How does Frank Lampard compare to Everton’s recent managers?

The last few years have not been easy for Everton fans. While the pyrotechnics and dark blue smoke in their survival were joyful and nostalgic memories for Toffees fans, the reality of the situation is that Frank Lampard is out of his depth as the boss of the blue half of Merseyside. Currently flirting with relegation, his win record is just as bad as his predecessors, who were given nowhere near the time or resources the former Derby County and Chelsea boss has had.

With conflict between a berated fan base and the owners, players arrived at Goodison Park for significant transfer fees despite the loss of star man Richarlison, and while Amadou Onana, Dwight McNeil and James Tarkwoski appear smart buys, that hasn’t reflected Everton’s status in the football odds, with many online betting sites still tipping them to struggle and even face the drop.

Rafael Benitez was sacked early last season, despite a bright start which saw three wins from his opening five games. The Spaniard’s allegiances as former Liverpool boss clearly played a part in his downfall, with Benitez failing to win over the fans at any point of his tenure, but you wonder how many poor results the Toffees suffer before Lampard starts to feel the pressure.

It’s clear from the last few Everton managers, that the club has had high expectations in terms of results and performances, and the board had been very quick in making changes when they believe that the team was not meeting those expectations. It’s worth noting that, while Marco Silva and Carlo Ancelotti had a strong reputation of being successful managers, they struggled to find the right rhythm and consistency with the team. 

The Italian had one of the longest recent spells at the club and was tasked with guiding the team to a higher league position, but despite a strong start, the team struggled to maintain form throughout his only full season in charge as they finished 10th, with Ancelotti going to Real Madrid the next season and winning a La Liga and Champions League double.

As pressure starts to mount, Lampard insists he enjoys the pressure, and will do everything he can to get Everton back on track. “I have never and would never seek reassurances,” he said. “My job is to absolutely focus on the job at hand, day to day and game to game. That’s the absolute reality of it. I actually don’t need reassurances. I come to work to try and improve a little bit every day – myself, the team, the squad and everything so I’m not hunting around for any reassurances.

“I came here nearly a year ago now and the feeling among a lot of Evertonians was that they felt they were heading towards relegation. That’s my honest feeling.”

It remains to be seen who the next manager of Everton will be if the club do look for Lampard’s successor, but it’s clear that the club is looking for someone who can bring a winning culture to Goodison Park and deliver consistent results on the pitch. It will be important for the next manager to find the right balance between results and performances, while also dealing with the high expectations of the board and fans.