Everton board backed into a corner over potential Frank Lampard sack
The Everton board have their hands tied over the potential sacking of Blues boss Frank Lampard, according to Liverpool Echo journalist Joe Thomas.
After a hard-fought and honestly admirable draw against Manchester City (31 December), Lampard’s Toffees were back to their old tricks in a damning 4-1 home defeat to Brighton (3 January).
Thomas confessed that the Everton board have committed themselves to their strategic plan, something Lampard’s appointment was a key component of.
“The board have tied themselves to the strategic review,” wrote Thomas in response to a fan on Twitter.
“Which they say is the answer to the problems at the club. Lampard’s appointment was key to that. If he goes, it completely undermines the plan they’ve been clinging onto.”
What even is the plan?
What even is this fantastic strategic plan the board of speaking of? One that sees the club sleepwalk towards another relegation scrap?
The real problem that still haunts the Toffees as we speak was the failure to replace Richarlison this summer, something that has left a gaping hole in the starting XI.
Lampard has the January window to rectify this, or at least to attempt to, with whatever bogus funds the Blues hierarchy gives him to do so.
If this doesn’t pay dividends though, it’s hard to see past the club keeping the former Chelsea manager as head coach, and if they did it would be a very risky move.
Every Evertonian wants Lampard to succeed, but maybe just maybe he isn’t the right guy for this kind of job, one which needs a manager to operate on a shoestring budget.
The coming months will be telling but the Toffees need to get their heads straight sooner rather than later or another relegation fight may prove too much for this current flailing squad to handle.