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It has been just over a year since Frank Lampard was last in football management as the former England international was in charge of his beloved Chelsea.
After 18 months in the job, he was replaced by Thomas Tuchel after the Blues went on a poor run of form over the festive period and he has been absent from the game since then.
That was until Everton had parted ways with Rafa Benitez, the former Liverpool manager who was appointed at Goodison Park in the summer. The Toffees soon found themselves struggling both home and away in the Premier League and slowly but surely have now found themselves just above the relegation zone, with Benitez being the sixth permanent manager to leave the club since David Moyes’ departure in 2013.
Lampard has only been in football management for the best part of two and a half seasons, having also led Derby County to the play-offs in his debut season as a manager. However, despite competing in the Champions League and facing the trials and tribulations of the Championship in such a short space of time, his tenure at Everton could prove to be his toughest yet.
Saving Everton from the drop
The Toffees are currently 16th in the Premier League table, just four points above Newcastle United who sit in the relegation zone. They have only won two games in all competitions since the beginning of December, a 2-1 victory against Arsenal thanks to Demarai Gray’s late goal and a 3-2 win against Hull City in the FA Cup.
Everton’s recent form is a far cry from the results they produced at the start of the season as they found themselves within the top six by the end of September. Such a decline in standings has generated thoughts that the Toffees could find themselves in a relegation battle.
For a club that were competing in European football as recently as 2017, it would certainly be a shock if it was to happen, but with such poor results across the middle part of the season, it is difficult to argue against it potentially happening.
Lampard, therefore, has the tough task of ensuring that such an outcome does not become a reality.
There is no doubt about the quality that Everton possess in their squad. They have the experience and leadership of Seamus Coleman, England number one Jordan Pickford and the quality of finishing from Dominic Calvert-Lewin. Andros Townsend and Gray both lead in terms of goals for the Merseyside club with six apiece, proving that they are able to perform in front of goal.
However, they have conceded 35 times in the league this season, compared to the 24 they have scored themselves. Lampard and his backroom staff will have to ensure their defence is fixed up quick or their potentially improved efforts upfront may be wasted and their league position will therefore continue to slip.
New signings could prove key
Everton’s struggles this season saw them become very active in the January transfer window, with a series of key arrivals bolstering their squad for the rest of the season.
Donny van de Beek was signed on loan from Manchester United and will compete for a place in the midfield alongside the likes of Abdoulaye Doucoure and Allan. He joined the Red Devils in a permanent move from Ajax in the summer of 2020 but has been unable to consistently start for them since his arrival, with the 24-year-old making a move to Everton in order to revitalise his career.
Lampard’s new side also signed Dele Alli from Tottenham Hotspur on a permanent deal. The midfielder really made a name for himself in the 2015/16 season for Spurs, scoring 10 and assisting 11 in 46 games at just 20-years-old. However, his performances since that campaign have not been as good on a consistent basis and he has now left the North London side after nearly seven years.
Vitaliy Mykolenko joined the Toffees from Dynamo Kyiv at the beginning of January and now provides them with an extra option at left-back after the departure of Lucas Digne to Aston Villa. Anwar El Ghazi joined the club from the Villans on a loan deal until the end of the season.
Van de Beek and Alli are the most notable new additions for Everton, with both players knowing they have a lot to prove if they want to get their careers back on track. The former will want to show why he deserves a spot in a Premier League starting 11 and the latter will want to revitalise the form that put him into the spotlight a few years ago.
Lampard has also made some additions to his coaching team, with Joe Edwards and Ashley Cole both joining the 43-year-old from their roles at Chelsea. Duncan Ferguson, who was in charge on an interim basis before the arrival of Lampard, remains as part of the team with the experienced Paul Clement also joining them at Goodison Park.
A home tie against Brentford in the FA Cup will be Everton’s first test on the pitch in their new era, followed by fixtures in the league against fellow bottom end of the table strugglers Newcastle and Leeds United.
It is a huge job for a man who has entered his third managerial job in nearly four years, but with his experience and knowledge of the game at the highest level as well as the expertise in his backroom staff and the quality of his squad, such an appointment could prove to be beneficial for the Toffees in the long run.
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