Everton

Everton: Danny Murphy slams Frank Lampard for his decision to keep playing Michael Keane

|
Image for Everton: Danny Murphy slams Frank Lampard for his decision to keep playing Michael Keane

MOTD pundit Danny Murphy has slammed Everton boss Frank Lampard for his decision to keep playing Michael Keane in recent weeks.

Having been brought in to try and steer Everton away from the relegation zone, things have not been going well for Lampard at Goodison Park since his appointment.

He has only won four of his 10 games in charge and the club currently sit just three points above the drop zone. Meanwhile, this weekend, they were knocked out of the FA Cup after a rather humbling performance against Crystal Palace as they lost 4-0.

1 of 10

What was the fee for Everton paid for Fabian Delph?

Speaking on TalkSport as part of a discussion about Everton’s situation, Murphy claimed that the former England midfielder needs to take some responsibility for the situation the club are in right now, and that part of it comes down to his team selection, using Keane as an example of someone who shouldn’t be in the team at the moment.

He said: “He does keep putting the same people out there who are making the same mistakes. Now, Keane, who has been a good player, he is physically shot at the moment.

“I don’t know what’s going on, so it’s hard to judge, because you never know with what’s going on in life for some people, where they’re at in his head, but physically he’s gone.

“He can’t get about the pitch. It’s not a personal thing about Keane. He’s shipping goals for them. Frank kept putting him back – he dropped him, he put him back in.”

TIF Thoughts on Danny Murphy’s comments about Frank Lampard and Michael Keane at Everton…

Has Michael Keane been a liability in recent weeks?

Yes

Yes

No

No

Murphy’s comments can best be summed up by Keane’s performance this past weekend, where footage shows he couldn’t outmuscle Eberechi Eze to get to the ball for Palace’s opener, was slow to close down Wilfried Zaha’s cross for their second and was also slow to react to the rebounds for their third and fourth of the afternoon.

Not only that, but he didn’t manage to make a single tackle on Sunday as he put up a match rating of 5.8, the third-worst of all Everton starters on the day, beaten only by Mason Holgate and Richarlison (via WhoScored).

However, the fact is that Everton aren’t exactly blessed with choices when it comes to central defenders. With only four of them fit right now and Jarrad Branthwaite only 19 – so not exactly someone you want to throw into a relegation battle – Keane is still arguably the better option to have at the back.

Add to that, he does currently lead the team in terms of interceptions per game and is second in aerial duels, whilst also coming joint-top for clearances and joint-second for blocks per game (via WhoScored). So there is still some potential in him, and perhaps this international break will be the perfect chance for him to recharge his batteries ready for the end of the season.

In other news: Awful: Everton supporters surely angry over footage of 29 y/o – opinion

Share this article

Freelance sports journalist & broadcaster.