Lampard responds as Everton chiefs refuse to rule out sack after latest defeat

21 January 2023 , 18:52

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Frank Lampard spoke about his future post-match (Image: Sky Sports)

Frank Lampard insists he still has “absolute confidence” in his ability as a manager after his future at Everton was plunged into doubt following a damaging defeat against West Ham.

Everton slipped to a 2-0 loss in east London as Jarrod Bowen scored twice in seven first-half minutes. Lampard’s side are 19th in the Premier League and have now gone 10 matches without a win in all competitions, scoring six and conceding 22 in that period.

Lampard has won just nine of his 38 games in charge of Everton and their 15 points from 20 matches is the fewest they have mustered in the club’s history. Everton chairman Bill Kenwright and owner Farhad Moshiri were in attendance at the London Stadium on Saturday and both refused to back Lampard, but the 44-year-old remains focused on the job at hand.

Asked if he was the right person to turn around Everton’s form, he told Sky Sports: “Those things are not my choice, as such. My job is to work and focus and keep my head down.

“I have absolute confidence in how I want to coach. And if they are difficult conditions, for a lot of different reasons which I am very aware of, then that’s it.

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“I just have to do my job and it’s not for me to make too many diversions around it, rather than talk about things that I can affect – and that’s the players and trying to get the right results.”

Frank Lampard has failed to win any of his last 10 games in charge of Everton (Tony McArdle/Everton FC via Getty Images)

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Lampard was then asked whether Kenwright and Moshiri’s presence was significant. “Not at all,” he said. “I think a lot has been made out of that in the last week. I know that there are issues around it, don’t get me wrong – I’m not trying to close my ears to anything. But for me as a coach it’s never been significant.

“I said it the other day: at Chelsea, I don’t think the owner came to many of my games, for 18 months – pretty much zero, I think, maybe a friendly. It’s just about how you work everyday, the actions you do, the support you feel, the communication – they’re the important things.”

Everton supporters protested against the club's owners at West Ham (Alex Pantling/Getty Images)

The former Derby and Chelsea manager insisted that he maintains a good relationship with the Everton board. “We communicate all the time – and we have done pretty much since I’ve been here,” he said.

“I don’t always go into those communications and it’s not my job to probably make them public, or to hang on, you’ve just got to keep working. I’m going to keep working and trying to do my best for the club.”

Everton’s board have some time to make their decision on Lampard’s future, with the team facing a two-week break before hosting Premier League leaders Arsenal on February 4. The following game is a Merseyside derby against Liverpool at Anfield on February 13.

Felix Keith