Everton manager Frank Lampard has admitted that his future at the Merseyside club is not in his hands after their poor run of form since the resumption of the Premier League.
The former Chelsea midfielder has had a torrid time in management since switching roles from the pitch to the dugout. His first stint with Derby County in the Championship saw him falter a little but he showed signs of a brilliant manager. Chelsea gave him a chance on the back of his performance at Derby but he did not last 18 months before he was axed.
Now at Everton, the former England international has continued to struggle with the demands of management and tactics, leading the Merseyside club to what could be their first relegation since the turn of the 20th century.
They crashed out of the FA Cup on Friday after losing 3 – 1 to Manchester United. That loss followed their 4 – 1 loss at home to Brighton and Hove Albion in the Premier League just days before.
The atmosphere at Goodison Park is not great and Lampard is feeling the heat. The 44-year-old has now admitted fears for the safety of his job by leaving it all up to the club’s ownership.
Speaking to ITV after they crashed out of the FA Cup, Lampard said: “That’s not under my control.
“It’s not for me to focus on that. It’s for me to focus on what I saw tonight and that was a performance that every manager wants with the attitude of the team, and the focus. The focus now is Southampton.
“This league can change very quickly and when you’re in a difficult run you have to work really hard to get out of it but it can change.
“I don’t want to talk about my future, I only want to talk about the players and how well they played. My focus is on this team and getting a result against Southampton.”
His uncle, Harry Redknapp, had previously admitted his fears about how Lampard’s coaching career is going and stated that his nephew needs help.
“I text him all the time and I sit and follow every game and kick every ball for him, to be fair,” Redknapp exclusively told talkSPORT Breakfast.
“I want to see him do well, but I did fear at the start of the year, I must be honest.
“I looked at their squad and the centre forward [Dominic] Calvert-Lewin was injured. They bought in [Neal] Maupay and he works hard, but he doesn’t score many goals.
“You look at his record at Brighton… he did well at Brentford, very well, but in the Premier League he’s not managed to take that on.
“So they’re really very short, I think.”
Lampard’s performance in the next few matches are reported to be his last chance to turn the team’s season around after which he could find himself out of a job for a while.
