Frank Lampard got another first-hand look last weekend at a problem that has plagued Everton for some time.
It might be easy to forget at this point that the visitors actually started well at St. Mary's, managing to work their way into the Southampton final third on a regular basis in the first 15 minutes of the match.
However, they couldn't find a way to create a clear-cut chance - barring a penalty appeal for handball which was rather controversially waved away.
From that point on, though, the hosts took firm control.
Everton heads really began to drop right as the Saints took the lead, with Stuart Armstrong's low drive arrowing its way inside the near post.
The Blues never looked like being able to recover, and instead conceded a second goal rather than piling on the pressure for what could have been a crucial equaliser.
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Without a raucous home crowd behind them, it seemed that the squad really struggled to find the right confidence and motivation to be able to change their fortunes.
That's not down to Lampard, far from it in fact. This is the direct result of a largely demoralising campaign, with pressures on and off the pitch turned up to 11 at certain stages.
The manager admitted after the match that he was somewhat surprised at the lack of reaction from his side when they went behind, but he also knows how these players have approached those situations all season.
He might not have been at the helm in previous months, but he's done his research.
And the manager's comments on Tuesday revealed that he's already made the first step to changing the matter around.
Lampard told evertonfc.com : "There will be times you’re up against it and, as a group, we need to feel belief.
"It’s not a slant on the group because, when you’ve been losing games, it’s tough to turn that corner as a bad period in a game can remind them of those matches.
"It’s very easy to seep back into the ways of playing the ball longer and the team getting stretched.
"There is no magic wand to change things instantly and you need to work and focus every day. You’re only as good as how you work and prepare. Until this point, I think we’ve got that right.
"But a game like we’ve had against Southampton is a reminder of why we’re in the position we’re in."
Identifying this as an issue is the first step towards getting things solved.
What should be noted is that Everton have managed to win a fairly impressive amount of points from losing positions over the course of this season so far.
That in itself does show something of a strong mentality that is embedded somewhere in the squad - but it's perhaps also indicative of a side that, before Lampard arrived at least, consistently fell behind rather than take the lead in matches.
But the side's track record over recent weeks, months and even years left many in the away end thinking that Saturday's match was lost as soon as Southampton took the lead.
Too many times, they have seen the heads of players go down - and there isn't a strong voice on the pitch to be able to turn things around when that happens.
This in turn links to another issue that the Blues have in lack of consistent leadership, with few players willing to grab tough situations by the scruff of the neck.
There are exceptions to this rule of course and it wouldn't be right in the current situation to name too many names - as the overriding goal right now is to pull together and improve as a whole.
And, it's worth noting that there are still influential players to come back into the side.
Ben Godfrey has been crucial over his relatively short time at the club, Yerry Mina's leadership skills have grown in recent months, Abdoulaye Doucoure is key in the middle of the pitch.
By the time they're back, the spine of the team looks a lot better and you'd hope that an improvement in mentality could well follow.
Regardless, it's something Lampard is acutely aware of - which has to be a good thing.
With him and his staff working hard to change things on the training ground, perhaps things won't drastically change instantly, but they have to be on the right road to improvement.
