Following a 0-2 defeat by fellow league strugglers, West Ham United, Everton have sacked Frank Lampard.
A statement on the club website says:
Everton Football Club can confirm that Frank Lampard has left his post as Senior Men’s First Team Manager today.
Joe Edwards, Paul Clement, Ashley Cole and Chris Jones have also left the Club.
Alan Kelly will remain as goalkeeping coach.
Everyone at Everton would like to thank Frank and his coaching staff for their service during what has been a challenging 12 months.
Frank and his team’s commitment and dedication have been exemplary throughout their time at the Club, but recent results and the current league position meant this difficult decision had to be taken. We wish Frank and all his backroom team well for their future in the game.
The Club has started the process to secure a new manager and will provide updates on the appointment in due course.
Paul Tait and Leighton Baines will take training until a new manager is appointed.
Frank Joined Everton in January 2022. Although not having completed a full season with the club he did oversee a season’s worth of league matches, thirty-eight. In those there were nine victories, eight draws, and twenty-one losses.
Last season he replaced Rafael Benitez with Everton sixteenth, and six points above the relegation zone. He departs with the club in nineteenth, on goal difference, and two points away from the team in seventeenth. In the eighteen games he oversaw last season the team secured twenty points, he leaves them with fifteen points from twenty games.
The distance between the last sacking on November 7th and this one on January 22nd may feel a significant amount of time. When we consider the league paused between November 13th and December 26th we are looking at a period of thirty-three league days between sacking five and six.
In discussing at risk managers Frank Lampard did reckon in my last assessment.
What now for Frank? It is difficult to asses his managerial skills at this point. Having narrowly missed out on returning Derby to the EPL he took what was an obviously dream opportunity to return and manage Chelsea, where he spent two-thirds of his playing career and won 11 major trophies, as well as two Community Shields.
Chelsea didn’t work out although his 52.4% win ratio there is the best of the three teams he has managed. Had he achieved similar at Everton he would likely be lauded. The difference is Chelsea expect to be winning trophies and playing Champions League football, Everton have become a team who dream of such.
Failure at Everton cannot be placed solely on a manager who has been there for the latter half of one season and beginning of another, especially when we consider he is the 7th full time manager to be appointed in seven years. That being said questions have to be asked about how he manages and coaches the team. Rumours of dressing room disquiet have become louder and more frequent as the season has progressed.
Everton find themselves in danger of leaving the shrinking club of ‘Ever Present’ EPL teams and it is the loss of wealth being in the EPL accrues which has surely led to this sacking. The reality is Everton are a team in need of deep structural work and it seems unlikely that accomplishing this is possible while remaining in the top tier. Having played 119 seasons out of 123 in the top flight relegation would be a heavy pain for the club and supporters to bear, and would bring further pressure on the current owner Farhad Moshiri.
Despite results having been poor throughout the season it appears the club have sacked their manager without a clear line on who they wish to take over. This speaks further to a club being run without necessary focus. There isn’t even a clear favorite to see from gambling data, though Sean Dyche does get repeated mentions. With the transfer window closing next week it is likely the new manager will be asked to work with the players on hand, who look short on confidence and ability. This is unlikely to change as the next two matches are rampant league leaders Arsenal, and cross-park rivals Liverpool.
With thirty percent of the league having changed managers so far this season, who may be next? All bottom four teams have now sacked the manager they started the season with. West Ham United, Leeds United, and Leicester City are surely all weighing their options. There are three points covering the bottom seven teams. It is possible West Bromwich Albion’s record of surviving in the EPL with 34 points in 2004/05 could be under threat. I’m sure it’s a record they would be happy to pass to someone else.
Also at risk, bizarrely, is Antonio Conte at Tottenham Hotspur. A team with expectations above their achievements or applied resources.