Frank Lampard insists Everton’s relegation dogfight holds no fear for him, despite being humiliated by Tottenham.
Harry Kane scored twice as Spurs ran riot, with Son Heung-min, Sergio Reguilon and an own goal from Michael Keane completing Everton’s demise.
It means Lampard has now lost four of his five Premier League games in charge, while Everton’s tally of 22 points after 25 games is their lowest at this stage of a top-flight season.
Everton have not been relegated since 1950-51 and have been in the top flight since 1954.
Lampard hinted he thought he had changed the mood around Goodison, but last night’s result ‘tested’ that belief.
‘I am confident but that doesn’t mean anything. I didn’t walk into the building with a magic wand. I am absolutely confident, that is why I am here.
‘The feeling at this club when I came here was we could be going down. It was clear around the city, it was up to me to change that and I thought we had changed that. But this is a test of that,’ he said.
‘Individual errors led to goals which took the game away from us and 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.
‘We have to hold our hands up to them (the fans) and say it wasn’t good enough.
‘I have no fear of what is ahead, I can’t wait for the next two games at Goodison. I will be ready for them and the players will be ready, they have to be.’
With 13 games to go, Everton sit one point above Burnley but with an inferior goal difference.
They do have games in hand on their relegation rivals but still have to play five of the Premier League’s top six.
‘Anthony Gordon was our standout player because of his attitude and quality. Some other performances were not up to scratch. I won’t name names,’ Lampard said.
The match, which ended without a shot on target, was Everton’s 11th successive Premier League away game without a win.
‘I have no problem with the challenge, I knew what it was,’ Lampard added. ‘The general feeling has been very good and we can’t lose that because people throw things at us for one bad game.’
Kane’s 175th and 176th Premier League goals took him above Thierry Henry — and one behind Lampard — in the all-time list.
‘The top four has to be our ambition. We are not the finished article yet but the manager has had time to settle in and we are in a really good position,’ the striker said.
