Alan Stubbs defends Frank Lampard for calling out Everton players
Former Everton defender Alan Stubbs says Frank Lampard was right to publicly criticise his players after the 4-0 defeat to Crystal Palace in the FA Cup.
The Toffees started well in the game but crumbled immediately after conceding the first goal, never looking like getting back in the game.
Afterwards Lampard claimed his players didn’t have the stomach for the battle and weren’t being brave enough, something that Stubbs believes needed to be said at this point while speaking to Sky Sports News.
“I think as a group of players they need to know how it is now,” he said.
“Frank has come in and he’s tried to build the confidence, he’s tried to protect the players from a lot of criticism that has come their way.
“I think [Palace] probably got to the point where he has turned around and said, ‘enough now, I can’t keep protecting you’, after the way they keep capitulating in games.”
Home truths
This Everton squad has been cuddled and protected for far too long and as we enter the final 11 games of the season there’s no time for it anymore.
The players need to be told that they’re not doing well enough, because they clearly can’t see it for themselves if they keep turning in the same performances week in and week out.
Lampard made them take responsibility for their own performances with his words and now they have nobody to hide behind when the team returns to action in two weeks.
The manager is absolutely not blameless in this situation because there are plenty of question marks around some of his decisions, but he needs his players to show something for him to get anything out of them.
It’s a horrible run-in coming in this stretch of games for the club to save themselves and the chances are slim unless the three teams below them continue to struggle too. It seems that’s what they’re banking on at this point.
In other Everton news, ‘That’s your job’ – Simon Jordan unloads both barrels on Everton man after Crystal Palace defeat