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Liverpool Echo
Liverpool Echo
Sport
Adam Jones

Everton still searching for new Kevin Campbell as relegation pressure builds

Eagle-eyed readers might have spotted an interesting conversation taking place on social media a little earlier this week regarding Everton.

Actually, considering it happened on Tuesday morning, maybe you'd have had a solid reason to miss it.

In the wake of Everton's embarrassment against Tottenham Hotspur on Monday evening, the latest inquest about what is going wrong at the club begun.

This in itself has become a truly tiring concept for many. There's been more depressing supposed "game-changing" defeats than there has been managers at Goodison Park in recent years, and that's saying something.

But, after the latest loss, Sky Sports journalist Alan Myers had an interesting conversation with Blues hero Kevin Campbell on Twitter.

READ MORE: Frank Lampard insists Everton's players do care and makes clear style point

READ MORE: Frank Lampard delivers strong message to Everton fans fearful of relegation

The striker is, of course, someone who is well versed in a relegation fight at Everton - he was the one who dragged his side brilliantly out of the mire in 1999 after making the move to Merseyside initially on loan.

Myers pointed that out to Campbell and he responded: "Frank has to find a way of getting the team functioning better away from home! Maybe change principles away just to stay in games and get results!

"I looked at the squad when I came in and defensively we were very good just too young up front Big Al!

"Attitude and mindset matters."

He's right, those two concepts absolutely matter - but confidence is also a key factor to bring into all of this.

Look at Newcastle, for example. Granted they had a strong January transfer window, but realistically not much has actually changed about them from the beginning of the campaign on the surface.

But confidence is radiating through them right now. Eddie Howe, to be fair, has done a fantastic initial job in getting all of those players to believe they could pull themselves out of the relegation fight.

New heroes such as Kieran Trippier and Bruno Guimaraes have emerged in that time to become real focal points for the fans to focus their love through, and for the rest of the squad to take important lessons from.

That was what Campbell himself managed to achieve when he initially joined the club.

He walked into a side that seemed to be only going one way, and managed to be the difference as they fought their way out of what many thought was a doomed situation.

Following Monday's defeat to Spurs, this side are starting to find themselves in a similar position.

Everton have two wins in their last 19 Premier League matches. Two victories in half a season. Thank goodness they had a strong start to the campaign, otherwise they could be beyond saving already.

Frank Lampard's task, and it's a really tough one, is to try and instil some level of consistent confidence in these players.

We know that these are good footballers. The bulk of the squad is the same as Carlo Ancelotti had at his disposal to almost get European qualification last term.

At that stage, with the Italian still at the helm, it looked as if there was a solid basis for progression - and the right transfer window could see the Blues elevated once again.

Of course, we all know how things actually panned out.

But what could really help the manager is someone, or multiple players, being able to step up and take responsibility on their own shoulders.

The embarrassment at Spurs was indicative of a side without the right belief in themselves, without the mentality to recover from a setback when they're on their travels.

You can focus on your home form as much as you want, but what if that's not enough? Everton have some really tough and important fixtures on their own turf before the end of the campaign, and don't need to be adding any more pressure to those situations.

So picking up points on their travels, especially in fixtures such as Watford and Burnley, becomes absolutely critical.

Who can be the hero Everton need in this scenario?

Anthony Gordon is trying his level best to be at this point, and his performances deserve recognition despite the general results the side have produced.

But he's a young player still learning his trade in the Premier League. He's found his own feet now, but he can't be expected to drag the rest of the squad through the trenches.

This is where the questions of Everton's leadership need to be put firmly to bed. Numerous players need to prove without a shadow of a doubt that they can lead this side.

Motivation is currently on the floor following Monday's disappointment, and the string of worrying results that had come beforehand.

The squad needs a focal point, and it needs one now.

Could it be Richarlison? Someone who hasn't managed to find his own consistency this season, but a player who can produce magic out of nothing whenever he gets the chance.

Could it be Demarai Gray? Arguably Everton's best player throughout the campaign, but he's been missing over the last couple of matches.

His exciting brand of attacking play - full of pace, skill, intelligence and ingenuity - could be exactly what the side needs to spark their creative juices once more.

Could it even be one of the new January arrivals in Donny van de Beek or Dele Alli?

The former was introduced to the side with great effect initially, while the latter is still returning to his full sharpness after making the move to Goodison.

What is clear though is that Everton are desperate with a spark to come from somewhere, and they are fast running out of time for anyone to become the hero.

On the positive end, there are sides around the Blues that continue to drop points alongside them - but they can't focus on the games of anyone else too much.

They're heading into arguably the most crucial week of the season so far. Everton's next two matches are both at home, and they need to take a good amount of points from them.

Anything less than four points at least from these two matches, and Lampard's side will still be left desperately looking over their shoulders.

That's not going to be an easy task, but it's absolutely necessary - and everyone involved at the club needs to be fully aware of the dire situation they currently find themselves in.

They say diamonds are formed under pressure - who's that going to be for Everton?

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