Frank Lampard at a crossroads as Everton fall to eighth defeat in 10 matches

Everton's decision to replace Rafael Benitez with Frank Lampard excited some fans at the time but it hasn’t worked out so far for the club and its new manager.

Despite opening his tenure at Goodison Park with a 4-1 victory against Brentford in the FA Cup, Lampard has been powerless to stop the Toffees’ slump in the Premier League. There’s been very little improvement in the team’s displays and the players have looked clueless each time they have stepped on the pitch.

Everton suffered yet another defeat on Sunday (April 3) when they were beaten 2-1 by West Ham United. In truth, the Toffees turned in a better performance than most of their previous listless displays, but it was still not enough against the Hammers.

Everton are on a horrific run that has seen them pick up just 2 wins in 10 matches

It is difficult to directly pinpoint the problem at Everton, as the team is not scoring enough while also conceding too many cheap goals.

Sunday’s loss to West Ham was Everton’s eighth defeat in their last 10 matches in all competitions and it doesn’t look good at all. The Toffees were battered 5-0 by Tottenham at the beginning of March and suffered another humiliating 4-0 defeat to Crystal Palace just before the international break.

For a team that have so many well-known international players, their performances have been nothing to write home about and the dire results are only a reflection of how bad the team currently are.

What's next for Frank Lampard at Goodison Park?

Lampard may still have the backing of the club’s hierarchy but he’s currently on a short leash and is running out of time to convince. Everton are worse off than they were when the former Chelsea midfielder took charge, as they currently sit just three points above the relegation zone.

The Toffees find themselves in a relegation battle when they should be competing for a European spot or comfortably occupying a midtable position. The Merseyside club have 25 points from 28 games and are placed at 17th on the league table. The only saving grace is that the Toffees have multiple games in hand over 18th-placed Watford and Leeds United in 16th.

Lampard told Sky Sports after Sunday’s disappointing defeat to West Ham:

"The performance was good and we deserved more from the game. A lot of things went against us today, which is how it has been going for us. But there were a lot of positives against a good team. We certainly deserved a point against a good team. We showed character, discipline and created chances which isn't easy against West Ham. If we carry on in that vein, things will go in our favour."

Lampard is at a crossroads and only positive results can keep him in the job. If the team’s current slump continues, though, the Toffees could soon find themselves in the relegation zone and that could be the final nail in Lampard’s coffin.