talkSPORT pundit hails Everton managers to trash squad as heat turns up on Frank Lampard
Frank Lampard and his predecessors “can’t all be wrong” according to Dean Saunders as he tore into the Everton players who are underperforming.
Defeat to bottom side Wolves on Monday (26 December) has increased the pressure on the current Toffees boss, but the post-Goodison careers of Roberto Martinez, Carlo Ancelotti, Ronald Koeman and Marco Silva have been held up as proof that the manager isn’t the issue.
Former Welsh international Saunders has pointed the blame for what looks increasingly like another relegation battle squarely at the squad, while comparing them unfavourably to those signed by Erik ten Hag at Old Trafford.
Speaking live on talkSPORT on Tuesday (27 December) he said: “They’ve wasted £500million, and when you go through it, Martinez, manager of Belgium, went on and done better.
“Ancelotti, went to Real Madrid, won the Champions League. Ronald Koeman, goes to Barcelona. Silva’s at Fulham playing total football.”
He went on: “All those great managers couldn’t get a tune out of that lot and Frank’s struggling to get a tune out of them, so they can’t all be wrong.
“But when you’ve wasted £500million and there’s nothing left in the pot how’s he going to change it round? He’s going to have to beg and borrow.”
He compared the hunger and the attitude of the players Manchester United have signed to the current Toffees squad, saying: “Players like that who actually want to win, they’re not in a bubble on £100,000-a-week thinking, ‘I’m doing alright.’ No you’re not doing alright.
“And because they’re on that much money you can’t get rid of them. There’s loads of players doing it, I’m watching them. Are you giving me everything you’ve got? No you’re not, simple as that.
“Don’t look at me, ‘My tactics are wrong, my training’s wrong.’ Sort yourselves out, produce the goods.”
Blistering
It hasn’t all been plain sailing for Everton managers after they leave the club, but it is certainly true that failure at Goodison Park doesn’t seem to damage their reputation too greatly.
And some of Lampard’s predecessors surely have to bear some of the responsibility for a squad that is still now bloated with expensive players who have next to no resale value.
Farhad Moshiri allowing each of them to spend so heavily without a coherent plan, and then moving on from one after another, has also been a key contributor to the current mess.
But many of the current players arrived under the current manager’s watch, so it is difficult to lump them in with all those who have come before.
James Tarkowski and Conor Coady don’t seem to have an issue with desire, and Amadou Onana could have the makings of a quality performer.
It is certainly possible that managers exist who could do a better job with the current crop of players, but when Lampard is picking up the pieces of mistakes from before his time and simply doesn’t have a regular goalscorer there is a lot he can’t be held responsible for.
Everton are stuck in a situation that won’t fully change until the financial situation has eased and squad players who arrived for £30million each but rarely feature move on, but the manager has to pick up more points in the mean time or it might be too late before that point arrives.