Everton news: Frank Lampard facing major dressing room problem amid ‘nightmare’ claim – pundit
Alan Hutton has questioned whether Everton have enough “fight” within the dressing room to escape the Premier League relegation battle.
Speaking exclusively to Football Insider, the former Scotland defender admitted the mental toll of fighting for survival may prove too much for some of the Toffees’ squad.
Everton currently sit 17th in the table, three points off the relegation zone.
They face fellow strugglers Burnley tonight (6 April) knowing the Clarets could go one point behind with victory.
Hutton insisted the Everton squad may be struggling mentally after a “nightmare” season.
Hutton told Football Insider’s Russell Edge: “They’re three points off relegation. It’s a really difficult situation to be in at the moment. You don’t expect to see them down there with the money they’ve spent.
“They’ve brought in the likes of Dele Alli, Van de Beek but they’re not even playing. It looks like a bit of a nightmare at the moment and you just don’t know what you’re going to get from them. That’s the biggest thing.
“I go back to February when I saw them play Leeds. They blew Leeds away at home. From there, they’ve been so inconsistent. You never know you’re going to get.
“The manager’s chopping and changing, he’s trying to get the right mix and blend. They’re just above that relegation zone. Where’s the next win going to come from?
“The thing when you’re down there, and I’ve been there, I’ve been in that situation, is the confidence. That’s the hardest thing.
“You go a goal down you, things aren’t going your way, you get beat again, where are the next three points? It’s a mentality thing and a lot of these boys aren’t used to being down there.
“How can they cope with that? That’s the big question for me. Is there enough fight within the team?
“Are there enough people who are going to roll their sleeves up and say: ‘We might not play well every game but I’m going to run through that brick wall for the boy next to me?’
“That’s the worry, do they have that within them?”
In other news, Frank Lampard savaged in damning Everton verdict after snub.