Joe Roberts

Mon 2 October 2023 20:10, UK

The “unique” Everton fanbase’s footballing demands can make integrating a manager’s philosophy a “challenge”, according to Frank Lampard.

Speaking live on Sky Sports Monday Night Football (2 October, 6:58 pm), the former Toffees coach discussed the club’s difficulty in finding an identity amid a string of managers in recent seasons.

Lampard dismissed Jamie Carragher’s question that Everton had become “unmanageable”, but admitted difficulty in meeting fans’ demands for their desired brand of football.

When asked by Jamie Carragher if the Toffees has become “unmanageable”, Lampard said: “I think it’s a challenge. I think ‘unmanageable’ isn’t quite the right word but it’s certainly a challenge.

“All these managers will have their own idea and philosophy, and I think that Everton is one of the unique clubs in the league. I found it there and I found so much good about it. The fans virtually kept us up when we stayed up. What they were doing was incredible and it drove the lads on.

“But they also have a real desire for what they want to see. Some of it is great, the basics of football, the passion, tackles, and I was completely with that.

“But, of course, sometimes as a coach, you want to take it forward and you want to have those games where you’re expected to have the ball and be able to do good things with it.

“So I think maybe it’s trying to find the right balance. As a club, you have to really tap into what the fans want because it can be a powerful force.

“The managers, when you’re going through Champions League-winning managers, you do understand that maybe that unique side that can be so good for Everton, but also challenging at times, from a coaching point of view.”

Tough gig

Any manager who’s taken the Everton job in recent seasons knew they were not in for an easy time. Everton’s status as a club has seen them attract the likes of Carlo Ancelotti, but Toffees fans certainly demand a specific brand of football.

Lampard knows this all too well, with his philosophy of football leading to his sacking in just under a year. Any club would struggle for consistency with a revolving door of managers. The identification of suitable recruits for the hot seat has been a criticism of Farhad Moshiri’s tenure in Merseyside, and the jury remains out on Sean Dyche.

However, even top coaches like Dyche and Ancelotti have struggled to get the side performing to expectations. The frequent lack of funding and poor transfer decisions have hampered much chance of the Toffees progressing and have led to them slowly slipping down the table each season.

Lampard is uniquely positioned to discuss the difficulty of the job and clearly understands the value of having the fanbase’s support, but the Englishman struggled to get that himself during his time at the club, departing with a 27.3% win ratio.

The Goodison Park faithful will be hoping Dyche is the man to bring the club back to its former glory, but, as Lampard suggests, it will be tough.

In other Everton news, Jack Harrison has made a six-word admission on the back of the defeat to Luton.