‘Poor group of players’ – Frank Lampard is NOT to blame for Everton shambles and poor recruitment is, claims Redknapp

HARRY REDKNAPP insists Frank Lampard is not to blame for Everton’s relegation crisis.

But the SunSport columnist and former West Ham, Tottenham and Portsmouth boss has questioned his nephew’s signing of Dele Alli.

New Toffees chief Lampard named his deadline-day buy from Spurs on the bench again as they were thrashed 5-0 at Dele’s former club on Monday.

Everton remain 17th in the table just one place and point above third-bottom Burnley, albeit with a game in hand but a poorer goal difference.

The Toffees have won just one of their five Prem matches under Lampard.

But his uncle Harry insisted: “They are just a very poor group of players.

“I watched the Tottenham game on TV and Jamie Carragher said it was a Championship back four. If you go through, man-for-man, it’s a poor outfit.

“They’ve recruited badly, got no legs in midfield, the little boy Allan can’t run and get around the pitch.

“It’s only the young lad Anthony Gordon who showed any life and played with some energy.

“They really are a poor outfit.

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“But if you look at their managers, they’ve had Champions League-winning managers. Ancelotti couldn’t get a tune out of the club, Rafa Benitez the same.

“They’ve gone through good managers. The recruitment has just been shocking at the club.

“They are average players, average characters.

“Frank has his work cut out. If he keeps them up then he’s done very well because they are in desperate trouble.”

Everton have the worst away record in the Premier League having mustered just six points this term on the road.

Their top-flight current haul of 22 points from 25 points is their lowest in the club’s history.

But Redknapp told talkSPORT: “It’s not just suddenly happened, it’s happened all year. It’s what one win in 14 now.

“As I said, they’ve had Champions League winning managers who have gone there and couldn’t get anything out of them.

“It’s down to recruitment. I don’t care who you think you are, you could put Pep in there and he’s not suddenly going to turn that group around.

“They aren’t good enough and have a very average group of players. He’s got a massive job on his hands.

“The eight games at home in the last 13 is the big thing. They’ve got great fans and hopefully will give them a lift.

“They’ve got Wolves and Newcastle, they will need that crowd behind them even if things aren’t going well.

“Hopefully at the end of the season they can rebuild.”

While Redknapp was keen to protect Lampard he pulled no punches when it came to his signing of Dele.

The Tottenham outcast is yet to make a Prem start for Everton - coming off the bench in all five of his top flight appearances so far since joining from Spurs in a deadline day switch worth up to £40m.

Redknapp said: “What’s happened to Dele Alli? Frank brought him in and was so excited about signing him. There’s got to be something wrong with what he’s doing as he can’t get in the team.

“He goes back to Tottenham last night and it’s almost embarrassing. He was such a big player and when you go back to your old club you don’t want to sit on the bench.

“You want to show them what you can do. He’s done nothing since he’s been there.

“I’ve been one of his biggest fans, but there’s a few of them that need to start performing as they are in desperate trouble.”

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