Frank Lampard has acknowledged that Everton's fringe players wasted their opportunity to stake a claim to earn a regular role in the side during the 4-1 defeat to Bournemouth in the EFL Cup.
Ahead of another fixture with the Cherries at the Vitality Stadium at the weekend, Lampard made the decision to change the entire starting XI from the loss to Leicester City on Saturday.
However, the alterations backfired on Lampard as Bournemouth outclassed the Toffees on the South Coast, taking a 2-0 lead before finishing the stronger of the sides after Everton had halved the deficit.
Of the team which begun the fixture, only Nathan Patterson, Anthony Gordon and Neal Maupay have made regular outings for the Merseyside outfit in the Premier League this campaign.
Nevertheless, speaking to talkSPORT after the game, Lampard suggests that the backup members of the squad can have few complaints if they do not feature in his plans going forward.
The Englishman said: "It was poor, a lot of changes, but the rally of my job is that we want to win every game we play, we want to win every game when you put the shirt on for the players.
"It is my job when you go through a season and players are not playing so many minutes, some are not happy with that, and will knock on your door, and are doing well in training so are deserved a chance, they have to accept situations, and when they get chances, make the best of it.
"You have to earn the shirt and play well to earn it, I am not questioning anyone's personality or insides when I am talking here, but can I question that performance when you get the opportunity? Sure I can."
After the game, Lampard also revealed that Dominic Calvert-Lewin is highly unlikely to return for the corresponding league encounter at the weekend.
The forward sustained a hamstring injury during the Leicester fixture and now appears out of contention to represent England at the World Cup, albeit having only been an outsider for selection.
However, Lampard is hopeful that key midfield duo Idrissa Gueye and Amadou Onana will shake off their minor fitness issues to return to the squad. body check tags ::
