Roy Keane has launched a scathing attack on Everton's players and insisted he is unsure whether some of them are good enough for the Premier League.
The Blues face Manchester United in the FA Cup third round on Friday night as Frank Lampard bids for a miracle performance in order to alleviate the heavy scrutiny that has followed him in the aftermath of Tuesday's 4-1 drubbing to Brighton.
Defeat to the Seagulls saw the Toffees slip to the relegation zone and, after a positive display at Manchester City just a few days earlier, confirmed that Lampard would once again be embroiled in a fight to save Everton's top-flight status, for a second consecutive season.
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Speaking on ITV Sport prior to the tie, the former Manchester United captain, Keane, launched a brutal attack on members of Lampard's squad as he alluded to the "huge problems" the club faces.
"Huge issues on and off the pitch for Everton," said Keane. "They've got a lot of bad players Everton, really bad players. What about the money they have spent? Results over the last year or two, again he's obviously gone defensive tonight.
"They have to do that. That's how they stayed up last year. Remember the team fighting relegation last year and in a huge fight again. I look at the group of players, some of them I'm not sure are up to Premiership standard, never mind Everton.
"[They are] huge problems for Frank."
Defeat at Old Trafford would ensure Everton's 28-year search for a trophy goes on, having not managed cup of league success since the 1995 FA Cup final.
After facing Erik Ten Hag's rejuvenated side, Lampard's side host bottom-of-the-table Southampton in the Premier League next weekend in what is simply a must-win game for the Blues.
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