Simon Jordan challenges Frank Lampard’s ability to relate to ‘frightened’ Everton players
Frank Lampard is wrong to think that he has experienced the same pressure as the “frightened” Everton players says Simon Jordan.
With the club only above the relegation zone on goal difference, questions are being asked of the manager’s experience of life at the bottom of the table after a career in football more concerned with the top.
Lampard spoke ahead of the crucial visit of Newcastle to Goodison Park about “relative” pressure between fighting for trophies or against the drop, implying the two were comparable, but the former Crystal Palace owner disagrees.
Speaking on talkSPORT this morning (Thursday 17 March, 10.55am) Jordan said: “It’s not the same. Being a constant winner, and having the pressure to win, is very different from having the responsibility to avoid losing.
“You are dealing with a group of players who are frightened to some extent of losing games.
“His mindset doesn’t need to change, his is one of a winner. His ability to be able to relate to those that aren’t winners is the difficulty.
“I was very much against Frank thinking this was the solution for his managerial opportunities.
“This football club isn’t in the right space in terms of intellectual capital off the pitch.
“It’s not in a good position with its owner, its relationship with the fans, off the field and on the field.”
Can’t relate?
Since the impressive 3-0 victory over Leeds in the dying days of the Marcelo Bielsa reign things have changed for the worse significantly on Merseyside.
The only goals the team has scored since were against lower-league Boreham Wood in the FA Cup, raising doubts over the manager’s ability to rescue things.
The market for Sam Allardyce is generated almost entirely on him being seen as a relegation specialist, something which Lampard is not.
Qualified success at both Derby and Chelsea came with teams challenging at the top of their respective divisions.
Whether the current mire is a matter of the ex-England star not being the right man for this task, or the task being impossible, is harder to judge.
It illustrates the state of the club in recent times that the Big Sam emergency button has already been pressed once.
And even he is not immune, having been relegated with West Brom last year, so Lampard might simply be fighting a losing battle.
It will be a major achievement from this point to save the Toffees from relegation, but he has to believe he can do it or the club faces huge difficulty.
In other Everton news, there is reportedly a £70million “disaster” on the cards at the club.
Be sure to follow Goodison News on Facebook for 24/7 updates on Everton plus more exclusive interviews with Kevin Campbell.