Former Everton defender Alan Stubbs believe some of the club's current players have given up in games this season.
The Toffees turned in yet another miserable display on Sunday, as they slumped to a shocking 4-0 loss to Crystal Palace in their FA Cup quarter-final. The defeat prolonged the team's miserable away run and will do little to calm the nerves of supporters worried over relegation from the Premier League.
While new manager Frank Lampard has backed his players in spite of their wretched performances, on Sunday there was clearly a change in tone in his post-match comments. The noticeably frustrated former Chelsea midfielder questioned the character of some of the squad.
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Speaking to Sky Sports News, Stubbs shared some of those concerns and suggested players have lost belief after conceding goals this season.
"I don't get any player that crosses the white line and doesn't try," said Stubbs. "That just doesn't happen. But the one thing he's seen and previous managers before him have seen is that the players seem to give up at times.
"They've lacked leadership on the pitch. It's not a coincidence when Everton concede one goal that we've seen on a number of occasions this season it's been three or four. And that's not on the manager, that'd down to the players. To the players taking responsibility. Getting amongst themselves and saying, 'this is not good enough'."
Stubbs added that he thinks Lampard was right to take the much-disputed tactic of calling out his players in public.
He said: "I think as a group of players they need to know how it is now. Frank has come in and he's tried to build the confidence, he's tried to protect the players from a lot of criticism that has come their way.
"I think [Palace] probably got to the point where he has turned around and said, 'enough now, I can't keep protecting you', after the way they keep capitulating in games."
