Premier League Sack Race Odds: Frank Lampard cut to 7/4 to be 10th managerial casualty

Frank Lampard’s appointment at Everton was supposed to breathe fresh life into the club following the toxic atmosphere that engulfed Rafa Benitez’s brief and controversial stint at the helm.

So far, it’s been pretty disastrous for the former Chelsea and Derby manager, who has alarmingly lost seven of his nine Premier League games in charge, including Wednesday’s desperately damaging 3-2 defeat away to relegation rivals Burnley.

The Toffees led the game 2-1 at the break but capitulated in the second-half, allowing the Clarets to pick up only their fourth win of the season, a win that edged them to within a single point of Lampard’s men with nine games to play.

“I said at half-time, I'm not sure [Everton] know how to win a game lads,” Sean Dyche revealed in his post-match interview, adding severe lashings of salt into the wounds of an already confidence-crushed Everton.

Everton are allergic to away wins, something which has plagued the club all season: one win and six points from 15 games. Yet Lampard’s return has been particularly poor: six defeats from six games on the road in all competitions. 

A victory at Burnley could have been a turning point in the frenzied fight for survival, instead it piled the pressure on Lampard whose odds have been cut from 6/1 to just 7/4 (Paddy Power) to be the 10th Premier League managerial casualty of the campaign. He remains a best-priced 9/4 with William Hill, while 'no manager to leave' is available at 6/4.

Everton’s fate remains in their own hands, yet their form is ghastly and their run-in daunting, while they are now odds-on with some bookmakers to suffer relegation from the Premier League for the first time ever (10/11 with bet365).

Everton’s remaining games…

• Man Utd (h)
• Leicester (h)
• Liverpool (a)
• Chelsea (h)
• Leicester (a)
• Watford (a)
• Brentford (h)
• Palace (h)
• Arsenal (a)

Considering that Burnley face rock-bottom Norwich next, whereas Everton take on Man Utd, Lampard's side could well end the weekend in the relegation zone. They then take on Leicester twice with clashes against Liverpool and Chelsea sandwiched in between.

After the Burnley defeat, Lampard said: "There are nine games where we have to give absolutely everything, every ounce that we have. I will certainly do that and everybody has to do the same". Even his confidence and patience must surely be wearing thin right now.

Despite Lampard's failure to invigorate Everton, it would come as a shock to see the club wield the axe for the second time this season. After all, this is a club which has been in a complete mess for some time. You can't just point the finger at Lampard. However, who knows what the owners are thinking as a first top-flight relegation since 1951 becomes a startling reality.