Everton on their way down but it might not be under Frank Lampard, according to the bookies
- Paul Okey
- 7 April 2022
Frank Lampard now favourite to be the next manager to leave following Everton's defeat to Burnley in relegation six-pointer.
Frank Lampard has finally woken up to what the rest of the football world has known for some time: Everton are in a relegation battle.
Six defeats in eight weren't enough to alert him to the fact or 17th place in the table but it has finally sunk in after a 3-2 defeat to Burnley. One of the few teams below the Toffees, the Clarets had scored just once in six games coming into the fixture.
However, after opening the scoring through Nathan Collins, second-half goals from Jay Rodriguez and Maxwel Cornet clinched the points for Sean Dyche's side to move them within a point of their rivals.
Richarlison scored Everton's replies, both from the spot.
"We are in a battle. If we didn't know it, we do now," proclaimed Lampard, whose previous lowest finish as either a player or manager was 15th in 2001 with West Ham.
"There are nine games where we have to give absolutely everything, every ounce that we have," he said.
Unfortunately for Lampard, while Everton may have nine games to salvage their season, he may not, with a vocal section of the club's fans calling on him to be replaced.
"Can see Lampard walking away before the end of the season," wrote one fan on Twitter and the bookies seem to agree.
After Wednesday night's defeat, the odds on the former England midfielder being the next Premier League manager to leave their job were slashed to 3/1 with Planet Sport Bet.
It moved him ahead of Roy Hodgson in the market, with only No Manager to Leave, at 6/4, a shorter price.
We can still stay up but not with Lampard in charge. Absolutely no chance with him.#EFC
— ste (@SteWeb4) April 6, 2022
A trip to Old Trafford looms on Saturday and with Burnley facing Norwich on Sunday, Everton could conceivably be in the bottom three when the weekend is through.
The bookies have reacted accordingly, cutting the Toffees to 11/10 to suffer their first-ever Premier League relegation.
Burnley, on the back of their first three points since February 19, are Evens.
But while the Clarets may have been thrown a lifeline by the win, the outlook is still bleak for fellow basement dwellers Watford and Norwich.
Watford, who are two points further back, are 1/7 to go down, with Norwich whose last win came in January, 1/100 to be playing Championship football next season.
