Journalist Simon Phillips has claimed that Everton manager Frank Lampard still has the ‘full backing’ of the board despite the club's worrying form.

What's the word?

After only just avoiding relegation last season, things have not really improved this time around with Toffees struggling for consistency yet again.

Indeed, they currently sit right down near the bottom of the table, just one point above the bottom three despite having played a game more than those around them.

Despite it all, it seems as though Lampard's job hasn't quite been under threat recently – but that might have changed after the humiliating 4-1 loss to Brighton at home.

Speaking to GiveMeSport prior to that game, Phillips said: “I haven’t heard of any votes of confidence yet for Lampard, but he’s always had the full backing of the Everton board, and he still has that at the moment.

“You mentioned the fans’ discontent, and that’s obviously going to happen when they’re not getting results, but the fans have largely been behind Lampard. The players have been behind Lampard, and they still are as far as I’m aware.”

Last chance saloon?

Before the Brighton defeat, Everton did remarkably well to pick up a point on the road in a 1-1 draw with Manchester City thanks to a fine strike from Demarai Gray.

Even so, the club have struggled to actually win games and haven't won once in their last seven matches across all competitions. So it's no shock that they are on the verge of being pulled into the relegation zone.

Phillips' quotes were given before the Brighton loss and you would think the board's opinion wouldn't change after just one game. However, seeing as the Toffees haven't been in good form for a long time, it could be argued that the loss to the Seagulls isn't just a one-off result.

It certainly feels as though Lampard is running out of time to turn things around even if the board haven't publicly dropped any hints yet.