Everton were "failures" and "disgraces" last season, according to winger Andros Townsend.

The attacker believes that manager Frank Lampard culled the squad of players who could not handle playing for the club.

Townsend had a go at everyone in the dressing room from last season, saying they were not good enough and would have deserved to be relegated.

He told Sky Sports: “That experience I have never experienced anything like it in my life, it was incredible [fans cheering players on near the end of last season].

"We were failures, we were disgraces and so small, but then to turn up to a game and have the fans greet us like we were kings it made us feel so big and that we could run through a brick wall.

“Ultimately that support and fanbase at Goodison Park got us out of the situation we were in."

“The manager saw who was and wasn't up for it and who couldn't hack the pressure of playing for such a big club," he added on Lampard.

“He got rid of those players and brought in players who clearly can handle that pressure who have been there before and now we have a better team off the back of that."