Everton Must Sack Frank Lampard Or "Go Down 100%", Says Former Striker Victor Anichebe

Victor Anichebe is convinced that Everton will be relegated from the Premier League unless they sack manager Frank Lampard.

Former Everton forward Anichebe watched on television as Lampard's side blew a 2-1 lead to lose 3-2 at fellow strugglers Burnley on Wednesday.

Everton led at half-time after two Richarlison penalties turned the game in their favor after a Nathan Collins opener.

But Jay Rodriguez leveled on 57 minutes, before Maxwel Cornet fired Burnley ahead on 85 minutes.

Lampard reacted to going behind by bringing striker Salomon Rondon on for Mason Holgate, who had been playing in midfield, on 87 minutes.

The lateness of this substitution did not impress Anichebe, who took to Instagram to rant.

On Lampard's substitute, Anichebe wrote: "Too late. Should've brought him on 10 mins ago."

Anichebe also said that fellow striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin had "been poor".

He added: "The players aren't good enough but neither is Frank, as much as I love him as a player and [he] looks like a top guy.

"Everton will go down 100% if a change isn't made."

Frank Lampard looks dejected while watching Everton's 3-2 loss at Burnley

IMAGO/PA Images/Richard Sellers

If Lampard were to be sacked Anichebe believes that Sam Allardyce would be a strong short-term candidate to keep them up.

Allardyce has managed the Toffees before. He took charge of 26 games in the 2017/18 season, winning 10 and drawing seven, after being appointed when the club were 17th in the Premier League. They finished eighth.

Despite his respectable record in terms of results, Everton fans were not impressed by Allardyce's style of play.

After Wednesday's game, Anichebe posted a picture of Allardyce on his Instagram story, suggesting, not for the first time, that he would be a better leader than Lampard. 

He captioned it with the message: "I said it weeks ago... y'all laughed. Some said rather go down with dignity. Okkkkk."

Anichebe later added that Lampard is "a good coach" but that appointing him to manage a team battling relegation "was absurd".

He concluded: "If something doesn't happen tonight they are 100 per cent going down. At the moment it's 60 per cent. Keep the faith."

Lampard has taken charge of 12 Everton matches to date, winning four and losing eight. Only one of those wins has come in the Premier League.

Anichebe, 33, made 131 Premier League appearances for Everton between 2006 and 2013.