LET’S BE FRANK... IT’S ALL DOWN TO US NOW

Toffees boss urges his players to take charge of Everton’s perilous position and not rely on other teams to avoid the dreaded drop

FRANK LAMPARD has told his Everton side they are in the last-chance saloon, saying: “It’s time to take responsibility for your fate.”

For so many months, the historic Merseyside club have been comforted by the thought there were worse teams below them in the Premier League dog fight.

But now they have collapsed into the bottom three and, with closest rivals Burnley on an impressive winning streak, it is clear the Toffees are far from being too good to go down.

Lampard said: “Yeah, it is a clear message. The league is pretty straight, it doesn’t lie and your position is pretty relative to how you have performed, and the reality of the situation means it rests on us.

“That’s why I don’t spend too long talking about everybody else. We don’t know many games Burnley may win, it might be none or five. Or Leeds. So we can only concentrate on us. And if that is more clear now than it has ever been, then so be it.”

Lampard faces his former club Chelsea at Goodison Park tomorrow in a contest that really does seem a “must win”, with Burnley playing second-bottom Watford today.

“If people talk about must-win games then fine, that is what football brings you,” he said. “If you want to have any form of even relative success then there are games you have to win.

“If those are the rules now then that is good pressure on the lads and they have to react positively to that. But the reaction in our last few games has been really positive. It was a tough night against Burnley – a critical, crucial game turned on our mistakes, but since then the reaction has been really positive versus United, Leicester and Liverpool.

“I’ve seen that behind the scenes, I’ve seen the determination in the squad. If it is reality hitting us in the face, then fine, because football does that to you in many different ways.”

Lampard has only been in charge for 12 Premier League games, but just three wins in that time means he is already under pressure. But he says he is totally committed to the club, even if they go down.

“I don’t want to get drawn on that question but, what I will say is, I have loved every minute of being at this club,” he added.

“People from the outside ask me, because of the position we are in, ‘Are you enjoying it, with all the pressures?’ I absolutely love it.

“I’m not going to jump into the future because it’s not worth it but, in terms of my dedication to this job, I will give it absolutely everything for as long as Everton want me here, and I can get them to where I think we can get to.”

Dominic Calvert-lewin (left) and Yerry Mina return for Chelsea’s visit.