The farcical events of this week have confirmed that Everton are a club in crisis. They are at war with themselves and in very real danger of being relegated.
Everton and relegation are two words that just do not go together. The blue half of Merseyside have been in English football's top flight since 1954, a 68-year stint that is bettered only by Arsenal.
That spell is made all the more remarkable by the fact that Everton have finished in the bottom half 28 times since 1954. While their four titles are rightly a source of great pride for Evertonians, their resilience in avoiding the drop for so long when often not fighting near the top of the table is arguably a greater achievement.