Frank Lampard shares stance on Everton director of football plans
Frank Lampard hasn’t ruled out working with a director of football at Everton but is currently focused entirely on coaching his players.
Since Marcel Brands left the club in December after losing a power struggle with previous manager Rafael Benitez, the club have been operating without anybody in that role while they carry out strategic review.
The current boss has revealed that process is still continuing, while stressing that he wants to have a voice whatever the future arrangement.
Speaking ahead of the visit to Southampton on Saturday Lampard said, quoted in the Independent: “We’ll see going forward. I will have an opinion on it. I think working with a director of football, of course many clubs do.
“The key for me is the communication and the fact everything is aligned and you’re working in the same direction. If you can get that mix, great. That can be a really positive force for the club.”
“My feeling is of course I would like an input into that, I think it’s my role to, to a degree,”
“But my first role at this club is to get us winning football games and the amount that that consumes you, it’s been so important in these first two or three weeks to put my head completely into that, working with the squad.”
Important balance
As a relatively new manager is not surprising that the former Chelsea manager is open to the possibility of working with a director of football.
The all-powerful manager of yesteryear is more uncommon these days, and less established coaches don’t have the standing to demand to be in control of more.
But if one is brought in it will be vital for the relationship between them and the ex-England international to be strong.
The club should have learned from the experience of Brands and Benitez butting heads to ensure there is not turmoil again.
Lampard knows his primary task at the club, but he has asserted himself to the extent of issuing a warning that he does not wish to be sidelined from wider decisions.
Considering the managerial turnover in recent years at Goodison, it would be a relief for fans if the latest man in the hot seat was not unsettled by the wrong appointment.
In other Everton news, the club has been slammed for one of their January transfer dealings.