Romero gifts the ball to Gueye but the midfielder dallies on the ball, possibly burnt by his most recent shot that went over, and Spurs recover. I feel for Frank Lampard because he's come into a situation where he's having to deal with a lot of problems from previous decisions from the board and managers," said Stubbs, who captained Everton to a fourth-place finish in 2004-05. They are second from bottom of the table with 15 points from 20 matches, above Southampton on goal difference. Dier is dispossessed by Onana, Gueye picks up the loose pass but whacks his shot well over from 20 yards. It was one of the most obvious signs of unhappiness at the display and his frustration was mirrored by some of his players - Nathan Patterson among those wound up by the hosts' antics as they sought to protect their lead.

Everton have great history but it is time they need to learn from the more recent chapters or risk repeating it for a third season. League winners Ian Snodin and Gary Stevens were among those on board, chatting to everyone who would listen to them. The Blues boss made 11 changes and adopted a new formation for the Carabao Cup tie but could only grimace as a number of squad players failed their auditions for greater involvement in the first team.Their team, despite planning a defensive style with a back five, had the better of the opening 45 minutes without scoring, which was not much use when Leicester went ahead at home to West Ham to momentarily silence those in blue here. If neither happens then the next nine months will inspire as much anxiety about on the pitch matters as is likely to exist over the club’s future off it. The sound of away fans singing in celebration at Goodison Park must stop if Everton are to have any chance of making progress. However, despite agreeing with the decision, both said the situation highlighted deeper issues at Goodison Park. Spurs really just need to keep 11 players on the pitch and stopped passing it around at the back like idiots.

The players know the glories and the pressure of playing for Everton, and the supporters will never need reminding of the joy of walking through Stanley Park in anticipation of what could happen on any given afternoon. If Everton lose today (and we are, unfortunately for me, almost there) we can pack our bags and accept that in the next season we will play in the Championship. Last season Everton survived by the skin of their teeth, although that four-point gap looks impressive compared with their latest escape. The problem that Everton fans find themselves with now is that the same people are going to be making the decision. I’d pay good money to know what Seamus Coleman said to Harry Kane while he was on the deck,” says Matthew Lysaght.

Campbell added: "Results probably in the end got the better of Frank Lampard but this sacking puts the magnifying glass on the football club, and the board are going to be scrutinised for what they do next. But he stands enough for it to be notable when he disappears to his seat and at Bournemouth he spent more time than usual among his backroom staff. Its use in the dressing room, like the tunnel revamp, is a nice touch to reflect the importance of the supporters in keeping the Blues in the Premier League. Everton have played at their historic home of Goodison Park since 1892, 14 years after they were founded. Hours before kick-off, the streets around Goodison Park were a sea of fans and the air was thick with blue smoke from pyrotechnics.

Club Secretary, Theo Kelly, was asked to design a crest which would be used on official Club neck-ties. It was the defining moment of a match in which Everton were reasonably competitive despite the gulf in quality between the two squads. Instead Tom Davies took a short corner to Gordon in what looked like an attempt at a training ground routine that backfired as Everton squandered possession without creating a chance. Eight years on and in 1991 a version resembling the 1978 edition was introduced and was worn on the shirt when Everton lifted the FA Cup in 1995. The group organised the boat trips and could have sold out at least one more before they had to stop taking queries.There was no crest of any type on the Everton jersey until 1972, when white ‘EFC' letters were simply embroidered onto the shirt. That was when Dyche turned to Dominic Calvert-Lewin to replace Beto having chosen the Portuguese forward to start the match. The same happened 10 times last year, with Fulham and Wolves among the clubs whose fans are making a disturbing habit of enjoying their trips to the Grand Old Lady.