Everton supporters must be quaking ahead of their penultimate Premier League fixture of the season, against Wolverhampton Wanderers, one point and one place above 18th-placed Leeds United.
The Merseyside outfit has left a lot to be desired after another miserable campaign, but despite the issues on the pitch, there is optimism still with such a robust underbelly.
This is in reference to the Finch Farm academy, which has produced stars such as Anthony Gordon and Ross Barkley during recent years and, of course, Wayne Rooney a few decades ago.
Everton might stay up this term; they might go down. But with prodigious talents such as Stanley Mills awaiting ascension to the first-team fold, there is indeed hope that manager Sean Dyche can orchestrate a resurgence over the coming seasons that will return Goodison Park to top-flight prominence.
Who is Stanley Mills?
The talented teenager has certainly caught the eye at youth level for the Toffees, this season scoring 13 goals from 21 appearances for the U21s and leaving the likes of The Athletic's Patrick Boyland "impressed".
Described by the club's official website as an attacking midfielder who is a "speedy and skilful dribbler with impressive ball-striking ability", the 19-year-old has made two substitute appearances in the Carabao Cup under Frank Lampard's wing during the first half of the term, while sitting on the bench on seven occasions in the Premier League.
Speaking of his – now former – starlet, Lampard said: "The reason Stan’s here is that he trained really well. One day we were looking for a player for training and the staff mentioned Stan. I know Danny, so had wanted to see Stan anyway. Straight away you could see he had talent and character. He brings energy and cover.”
Who can Stanley Mills replace at Everton?
The offensive efforts of the Merseyside Blues have not yielded the desired results, to say the least.
It's true, worse things happen at sea, but the roiling waves could submerge Goodison Park in brackish water if the heart is reignited soon, with 32 goals from 36 matches simply not good enough and an illustration of where it is going wrong.
Talisman Dominic Calvert-Lewin is tethered to the medical room with a steely rope and £15m summer signing Neal Maupay's one goal since his arrival is hardly enough to inspire confidence, or indeed top-flight safety.
Hailed as a "natural athlete" by his father, former Premier League ace Danny Mills, the dynamo could be the answer, and while he may not earn his opportunity this term, he can continue to bide his time and snatch his opportunity in divisional football when it undoubtedly comes next year, be that in the first or second tier.
While not a like-for-like replica, the former Leeds United youth product could replace Richarlison, with the mercurial Brazilian completing a £60m transfer to Tottenham Hotspur last summer after scoring 53 goals from 152 displays for the Toffees, including six strikes from his last nine matches last season as a late-season purple patch staved off the drop.
Richarlison flourishes by utilising his dynamism, averaging 2.1 shots and 1.3 dribbles per match across the entirety of his career, as per WhoScored, and is one of the more prolific wide-men on the European scene, despite his striking woes with Spurs in the Premier League.
Mills, despite occupying the alternating flank, is something of a sharpshooter himself and there is every possibility that he can provide his outfit with a cutting edge to eradicate doubts over the club's attacking potency and navigate towards brighter light once more.
