Everton's problems don't end with Frank Lampard but they definitely include him

In the space of six minutes into the second half, Everton crumbled against Brighton, and Frank Lampard's remaining credibility as a manager went with it.

Gone in 360 seconds. In the space of six short minutes at Goodison Park, Frank Lampard's last vestiges of credibility as the Everton manager crumbled, just as his side did on the pitch. The result puts them in 16th place in the Premier League table, but that raw number alone tells only part of the story.

Brighton's fourth goal seemed to sum up the disorderly gloom that descended on them. It started, in a way, with an Everton free-kick to the left side of Brighton's penalty area, which was hopelessly overshot against no one in particular by Dwight McNeil. The ball came back to Idrissa Gueye on the opposite touchline near the halfway line and his pass was… inexplicable, into a gaping hole in the middle of the Everton defence. Pascal Gross danced all the way to lead the visitors 4-0.

The contrast was striking. Brighton are all Everton need at the moment, but just aren't; strategic thinking, with judicious recruitment of players and coaches, controlled costs and the feeling that they can overcome the obstacles that have been put in their way through no fault of their own other than their relative success. Earlier this week they welcomed World Cup winner Alexis Mac Allister with duct tape. Everton welcomed Dominic Calvert-Lewin after injury, then booed him when he was substituted 83 minutes later.

But while it's easy to say the problems at Goodison Park run deeper than Frank Lampard alone, that doesn't mean they don't include Frank Lampard. Granted, he met the minimum requirement to keep them in the Premier League at the end of last season, but Everton are the Great Old Team. They have higher expectation levels than treading water, doing just enough to stay in the top flight at the end of each season.

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Lampard looked to have bought some time with a draw at Manchester City. Previous performances were more like the Brighton game, a last-minute home loss to Wolves, a 7-1 aggregate loss in two games over four days in the EFL Cup and league against Bournemouth, a home loss to Leicester City . It wasn't just that Everton lost games, it was that they lost games against relatively moderate opposition. It's no surprise they fell apart against a stronger Brighton side.

But replacing Lampard presents Everton with a different challenge. Who to bring? The favorite - by far - is Wayne Rooney, a former Evertonian who managed to get through an almost impossible situation in his previous role at Derby. It's the date, the return of the prodigal son to the club where he burst in at only 16 years old. Goodison Park might just get a lift up and down, should it come back.

But would Rooney like it? Maybe. But would that make it the right move for him or for the club? After all, he has never succeeded in the Premier League before and, while Derby was a level of dysfunction that makes Everton look like Brentford, the stakes are huge.

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