BBC pundit Dion Dublin considers angry Frank Lampard Everton future after Wolves loss
Frank Lampard’s Everton job isn’t in danger yet following the last-gasp defeat to Wolves on Boxing Day, according to Dion Dublin.
Daniel Podence and a 95th-minute Rayan Ait-Nouri winner cancelled out Yerry Mina’s early opener at Goodison Park on the return from the World Cup break, in a game where the home side had enough opportunities to win it long before.
The fans booed at the final whistle due to the nature of the defeat, which leaves the Toffees a point above the relegation zone, but Dublin feels frustration at losing a game that was there for the taking rather than fear of the sack should be the focus.
Speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live after the final whistle on Monday (26 December), as per the BBC Sport live blog, he said: “I don’t know what Frank was thinking. If there was a speech bubble above his head I think it would just be expletives.”
On concerns for Lampard’s job he added: “Not yet, another couple of defeats then yes. Today he is going to be angry because his team did not put the game to bed with the chances they had.
“They had more chances than Wolves did.”
Slipping
It is true that the performance should have won the game, and had it done so then a certain amount of the building pressure would have been lifted.
Creating chances had become more and more of a struggle heading into the World Cup layoff, so it is an improvement of sorts that finishing was the issue against Wolves.
Anthony Gordon should have had at least one, and Neal Maupay should have done better when he found himself in a few dangerous positions.
So from that perspective it is hard to view Lampard too harshly for the smash and grab loss, especially when questions remain over who would be an improvement at this point.
But there is no doubt that the results have been far from good enough for some time now, and while there have been caveats in one way or another for most of the season it will be points on the board that he is judged by.
Having never had Richarlison replaced and been without Dominic Calvert-Lewin again for most of the season it would be somewhat harsh if Lampard was removed as potential attacking help arrived in January, but unless he finds a way to get a couple of wins soon that cannot be ruled out.