Frank Lampard risks losing Everton dressing room same as at Chelsea after report Tuesday night
Frank Lampard’s time at Everton might be heading the same way his Chelsea reign did as the Daily Mail reports unrest among the squad.
A lack of tactical clarity and poor communication are cited as issues that players have with the Toffees boss, in worrying echos of the situation that developed before he was sacked at Chelsea.
The former Blues hero was shown the door at Stamford Bridge mid-way through last season, amid poor results and bad relationships with certain players, and was out of the game for a year before he arrived at Goodison Park.
The report in the Daily Mail says: “It would help if Frank Lampard were shaping up to be a saviour. He seems anything but.
“Some of his players are understood to feel there is no consistent game plan and an absence of clear communication.
“Some of his former senior players at Chelsea felt precisely the same.
“The shifting shapes of his team formation have not helped. There’s been a strange fixation with a 3-4-3 system, which has left their defence extremely vulnerable, and odd team selections.”
Been here before
Bad results have meant the Toffees remain in a relegation battle, but such was the dreadful form under Rafael Benitez, his replacement could be partly excused from blame.
In contrast, Thomas Tuchel arrived to replace Lampard at Chelsea, took them back into the top four and won the Champions League.
That upturn in fortunes was a clear indicator of limitations in the ex-England star’s management style.
If he is exhibiting the same limitations on Merseyside, with a considerably weaker squad it is not a good sign for his or the club’s short term future.
He is a young manager so mistakes will be made, but he needs to learn from them to succeed.
The defence has been appalling for the most part, with the likes of Michael Keane looking lost.
That is clearly a major problem for a team looking to avoid the drop.
It was a big enough problem in west London, where a propensity to concede goals saw him removed when the side ninth in the Premier League.
He had fallen out with Marcos Alonso, and frozen Antonio Rudiger out of the team.
Tuchel transformed the back line into the strongest defence in the league, and Rudiger rebounded to become arguably the most sought after defender in Europe.
Excuses can be made for the mess that Lampard has inherited at Goodison, but he is responsible for his methods, and if he is already repeating the mistakes of his time at Chelsea it is not a good sign.
In other Everton news, relegation could end the manager’s career.
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