Frank Lampard has challenged his Everton players to prove they have the heart for a relegation scrap after crashing out of the FA Cup in feeble fashion.
The Toffees were thrashed 4-0 by Crystal Palace in yesterday’s quarter-final, meaning their sole focus of the season is now simply to stay up.
Lampard’s side are just three points clear of the drop zone, but crucially have two games in hand over Watford who occupy the final relegation spot. And the Everton boss, who fears Andros Townsend suffered a ‘serious’ knee injury at Selhurst Park that could rule him out for the rest of the season, said: ‘There’s only so much you can keep trying to butter someone up to give them confidence. There’s a balance of confidence and playing at the cut-throat end of football here.
Everton crashed out of the FA Cup on Sunday after being thrashed by Crystal Palace
‘This was a quarter-final today to get to Wembley and you need the confidence to play. Have you got the b******s to play?
‘Because we didn’t play that badly today and Palace didn’t play that well and we lost 4-0 because of a lack of confidence.
‘It wasn’t tactics — the tactics showed in the first 20 minutes because Palace couldn’t get out of their half. When you do things right within that structure then you will be all right, but if you can’t be clinical in front of goal then you won’t score goals or feel like you can score goals.
Frank Lampard has urged his side to show they have what it takes to avoid the drop this season
‘If you allow people to stroll into your box and finish with ease, they will finish with ease. So it’s basics.’
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Lampard hopes the fact his team have just one target to reach between now and the end of the season will aid their fight to stay in the top flight.
‘There’s clarity now,’ he said. ‘The job is to stay up, that’s the reality of it.’
On reaching the semi-final — where his side will face Chelsea — Palace boss Patrick Vieira said: ‘Going to Wembley is fantastic. You can hear the atmosphere in the stadium, the fans; this is what they wanted and we wanted to give it to them.
‘It is just a step forward — there is a long way to go.’
Andros Townsend could be out for the the season after picking up a ‘serious’ knee injury