Frank Lampard has admitted that he knew coaching Everton would be a huge challenge and likely include a real relegation fight given the dressing room mood when he arrived.
The Toffees lost 5-0 to Tottenham on Monday as they failed to create distance from 18th-placed Burnley who are just one point behind them.
It was a dramatic downturn after almost earning a point against Manchester City on February 26.
What has been said?
"I could tell there was a fear of relegation when I came in," Lampard said on BBC Sport. "Thirteen games is a lot of points, a lot of football. I looked at it, the results before I came in, some of the base stats don’t lie. They don’t change overnight. At Goodison we’ve been really good and away from home we haven’t. This challenge isn’t bigger than I expected, I knew it would be [tough].
"The reaction was not good enough. It was the reaction of a team used to losing away from home. We need to sort it out.
Next Match
"The psychological side is one [element]. Football is about being resilient. The only way to turn that round is to work hard. Then it’ll turn. It doesn't come from magic, it comes from work.
"Crucial mistakes [cost us], allowing their stengths. We were comfortable for 15 or 20 minutes. Individual errors led to goals which took the game away from us. It’s difficult when you're 2-0 or 3-0 down."
Carragher slams Everton defence
Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher called Everton's back four Championship-calibre in his reaction to the match.
"They started okay in the first ten minutes and were putting pressure on Spurs but when you talk about a team being too good to go down, that is because you maybe look at Everton’s strikers, but this back four is a Championship back four, there is no doubt about it,” he said.
"Seamus Coleman, I actually feel sorry for. He has been a great servant for Everton but people are getting in behind him far too much, and that comes down to Everton’s recruitment."