Sky Sports journalist shares Rafa Benitez-Everton verdict as Frank Lampard faces fresh sack speculation
Sky Sports journalist Ben Grounds has revealed that Rafa Benitez had a better Everton record after 18 games than Frank Lampard has in the 2022/23 season.
The Guardian have suggested (4 January) that Lampard is “on the brink” of being dismissed from his role at Goodison Park after a damaging 4-1 home defeat to Brighton.
The former Chelsea boss replaced Benitez halfway through the 2021/22 season and Grounds has detailed how the much-maligned Spaniard had won two more games at this point in the previous campaign.
“The facts don’t lie: Benitez had a better record than Lampard after 18 games,” he wrote (personal Twitter, 4 January).
Dreadful
Many thought the relegation scare in the 2021/22 season would be a huge wake-up call for the decision-makers at Everton. The squad barely survived and they have failed to replace Richarlison after his move to Tottenham Hotspur. A change of manager may well provide a small short-term boost, but it’s unlikely to fix the long-term issues at the club.
Lampard made a big mistake by diverging from the tactics which had worked for the Toffees in their 1-1 draw against Manchester City.
He set his side up with a hard-working and defensive plan and it worked well. Fans can get behind hard-working and battling displays because they are completely aware that this group of players are not capable of playing an expansive brand of football.
He should have adopted similar tactics against the Seagulls, and the failure to do so is firmly on the manager. However, the main focus of the blame should be on the board and Farhad Moshiri.
Sadly, until he relinquishes power on Merseyside, the Toffees will continue to be caught up in a cycle of dreadfully poor players being replaced by players who aren’t much better.