I'm not unhappy with the season to date. I don't rate Frank at all, but I see enough from the season so far to let him get on with the big job ahead. Three games unbeaten and two successive away points on the board. We have been competitive in every game so far. That's the key for me. That said, I don't think he can really point to tangible progress unless he starts winning games, and he could really do with a point from Arsenal and a good competitive derby performance. The inability to beat any of Villa, Forest, Brentford, and Leeds means he needs to start collecting points at places and against sides where we are less likely to get anything. I don't subscribe to the "expected defeats" philosophy - especially if we are to dismiss the "expected wins" as unrealistic or suggest mitigating factors in our failure to triumph in those.
An Everton manager will always be under pressure if his team is in the bottom six. Going 10 matches without a win isn't sustainable either - nor should it be. Frank's job now is to avoid long winless runs and heavy defeats. Most of all, he cannot see us cut adrift at the bottom if he is to remain in situ beyond the World Cup. The derby must be looked at as a huge opportunity rather than with trepidation.
