Former Premier League manager Neil Warnock has told Everton to 'get back to basics' in order to avoid being relegated from the Premier League this season.
The Toffees find themselves sitting nervously above the relegation zone on goal difference but do have three games in hand to create breathing space between them and 17th-placed Watford. Frank Lampard arrived in January with the team bereft of confidence and four defeats in their last five games has dragged them into a relegation battle.
With no goals being scored and the defence leaking goals, Warnock has said that it's time for Lampard to simply things and call on his senior players to 'do the hard work.'
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“Do you think they’ve got a John Terry at the back? Do you think they’ve got somebody that’s going to grab hold of somebody by the shirt?" Wanock said on talkSPORT's White and Jordan.
“I don’t see that in the squad. Frank needs help on the pitch. He needs one or two leaders. He needs people to help him in that dressing room. When things aren’t going right, you’ve got to get your senior players to do the work and, I might be wrong because I’m not inside the dressing room, but I don’t see the leaders.
“He did ever so well for Chelsea. He really helped them win the Champions League, with what he did at the club. I don’t think he’s ever been in this position as a manager – it’s not a nice situation. Your mouth’s dry, you have a bad taste in your mouth – it’s horrible being down there!
“You need to go back to basics. You know what I’m like, get your pads on and have a five-a-side – let’s see pulls out of tackles now!”
Having been in the position himself across a number of clubs in the Premier League, Warnock knows what it takes to drag a club to safety. Warnock commented that the players at Goodison Park may not be of the ability to stay in England's top flight-but working together, they can avoid the drop into the Championship.
“It’ll be hard at the minute for [Lampard],” added Warnock. I look at managers when they’re struggling and you look at their body language – sometimes you just don’t really know what you’re going to do next.
“Frank’s in a difficult situation. [Dominic] Calvert-Lewin, I think is such an important player for them, he’s got to get him fit.
“I don’t think that the defenders are all Premier League standard – not all of them – but one or two players could pull their finger and help the manager a bit.
“When you’re in a situation like Frank is, I don’t think it’s about ability. I don’t think it’s about passing, I think it’s about what you’ve got under your shirt.
“You get a taste in your mouth when you’re down there and it’s hard, but they’ve got to find that from somewhere.
“I do think they’ve got enough when they play together and if Calvert-Lewin can avoid injury.”
