know if we can recall Moise Kean or not?

Who would we get as manager, starting all over again.

I see Bielsa and Dyche mentioned: one got his club relegated, the other sacked, his club survived the last day.

Lampard had to sell Richarlison, had to bring in players on loan, for free, and the players he bought were deals where fees are paid over 3/5 years.

Rob I believe a fee was agreed for Moise Kean, so there's no chance we can recall him.

I'm sure even if there was such a law there'd be a Sub-section 17(b) where it's permissable if you mention Martinez, Everton and Shit all in the one post.

He mentioned that whoever was making the decisions at the top hiring and firing were very taken with the Celtic manager and he said nothing would be happening until after we had played Celtic in Australia next week.

You'd think it should be after the (ahem) recent review of the operational running of the club.

If so, I would expect him to be very loyal to Lampard given their recent player recruitment.

I don't think changing manager is happening very soon.

Then again, they're apparently in financial trouble and in typical Italian style seem to be wanting to negotiate a discount and are back-tracking on the original terms by all accounts. Please don't send Bill as chief negotiator. We'll end up paying them for Moise to remain at Juventus.

From a pure football perspective, I'd welcome him back and give it another go. But I can't see it happening. The player just didn't settle at Everton or in England and maybe never would.

Andy Crooks, I would love to watch you and my brother have a drink and discuss Martinez. He has strong views and you'd both get on very well!!!

I doubt Moshiri would agree though, he has this fantasy about Beilsa coming in and playing fantasy football, what a disaster that could be. Although at least we would see some attacking football, that would be a novelty !

Obviously it would be better if Moshiri sold the club and we had a clear out at the top, but I don't see a queue of billionaire's lining up to buy a club with so many problems.

Christ on a bike!

In the event that no accurate information is available let's make some shite up.

Your last paragraph is pretty good though

If you're having a hard time accepting Everton's plight, go and get some help.

Maybe you're right. Maybe I need help. Maybe I should also read the Daily Star or the Sun and chill out and believe that all that's written there is pukka. And maybe in no time I'll be sleeping in Boots doorway with a dog on a rope, drinking cheap wine and shouting at pigeons.

Come to think of it, I drink cheap wine now….,

That 'article' was in SportsMole it's one of many internet sites I wade through and I agree is probably highly speculative, but this is a forum and I was just having a bit of fun.

I don't drink at all now haha I used to love a few beers though. 😂

I'm a bit of a lightweight when it comes to drinking though, I haven't had a pint in 6 years.

Enjoy a glass of red or a g+t though.

I think Dyche is unfairly regarded by many. After all, he didn't take Burnley down and he kept them up for 8 years or so. His record reads 245 games, 97 wins, 69 draws, 79 losses. A 39% win rate.

All this with bargain basement players. Sounds like he is just the man to squeeze everything out of our squad.

When we were searching for Silva's successor I said that it should be Ancelotti if we are going to throw money at it, Bruno Genesio then of Lyon if we were going for youth development or Dyche if the money had run out.

Unfortunately the money ran out some time ago.

Dyche is a good fit for a club that needs to reset, form the basis of a reliable mid-table side and hopefully form the foundations of better things. In fact, Dyche is much better qualified than Lampard for that role.

We would play 4-4-2, stop arsing about with zonal marking, and be horrible to play against.

Would it be pretty? No.

Has it been pretty in the past 30 years?

No, apart from a few brief spells when the stars aligned.

Who else is there other than Dyche who would not represent a colossal gamble with our top flight status?

I'm struggling...

Imagine him trying to train some of our players to attack in droves and pass the ball forward?

He'd need ten bottles of cod liver oil to sit squatting managing us.

I'm actually surprised Dyche hasn't got a managerial appointment since he departed Burnley, unless he's taking a break. A good honest manager who did a great job with limited funds. I remember him playing for Watford against us in the “84 FA Cup Final.

We're already a joke, it's good players we need, but quality ones don't grow on trees.

It's not the manager's fault if the players on the field can't pass to one another, they're supposed to be Premier League players.

How are we going to score if moves break down before we get anywhere near the opposition penalty area?

We nearly went down with Richarlison in the side; even with Calvert-Lewin fit, we are now weaker.

We have a DoF who never gets a mention, he wants to get his finger out and sign 1 or 2 strikers. Problem is can he find any in the next window?

Having said that, no one knows who has the final say and signs the players!

Ange Postecoglou's teams have always played good football at club and national level. Arne Slot and Oliver Glasner would be handy to.

I thought I knew everything there was to know about the 1984 FA Cup Final, but your claim to have witnessed Sean Dyche in Watford's ranks on that grand day at Wembley, raised my interest.

I checked the line-ups, he wasn't in the Watford squad. In fact Dyche's first mention is whilst playing for Nottingham Forest U18s in 1988 and he didn't appear for Watford until 2002. Perhaps, you were thinking of Bardsley or Sinnott?

It got to the stage that replacing the Manager is now not the primary solution, now getting rid of the owner is the solution.But again how does that tackle the common denominator problem.More than likely the existing internal Management will have a big say in who the new owner is, because in negotiations they will have to engage with them, meaning to a large extent they will be retained.IMO it is wishful thinking that a takeover means a complete cleanout.I would say Bill if he decides to stay will be kept.No wonder the half baked only are interested taking over, that's before consideration of the inherited financial constraints.

Yes it is a lot more complicated than one would hope, but after 30 years of suffering you get use to it.If Moshiri had have got his first choice for Manager it would be the same, but a lot nutter.

Meanwhile, my team, Schalke are languishing at the foot of the table on their return from Bundesliga 2.

What a season I'm having!

I would simply preach patience:

1) Give Frank (and Thelwell) a chance to get rid of the remaining deadwoods who did themselves no favour in the Carabao Cup disgrace: Mina, Holgate, Keane, TD & even Doucoure. Along with Rondon's salary, that is, IMHO, £350K+ per week on the wage bill. Just imagine most, if not all, of that sum will be bid adieu in January and be re-invested to bring in more suitable players

2) It took Sir Alex Ferguson 5 years to win the Manc their first major trophy in 1991 and he nearly got sacked 2 years into his tenure

3) Frank might have given benefit of the doubts to his players too easily, but at least the Week of Horror at Bournemouth told him who have abused his trust and faith (DCL's injuries and lack of availability might even start testing Frank too)

4) It might be pleasing for some looking at Jesse Marsch turning Leeds into the Everton under Bobby Brown Shoes, but I'd rather we stick to where we have been so far this season, which is mostly tough to beat and solid defensively

I can understand the point you are making. But when Man Utd stuck with Fergie and Everton stuck with Kendall first time round, their teams were going nowhere but were not in relegation danger.

This is different. We are in danger of going down and it is almost unbelievable as it is almost unbearable that we have won only 3 league games out of 15.

We have seen these type of performances before, when lack of player application to training has resulted in not bothering to move into the correct position, non-existent support play, failure to track back, errors and lack of pace.

Some players in The Bournemouth debacle looked as if they could not kick a ball. Any players brought in will find themselves in the same situation and gravitate to the lowest common denominator of mediocrity.

Really, Everton needs to undergo radical change from top to bottom. I am beginning to think that Moshiri is pushing ahead with the stadium development and hoping the football problem will go away. No chance with those that he has left running the club.

Much as Moyes had his critics when he was here, they were a much tougher team to beat than the sorry bunch who performed in the last three matches.

Yes, every team goes through bad spells… but Everton seem to have been in one under every manager since Moyes.

We all wanted Lampard to succeed and he managed to get enough out of them to avoid the drop last season but, after the sale of Richarlison and the injury woes of Calvert-Lewin, he has had a team that just struggles to make much impact going forward.

Gordon has looked decent in flashes, as has Gray, but their form has not been sustained and the options, Maupay, Rondon and a few others, have shown they are not good enough.

It appears only Iwobi has progressed since last season although Onana has looked impressive.

I don't really know if Godfrey, Mina or Townsend will make worthwhile contributions – if and when they are fit – but I suspect not.

For Lampard to keep his job, I think he needs a big boost from the board in January to get at least 2 quality strikers; otherwise, the struggle will continue.

Since Moyes, we've appointed a series of poor, ill-fitting and frankly disastrous managers. Frank's just another in an ever-increasing list.

"Moyes did not have a good record either."

I'll accept that Moyes didn't have a fantastic, brilliant, world class record but surely no one would begrudge him "good".

Good to see you posting regularly again... all good?

Yes, we need a couple of competent strikers in January but do any of us (the Esk perhaps?) know whether the owner or board has so completely fucked us over on FFP that we're barred from signing anyone of substance?

Under Moyes, we had bad spells interspersed with a fleeting moments of optimism where we thought this could be the moment. But we choked and insisted on banging our heads against the glass ceiling.

I thought that Moyes's transfer record was generally okay considering the operating constraints he was under. Yes, there was the odd Per Krøldrup…

I don't think you'll find many managers who make dud signings as much as they make great ones. Be that a star player, a hidden gem or even a player who initially seems uninspiring and raises eyebrows only to become a favourite and key player.

Andy Gray, Tim Cahill, Lee Carsley and dare I say, even though early days, James Tarkowski could fall into that category.

I hope that the manager and the players understand the depth of feeling, and ironically the motto of our club “Nil Satis, Nisi Optimum“, to use those two performances against Bournemouth and show they're not good enough.

Yes, amazingly to me, Lee Carsley was a favourite with many Everton fans.

I couldn't stand him personally, except when he scored that derby goal of course. I think that goal and the scenes celebrating it on the field had a lot to do with Carsley's popularity!!

Paul, I absolutely agree. It's grim that we're looking at wasting all that time rather than allowing a replacement to bed in. We either have to stick, or fire him now. I'll be livid if we fire him in mid-January.

I agree that now is the time to let Frank go and get someone in his place. He's a nice fella but we need more than that at the moment. These players, a lot of them, love nice managers – we need a nasty bastard who will make them nasty on the field and let the other team know they are there, instead of strolling through the game like it is a training session.

I can relate to that. They are different skills requiring a different approach.

I agree Dave, I never really rated Carsley personally.

I'm not for dismissing Lampard, I don't see where he can change the team for the better with the players he has available.

On past evidence they're simply not good enough, we have changed the midfield from last season but is it any better? I don't think so.

We have lost Richarlison which is a big negative; we were never going to replace him like for like, so who do you blame for that?Add to that the injury situation with Calvert-Lewin and Lampard is right behind the black ball.

He needs better attacking players because we are in a worse place than last season as it is now. We have a few players we should be able to sell to fund the cost of bringing in a couple who would improve our attack.

I've heard both sides of the argument as in not more upheaval but it's obvious as you say this set of players minus Richarlison is pushing its luck. Football is all about timing, luck, and of course ability.

Still a hard call to make without knowing if it's panic in January and see what's left or we now have e a DoF who's nailing these signings as we speak.

We don't have such a striker available, and would a decent striker want to join us in January?

I suspect the stars will align, and with luck, we will survive. But be in no doubt, the rest of this season will be a stressful ride.

In Everton's last 3 games, they are showing the same type of disarray as last season that got Benitez sacked. Other teams near Everton at the bottom of the Premier League are showing improvement, but Everton are showing a steep decline.

What happens too often, players lose confidence in their manager, that's what I am noticing with the Everton players, because whatever Frank Lampard is saying to the players is not working on matchdays.

You can't keep hiding behind the fans, saying how great they are, mate.

Wolves (H) 26th, Man City (A) 31st and Brighton (H) 3rd January.

He needs 6 points plus to buy himself some time. A loss against struggling Wolves first game back at home could seal his fate though. Lose that and he's gone, as we'd be in the relegation zone and sinking like a stone.

If 4 points, it's limbo land and the jury would be well and truly out; it may come down to how we have performed in those games and if we have looked like we are progressing.

From 0 to 3 points, then I think any remaining confidence in him will drain away. Contingency for that eventuality, I would hope, will already be in full swing.

I think this is a strategic play by the board to give Frank an opportunity, with the help of the 6-week break, to prove himself capable of stabilising the situation and keeping us up. Whilst at the same time allowing themselves the opportunity to bring in a new manager on 4 January if necessary, and allowing him 10 days before the next crucial Premier League game.

It's a big gamble considering our alarming decline in form under Frank – since Fulham onwards, we have been dire and getting progressively worse.

However, I don't see a strategy that isn't risky, and this one gives us two bites of the cherry. On the downside, it deprives a new manager of 6 weeks preparation, and possibly forfeits critical points at home against Wolves and Brighton.

With the lack of obvious or inspirational managerial options, I'm just about in favour of the former plan and giving him an opportunity to turn it around.

Sentiment can't get in the way of acting fast, ruthlessly and decisively if this doesn't work out. I would urge the board to be ahead of the curve for once with regards replacements. This strategy, if chosen, doesn't allow any time for dithering.

We just don't see it or have an understanding of the financial restrictions that they are working under.

I want Lampard to be given a chance. The mess he walked into can't be sorted in one transfer window with the restrictions we have.

We want goalscorers, the same as everyone else. How do you persuade people to join a struggling club?

We aren't going to attract established top-quality goalscorers for 𧴜M when we haven't broken our transfer record of 㿔M for 5 years.

We are in the market for hungry talent from other leagues. We could end up with a Kevin Campbell or Traore type; whichever way, it's going to be a gamble.

Take away strikers from every team besides Man City and they will all struggle. We are no different.

McNeil, Maupay, Gordon, Gray, Gana and Onana would not get into the Wolves side.

Boxing Day is going to fuck-up my Xmas.

If ever a game had nil nil written all over it!

Would you take a point now?

That's what's needed now. We know the fans played their part last season but Lampard still had to organise them. I honestly despair that we are thinking of getting another manager, another backroom team, another set of ideas, another gamble on an ever shrinking pool of shit managers.

Do we honestly believe any decent manager will come knowing they have less than 12 months to fix this shit show?

Spend any money we have on goal getters, pay over the odds for the right guys, do what's needed to support Frank in what he needs, because any other managers are going to want money to spend, players to sign.

If we can afford to sack Frank, we can afford a striker or two!!!

But, hey, guess we have to be “realistic” and accept we are not big enough to compete with the mighty Villa, Brighton and Wolves, eh?

Sometimes, I think our fans are often as big a problem as bullshit Billy.

Where were these "top" managers when Rafa left?? Queuing up were they? No. What makes it any different now?

Some people live in a fantasy world, some choose to see the reality of our situation.

I was at Goodison once with my wife who has not much interest in football. She did say after the game, "That bald lad ye have is great, he was everywhere on the pitch."

When I asked which bald lad she was talking about, she said she thought we only had one.

Shout “fantasy” all you want, the simple fact is the Premier League is attractive to players and managers. It just needs teams to have and show ambition.

Something our fans need to have too.

Who signed Donny van de Beek (who looked class before getting Evertonitus) and Dele Alli back in January?

Appreciate he didn't get the whole window but he certainly got involved a bit.

(But I accept we can't pin El Ghazi on him.)

However, I expect Wolves agent connections helped a great deal. I also expect Brighton are attractive because they are such a well run club. Emery may have been promised a decent kitty too, who knows.

Who knows whether any of them will be any good, too.

So whilst we could probably get someone like the available Marcelino (previously linked over the years), would that stop the rot?

We could probably tempt the coaches of high-flying Freiburg, Union Berlin or Eintracht Frankfurt by offering them much better pay.

Would that stop the rot?

Personally I see Wolves as very likely to go down with Lopetegui. Their main problem is injuries to Jiminez and Kalajdzic. Without that Lage would still have his job.

I think we're in the same place.

I don't think Lampard is a great manager but the problems run so much deeper. We need investment in forward options / goals if we're going to stay up.

Urs Fischer at Union Berlin is an interesting shout, Robert. They might have dropped off in recent weeks, but he's done a great job at a club that was never really a top-flight club until their promotion only 3 years ago. They might not be looking down on Bayern as they were earlier in the season at one point, but they're in the mix for European places and above Dortmund.

If you like football documentaries, there's a good on on Union. In German, but with subtitles. Classic chant of "we've got your" capital, when they travel west. Reference to them being from East Berlin and the traditional capital centre of Berlin for 50 years or so was behind the Iron curtain and in East Berlin, where they originate from.

As for Urs Fischer, I have no doubt that he would be a disaster at Everton and take us down. Everything good at Union Berlin has been about patient, strategic development. We are a very, very different proposition.

For similar reasons, I would have no real faith in any of DeZerbi, Emery or Lopetegui at Everton.

Given the state we're in (financially and on the pitch), Dyche is the best candidate (unless we could get Pochettino which seems highly unlikely).

I think our club is paying the final instalment for allowing such a man to run it for quarter of a century. I don't think our manager would have picked Dele Alli and Maupay except out of desperation to see if they could do a job.

Donny von der Beek on loan? It seems to me that it's another desperate gamble, and the cause most likely for these choices is car boot sale cash that the club have managed to get itself into with a billionaire and multi-billionaire funding it!!!

If we could get Pochettino (highly unlikely in my view,) he would still have Keane, Mina, and a couple of other high-wage players on the books who we're unlikely to get rid of.

So, unless we are anywhere near clearing the Profitability and Sustainability constrictions and maybe the Financial Fair Play rules, were not likely to have enough funds to buy a top goalscorer (or even a decent one) and a midfield player who can supply chances for him, we're going to struggle.

In my view, we'll be lucky to escape relegation again. The only way we have a chance of escaping is if we back our manager, whoever is in charge.

I think in desperation some will call for Duncan Ferguson to manage us. I think that would be verging on insanity to pick a permanent manager who's never managed. My view is get the best manager going ... if he'll come. Otherwise, I see backing Frank Lampard as my choice... if I had one, that is!

We all knew when Lampard was appointed there were no quick fixes or shortcuts – it's a long-term fix that's needed. Long-term strategies in recruitment, coaching and the whole structure of the club. Yet people want all these things to happen over 12 months and, if not, they will call for another mangers head.

It's goalscorers we need – not another new manager!

Niasse was top scorer of the Russian league and player of the year. Tosun was rampant in the Turkish league.

We have to be careful, Kevin Thelwell has his work cut out to find the right players who will immediately improve the first team.

You are quite right although I'm not sure that anyone is listening. All this was said in the summer but did we get a goalscorer? Did we hell! We went out and got Maupay!

Unless those responsible wake up and listen this time, we going to get a similar sort of response in January and then we will (if it hasn't already happened) be serious relegation fodder.

We must have someone in the team for the second half of the season who willscore goals. And I'm not talking about Calvert-Lewin, who can't be relied upon, I'm afraid.

We have to have an alternative to him, wherever he comes from. We missed our chance of getting someone in during the long window in summer so now we are between a rock and a hard place in the short January window.

It is our own fault and it needs dealing with. No putting it off which is probably being said somewhere in the corridors of power. It must not be put off any longer or we will likely be seeing in the new Everton Stadium from the Championship.

Don't sack Lampard but do give him the tools he needs.