Report: Everton director of football assuaged angry fans at training ground

Everton director of football Marcel Brands managed to ward off a small group of supporters who descended on the club's training ground to confront players on Monday, according to PA Media.

The fans wanted to speak with squad members about their efforts in Sunday's FA Cup elimination to a second-string Liverpool side at Anfield but were instead met by Brands at the complex's gates. The exchange was "amicable," reports BBC Sport's Phil McNulty, but centered around the players' apparent lack of conviction against their Merseyside rivals.

The poor feeling around the club was exacerbated when Fabian Delph, who was a second-half substitute in the 1-0 loss, apparently became embroiled in a social media spat with a fan. Images circulating online appear to show Delph calling a fan a "disgrace" on Instagram during an expletive-ridden exchange.

Delph will be subject of an internal investigation by Everton, according to the Liverpool Echo's Phil Kirkbride.

The supporters' frustration stems from Everton's huge transfer outlay in recent years yielding little results, with the team currently five points above the Premier League's relegation zone and 11 points behind the coveted top-four places. The latest setback was in the FA Cup, though, where an expensively assembled squad was defeated by a Liverpool XI featuring six players aged 22 or younger and three debutants.

Everton haven't won at Anfield since September 1999.

Experienced and decorated Italian tactician Carlo Ancelotti was appointed Toffees boss on Dec. 21 and has since manned the dugout for two wins and two losses across all competitions.