Everton contract conundrum has answered itself as Frank Lampard faces challenge he’s rarely ever had

Frank Lampard was well aware of the almighty Everton challenge he was strapping himself in for.

He could well have continued to sit around and wait for an easier job to come around.

Perhaps Lampard might have put kept his feet up until the summer when vacancies are usually aplenty. He probably could have cherry-picked his ideal role.

In the mire

Instead, Lampard opted to return to management mid-season at a club meandering towards a relegation battle.

He decided to take the reins of a Toffees side who'd won just one Premier League game in their past 14 and the fans had turned on the hierarchy.

In truth, it's the antithesis of how his career has gone previously.

Lampard spent the majority of his playing days challenging for silverware at Chelsea.

His first managerial job was at a Derby side who were always expected to be in the Championship promotion mix then went back to take up a dream role as Chelsea boss.

Not since his time as a youngster at West Ham has Lampard been entrenched in the bottom half of the table.

However, the former England midfielder now faces the challenge he's not been accustomed to - a relegation battle.

After a perfect start as Everton supremo against Brentford in the FA Cup, Lampard, by his own admission, wasn't getting carried away.

That belief was hammered home after a chastening 3-1 loss to Newcastle United that dragged the Blues further into the relegation mire.

Everton have now won just one league game since September and teeter three points above the drop zone.

Character must be shown

It was a performance that had relegation candidates written all over it. Devoid of attacking ideas? Check. Profligacy on the ball? Check. Haphazard defending? Check.

Granted, there were some mitigating circumstances. Vitaliy Mykolenko pulled out the day before the game, while Demarai Gray and Yerry Mina suffered injuries in the first half at St James's Park when the game was goalless.

Yet when it came down to two teams scrapping for their lives and needed to show resolve, grit and steel, it was Newcastle who had abundantly more.

Time on the training pitch will be precious for Lampard to get across his ideas.

However, that'll be secondary to whether Everton keep their top-flight status.

What chiefly matters is if there are enough characters in the dressing room to dig the Toffees out of their plight. There's certainly enough talent - but are there the minerals?

Mina dilemma answering itself

Lampard will no doubt have tunnel vision on this season alone.

However, every manager throughout the football pyramid is conscious of the future.

They're gauging what will be needed to improve their starting line-up and who perhaps might have to be shifted on.

Mina's Everton future has caused the debate to rage.

The centre-back's contract expires in the summer of 2023 yet plenty of supporters have discussed whether he deserves a fresh deal.

At the start of the season, there were cases to be made for both.

When fit, it's hard to deny he's Everton's best central defender. On his day, he's a different class.

But Mina's fitness is exactly why sections of supporters were against handing him fresh terms.

And as the campaign has worn on, plenty have come over to that argument.

The former Barcelona defender now looks set for another spell on the sidelines after limping off with a quad issue.

So far this term, Mina has played just 11 times for Everton. For someone who will be one of the higher earners at Goodison, he's frankly not offering value for money.

Since arriving from Barca in the summer of 2018, Mina's been absent through injury on nine occasions, as per Transfermrkt.

For all of the towering headers and brave blocks he's made, the Colombia international's reliability when it comes to fitness has diminished.

Everton have lacked a consistent centre-back partnership throughout this term. They yearn for one and, unfortunately, Mina's running out of chances despite being a high-class operator.

Midfield balance required

Balance in the middle of the park is also needed.

In fairness to Andre Gomes, he deserved to retain his starting spot after an eye-catching display against Brentford.

But since coming back from the horrific ankle injury he sustained in November 2019, the Portuguese reverted to type.

Dele Alli also struggled on his debut. Fans were particularly left unimpressed by his lack of tracking back that led to Newcastle's second goal having lost the ball.

Poor touches and passes can be forgiven. A lack of effort cannot.

What Everton are crying out for is a three-man engine room to give them the control and protection in the middle of the park.

Donny van de Beek, you would suspect, will come into the side against Leeds on Saturday to provide that.

Indeed, it feels like a seismic game is brewing for the visit of Marcelo Bielsa's side - who are three points ahead in the table - to Goodison.

Win that game and the Toffees should be afforded some breathing space.

Suffer another defeat and alarm bells will sound.