Frank Lampard "lives and breathes" Everton as he reiterated his belief that the Toffees can clinch Premier League survival.
Everton led 2-1 in a crucial contest with fellow strugglers Burnley heading into the second half at Turf Moor on Wednesday, yet a familiar tale of costly defensive mistakes struck once more.
From having a first league away victory since August in their grasp, and a six-point cushion on the relegation zone, Everton succumbed to goals from Jay Rodriguez and Maxwel Cornet.
That leaves Lampard's team just a point above the 18th-placed Clarets ahead of Saturday's meeting with Manchester United at Goodison Park.
Everton have won just one of their last 13 Premier League meetings with United (D6 L6), beating them 4-0 just under three years ago during Marco Silva's tenure.
Silva is one of six permanent managers to have been hired by Everton's majority shareholder Farhad Moshiri since 2016, and that managerial upheaval has not helped as the Toffees' hopes of mounting a challenge for silverware and European qualification have been replaced, in the short term, by a desperate bid to maintain their top-flight status.
Everton have never been relegated from the competition and Lampard, who is the first manager to lose his first five away matches at a Premier League club since Jan Siewert at Huddersfield Town in 2019, is well aware of the need for results with nine games remaining.
"We have to lift ourselves. Sometimes a game coming quickly is good for that," Lampard told a news conference.
"In my relatively short managerial career, I probably spent 18 months at Chelsea two or three games from the sack. Maybe that's a symptom of football in the Premier League, that's pressure, no problem, I signed up for that.
"We're a huge club, people will talk about [my job]. We've got no right to not be fighting relegation, irrespective of history, but what I am is proud to manage here, proud to keep the history of this club going in a positive way.
"I came into a great club, a great squad of players, they're working well. The results are a turning point and I understand that. If we'd have won on Wednesday – seven-point buffer to Burnley, six to Watford, game in hand, everything feels great.
"If you don't, it flicks in a different direction. Everybody's working hard, the players, we just need those results.
"I understand. Fans have passion, they live and breathe the club. I do, I've been here five minutes in football terms, I live and breathe the club and I want us to stay in the league. I have to handle that, I have to do my job."
Key to Everton staying up may well be Dominic Calvert-Lewin. An injury ravaged season has resulted in just three goals, which came in the first three games.
Calvert-Lewin has returned to full fitness in recent weeks but has looked way off the pace, and managed just one attempt and one key pass in the loss at Burnley. Lampard, though, has full confidence in the England forward.
"I just give him complete support," Lampard said of Calvert-Lewin.
"Dominic now is reaching that fitness and the next step is can he contribute as well as he can, can he get the goals that we want from him? I know how much he wants to deliver, and I've got absolute confidence that that will come good in terms of goals for him."
Sessegnon rejoins boyhood club Fulham after Tottenham departure
Ryan Sessegnon has resigned for Fulham on a free transfer, five years after leaving the club.
The 24-year-old signed a two-year contract with the Cottagers with the option to extend for a further year following his departure from Tottenham last month.
In his first spell at the club, Sessegnon worked his way through the academy over 11 years, scoring 25 goals in 120 first-team appearances.
He then moved to Spurs in a £25million deal in 2019, though struggled to nail down a place in North London, making just 57 appearances in all competitions, and scoring three goals.
"It's amazing to be back. Emotional, as well," he told FFCtv. "It's where it started for me, where everything began, and it's amazing to be back.
"It will always be home for me. I think it had the feeling that it was meant to be, coming back here, so I'm delighted to get it done."
Sessegnon is Fulham's first signing of the transfer window, though they have seen plenty of first-team departures already, with Joao Palhinha, Tosin Adarabioyo and Bobby De Cordova-Reid all leaving the club.
Eriksen in 'no rush' to decide Man Utd future
Christian Eriksen says he is in "no rush" to decide his future despite going into the final year of his contract at Manchester United.
Eriksen joined the Red Devils in 2022, making 28 appearances in the Premier League in his first season, though an injury in January 2023 put a halt to his impressive start to life at Old Trafford.
Following Kobbie Mainoo's breakout season last year, Eriksen dropped down the pecking order at United as he made just 12 starts in his 22 league appearances, scoring just once and assisting two goals.
Some reports suggest Eriksen could be heading out on loan to former club Ajax for the final year of his contract, but he insisted he is satisfied in Manchester.
"I am really happy at United," he said. "I have had two very good years and am going into my third.
"It is a special club and a special place. Also, my family is settled in Manchester, so I am in no rush.
"Obviously, I want to play as much as possible and do everything I can. But that is nothing to do with the club - it is up to you and the manager.
"But in terms of how I feel, I feel very good at United."
Man Utd transformation will not occur 'overnight', says Maguire
Harry Maguire has warned Manchester United supporters their fortunes may not change "overnight" ahead of the Red Devils' first season under the Jim Ratcliffe regime.
INEOS founder Ratcliffe assumed control of football operations when he bought a 25% stake in the club, with his part-takeover being formally ratified earlier this year.
United have since gone about constructing a new football hierarchy, appointing Dan Ashworth as sporting director and Omar Berrada as chief executive.
They were widely expected to part ways with manager Erik ten Hag after finishing eighth in the Premier League last term, but the Dutchman was instead handed a new contract after guiding them to an FA Cup final victory over Manchester City.
United have spent an estimated £88million to bring in striker Joshua Zirkzee and centre-back Leny Yoro ahead of Ten Hag's third season in charge, but Maguire has warned patience will be required as they bid to return to title contention.
"I don't think we will go from finishing eighth in the league to winning all the trophies overnight," Maguire told BBC Sport.
"But I do think we are moving in the right direction now and the decisions that have been made at the top will help this club get back to where it should be."
Yoro's arrival has raised questions about Maguire's future, with Lisandro Martinez also hoping to play a heightened role after an injury-hit 2023-24 campaign.
Maguire was widely expected to leave Old Trafford last year but opted to fight for his place and was ultimately rewarded with regular gametime.
With Martinez, Raphael Varane and Victor Lindelof all enduring disjointed seasons, Maguire managed more Premier League starts (18) and minutes (1,650) than any other United centre-back.
The Red Devils only kept four Premier League clean sheets when Maguire was involved, however, with their 58 goals conceded their most in any league campaign since 1978-79 (63).
He believes he proved his worth, saying: "There was a lot of uncertainty over my future last year but I sat down with the manager, he told me where I was at, said he believed in me and I would get chances.
"I proved last season when I got the chances I took them really well."
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