Frank Lampard challenged his players to prove they have the 'b******s' for a relegation scrap after their FA Cup exit. The Toffees had just produced a lifeless display in a 4-0 thrashing at the hands of Crystal Palace, sparking fierce criticism from a side that was lacking in effort and looked devoid of confidence. Lampard, who was appointed manager in December, has avoided any serious fan backlash despite winning just two of his seven Premier League games in charge. Everton looked devoid of energy and confidence in their 4-0 defeat to Crystal Palace This is perhaps indicative of how bad things were under previous manager Rafael Benitez, with the ex-Liverpool boss having a torrid spell in charge until he was sacked. Lampard's arrival hasn't done much in terms of improving results and though the mood is better than what it was under Benitez, there is still serious problems with the Toffees just three points clear of the relegation zone. Part of the problem comes down to his tactics, as the former Chelsea man has struggled to find a particular system that he can rely on. This hasn't been helped by players that are out of form, injured or suspended. Sportsmail takes a look at what the Everton manager can do after the international break to get his side playing as a unit and improve their fortunes going into the final two months of the season. Sportsmail takes a look what the Everton manager can do tactically to get the Toffees playing as a unit and improve their fortune going into the final two months of the season. Frank Lampard told his team to show 'b******s' for a fight but there have been tactical faults Stay away from a back-five Sunday's loss to Crystal Palace would offer you a good summary of what has gone wrong for Lampard so far at Everton. It was clear throughout the contest that there were massive holes which led to the Chelsea legend trying to plug gaps by chopping and changing the system. There was a lack of cohesiveness and players' heads were down, as Palace continued to carve through them at will. Everton played with a back-five, a system commonly used in football when the manager is worried about his side conceding goals. However, it seems to have caused Everton more problems than it has stopped. Fans have complained that the system feels negative and robs them of an extra man in midfield which has left them exposed. Lampard has on occasion gone with a back-five which has yet to prove it works They are consistently played through with at ease, leaving an Everton back-line which is currently lacking in much quality and confidence in danger. What hasn't helped also is the lack of consistency to stick with a particular formation. Against Palace he played with a back-five, before that he played with a four against Newcastle, a five against Wolves and a four against Tottenham. In the middle of a fierce battle to avoid the drop, changing the system regularly will unlikely allow the players to adapt and find consistency within their own performances in a certain formation. It's important to say this is not all because of Lampard's doing, injuries and suspensions have severely hampered Everton's season. But recent results have not been good enough and sticking with a formation and trying to find a regular team could help them do enough to cross the survival line. Lampard has often fluctuated between a back four and a back five since his arrival Play a three-man midfield Lampard's decision to play three at the back suggests he doesn't have much faith in defence, when perhaps, it's the midfield he actually needs to trust less. The manager has tried and testing a number of two-man partnerships in midfield since his arrival at Goodison Park. However, none of the combinations have seemed to work in terms of finding the right balance, offering very little going forward and defensively weak. With Donny van de Beek cup tied and Allan suspended, the midfield two of Abdoulaye Doucoure and Andre Gomes were ripped apart by the Eagles on Sunday. Arguably Everton's best midfield performance during Lampard's spell in charge was in the 1-0 defeat to Manchester City last month. Lampard has struggled to find a two-man midfield partnership to work this season Though City snatched a late winner through Phil Foden, they were made to work hard for the three points and lost control of the midfield battle for significant periods during that game. Lampard went with a midfield three that day consisting of Van de Beek, Allen and Doucoure. Collectively, they starved the opposing trio of Kevin De Bruyne, Rodri and Ilkay Gundogan, and the Toffees were unfortunate not to walk away with a point. Despite their impressive display, Lampard has not gone back to that system in any match since. Everton's best midfield performance arguably came in a-4-3-3 formation with Donny van de Beek and co keeping the likes of Kevin De Bruyne quiet for large parts of the game In the 5-0 loss Tottenham which followed, they went with a 4-2-3-1 where Doucoure was asked to play slightly higher. Allan was dropped in the loss to Wolves and Van De Beek was unavailable for the games with Newcastle and Palace. If Lampard can keep those three players fit and available, that could be the ideal way for Everton to play for the rest of the season. It would offer greater balance and strength in midfield which will be important especially with tough games like Liverpool, Chelsea, Arsenal, Manchester United and West Ham all to come still this season. Solving the Dele Alli conundrum Dele Alli has yet to start a game since his arrival from Tottenham on deadline day of the January transfer window. At Tottenham, his best days were under Mauricio Pochettino when he started behind Harry Kane as a No 10. Alli could still prove to be an important asset if he is able to get regular football. In the league he has often come on as a substitute in the final 20 minutes of the game, not being given much time to make an impact on the match and with his recent struggles he is in desperate need of consistent football to boost his confidence. Dele Alli has yet to start but could provide some attacking spark if he were to play behind Dominic Calvert-Lewin With Alli, Calvert-Lewin, Richarlison and Anthony Gordon (pictured left) Everton could show big improvements in front of goal One possible solution to make the most out of Alli is going with a 4-2-3-1 system, with Alli behind Dominic Calvert-Lewin. With Richarlison and Anthony Gordon playing out wide, this system could be used in a bid to improve their efficiency in front of goal. Donny van de Beek meanwhile has been a regular feature for Everton since his arrival. But with the changes in system and midfield partners, they haven't quite been able to get the best out of him. His performance against Manchester City though showed just what he can be capable of in the blue shirt for the rest of this season. Get more out of Mykolenko and Patterson Both Vitaliy Mykolenko and Nathan Patterson arrived during the January transfer window but have barely been used by Frank Lampard. Mykolenko, has started just one game in the league with right-back Jonjoe Kenny often preferred at left-back or the left wing-back position. Patterson's only contribution meanwhile came in the 2-0 FA Cup win over Boreham Wood in the fifth round - when he was substituted at half-time. Vitaliy Mykolenko has struggled to break in the team since his arrival from Dynamo Kyiv Everton's bizarre recruitment is not Lampard's fault but it would be a feather in his cap if he could start using and getting some good performances out of Mykolenko and Patterson. Ukrainian Mykolenko, was playing Champions League football with Dynamo Kyiv just before Christmas so it would seem a better fit for him to be playing in the left-back role over someone playing out of position. Seamus Coleman meanwhile has struggled at right-back and it's safe to say he's past his best days at Goodison Park. So there is good argument to give Patterson more of a chance in upcoming games. Nathan Patterson has played very little first-team football since his arrival in January Sorting out their miserable away form If Everton are to survive the drop they could really do with sorting out their away form which is the worst in the league. Their only victory away from home comforts came in the second match of the season - a 3-1 win at Southampton. In total, they have taken just six points away from home, scoring just ten goals and conceding 28. Their home games this season consist of Manchester United, Crystal Palace, Leicester, Chelsea and Brentford. Everton have won just one game away from home this season and hold the worst away record in the league If they are to stay up, they can't just rely on their home crowd and they need to find a formula to at least stop losing games on the road. At this stage of the season any point away from home would be beneficial if they can pull off some important wins at home. Away games still to come include Watford, West Ham, Burnley, Liverpool, Leicester and Arsenal. Games against Watford and Burnley in particular - both teams below them in the league - could be a determining factor as to whether they play Premier League football next season.
