It's fair to say that Everton have had a horrendous season in the Premier League, with genuine fears that the Toffees could be playing in the Championship next term amid their presence in the relegation zone.
A campaign which started off with so much hope has spiralled into chaos, and only performances of the highest order will be enough to save their skin now.
Lampard hasn’t exactly been helped by the performances of some of his players, with a not-so-special mention going to Brazilian midfielder Allan, who has been poor all season.
Time to axe Allan
The 31-year-old has featured in 30 matches for Everton this term, contributing a measly three assists while receiving seven yellow cards. Add into this an average SofaScore rating of 6.64 and only 46% of his total duels won all season, and it's clear to see Lampard must axe the “clumsy” Brazilian, as Garry Birtles called him.
Looking at SofaScore's ratings, the midfielder comes in at a lowly 18th in the Toffees' squad for overall performance, not exactly a glowing endorsement of what he has produced on the pitch over the past nine months.
With Allan's market value currently sitting at £16.2m, the quicker Everton axe him the better. Lampard might not get that much for the player with his contract expiring at the end of next season, but any fee is better than none.
There are better options in the squad to utilise, such as Jean-Philippe Gbamin, who is out on loan at CSKA Moscow until the end of the season. The 26-year-old has registered one goal and three assists in all competitions this season between his current club and Everton whilst playing 14 fewer games, proving his effectiveness compared to Allan.
Lampard faces a crunch time at the end of the season if he keeps Everton in the top flight and there needs to be a clearout of some deadwood, with the £120k-p/w Brazilian arguably at the top of the list.
The Everton faithful face an anxious final few weeks of the campaign and Lampard needs to play the men that he thinks can bring the necessary fight to avoid relegation. Allan's performances this term suggest that he isn't an ideal candidate; frankly, he has bled the club dry having been so ineffective, and it's time that the manager wields the axe on him, starting from the clash against Leicester on Sunday.