'A sense within the fanbase that Dyche's race is run'

It would be easy for me to bemoan our luck after Saturday's defeat by Southampton.

Jan Bednarek not receiving his marching orders and Beto's equaliser being ruled out by the width of a toenail may be the headline for some.

However, the performance cannot be sugar-coated or seen as a hard luck story. It was embarrassing, lacklustre and woefully short of acceptable.

Everton have become somewhat predictable, from the setup to the personnel and everything in between. There is no freedom for players to express themselves.

If we are being brutally honest, the level of performance has severely dipped from last season and the slide needs to be addressed.

Focus naturally turns to the manager. Rightly praised for the job he did in his first 18 months at the club, there is a sense within the fanbase that his race is run.

With the potential takeover of the club lingering in the background, you wonder whether it has impacted the motivation of some who may not be part of the club's future.

I include management, coaching staff and players in that. It is well publicised who is out of contract in the summer.

With the reset button about to be pressed, the vast majority of those will not be present when we walk out for the first time at Bramley Moore.

The manager can quickly win some fan favour by reinstating Jarrad Branthwaite to the starting XI. His exclusion on Saturday was as baffling as it was unthinkable.

With yet another international break on the horizon, you have to feel the manager has to get it right against West Ham. If he does not, then I will leave everyone to make their own mind up on his immediate future.

Find more from Mike Richards at Unholy Trinity