Michael Ball ’embarrassed’ by Everton after making same mistake again
Everton chose to make 11 changes in the Carabao Cup against Bournemouth and Michael Ball has been left seething at the decision.
The Toffees were duly dumped out of the competition as the Cherries coasted to a 4-1 victory on the south coast and things then got worse as they repeated the three-goal victory in the Premier League on Saturday (12 November).
Everton failed to score on that occasion but BBC pundit Ball is still furious that Frank Lampard made so many changes in a competition worth winning.
“It baffles every year when we make lots of changes as we’re not a Manchester City or Chelsea who can rest all the regulars and still power through,” he said to the Liverpool Echo.
“We’re not in Europe so we can certainly play a few more midweek games and winning matches ensures that you ooze confidence and keep up the momentum.
“Maybe it seems to happen more often because we’re obsessed with Everton I don’t know but it appears whenever someone is going through a rough patch, we’re the perfect team to play as we never seem to be able to smell blood and kick a team when they’re down.
“Bournemouth had been struggling and they didn’t even have a permanent manager in place but they dictated the play and embarrassed us over two games.”
Review required
Lampard has to ask himself whether he is content to just try and survive relegation every year or if he wants to go on and start winning trophies and climbing towards the top half of the Premier League.
Judging by his selection on the south coast in the Carabao Cup, he has no interest in lifting silverware anytime soon and that should be a huge concern for the Everton board.
A club as big as this should be at least trying to win things even if there are barren spells in the trophy cabinet and the lack of ambition to do so will not sit well with Evertonians.
Ball is right to suggest that no European football should have opened the door for Lampard to put out a stronger side than he did in order to try and win the game.
It is important to give some players game time where possible and a few changes were necessary but to completely switch up the side was a recipe for disaster from the very start.