2021/22 Frank Lampard

[Nymzee]

I don't want to be the guy pouring all the cold water on it but screw it, he shouldn't get credit for doing something at 2-0 down in a must win game that was an obvious change 3 games ago.

Of course he should. You can both criticise him for getting it wrong initially then praise him for changing it to a winning way.

 

[MikeH72]

I feel like I need a shower after reading the last two pages of this thread. Anyone having a go at this man can get straight in the bin. You don’t understand the culture of the Everton fanbase and what we want.

 

[wm02]

He’s really done a good job given the circumstances of where we were when Benitez was sacked. He’s played a huge role in restoring the spirit of the club.

Regardless of the sport whenever a legend goes into management, there will be questions of their worthiness for the job.
Are they willing to put in the time? Will they be able to relate to players? Especially average/below-average players?
So far, Frank has shown his intelligence, his ability to mould a locker room, some tactical flexibility, and the ability to improve the play of some long underperforming players.
Still early days, but I’d say we are in very good hands

 

[Saint Domingo]

The Gomes selection nearly cost him his job. Even the half-wits of this forum knew before that match that he couldn't make that selection and expect a good outcome. I think Frank gets plenty of credit for rescuing a terrible situation - one he made even worse after his first 10 games here - but there are some glaring mistakes in there too that need to be acknowledged.

Overall, kudos to him. He's likeable and has transformed the atmosphere - not only from Benitez but from where it was the night we lost at Burnley. This summer will make or break him. If he relies on the vast bulk of the current squad next season, he'll be gone by the international break for the World Cup in November. I hope he cuts loose on the squad now and truly renews us.

He has to dismantle the squad that’s for certain

I don’t expect our manager to never make mistakes though and there’s far too much of that from some posters on here.

The fact is no one on here would have pushed for a back 5 before United Chelsea and Leicester, no many would have had Iwobi in any Lampard 11, lots didn’t want Mykolenko playing after those first few appearances.

It’s so easy in hindsight just to pick what he did wrong and say that anyone could see this but I’d say that barely anyone would have predicted how he got it right.

 

[street end]

Lampard came in to the job when we were in free fall and it was getting worse. He came in got a few important wins pretty much straight away against Leeds and started to put a tiny bit of belief back in the players whilst bringing the fans back together and also closer to the club and players again.

We have won big games when we it was pretty much must win against United, Chelsea, Newcastle, Leicester away and of course Crystal Palace, all of them tough games. Yes he made mistakes also, we sat back way too much against Leicester at home etc but still got a point. Individual errors and terrible ref decisions have cost us in other games as well.

He’s done all this in 3 months with a squad that was on the floor and a club going down the table very fast after winning one in fourteen.

 

[zook]

Ultimately met the one and only criteria that I had for him: Keeping us up.

Most passionate manager I've seen at the club, the players blatantly really like him and the fans have took to him because of how much he cares.

He's made some absolutely baffling selection decisions, set-ups and substitutions that have made me doubt him but I am really looking forward to next season with him as manager, regardless of the doubts.

He's obviously learning on the job still too, and I like that he wasn't too stubborn to stick with his very attacking mindset that was leaving us exposed. On the flip side though I like that it is his preference to be attacking, to "enjoy the ball" and to press and get at the opposition.

This Summer he, along with Thelwell and their team (no board interference at all), need to settle on the set-up going forward, sort out who fits into in the current squad and find the right players in the market that into it. We don't have to be spending fortunes we just need to be getting the right footballers through the door.

 

[Drico]

He has to dismantle the squad that’s for certain

I don’t expect our manager to never make mistakes though and there’s far too much of that from some posters on here.

The fact is no one on here would have pushed for a back 5 before United Chelsea and Leicester, no many would have had Iwobi in any Lampard 11, lots didn’t want Mykolenko playing after those first few appearances.

It’s so easy in hindsight just to pick what he did wrong and say that anyone could see this but I’d say that barely anyone would have predicted how he got it right.

He's done what was demanded of him: to keep us up. He made the task harder than it needed to be at first, but he got there in the end by being pragmatic and flexible. That flexibility is a credit to him. The lack of flexibility is what did for ideological managers like Martinez and Silva.

I'll be honest, though. I see no point in "defending" any Everton manager. It's exhausting. Even Carlo had his trenchant critics. In the end, they have to get results. Get the results and the PR looks after itself. All I want to see this summer is a surgical removal of the wasters that compose our squad. I want to see a ruthless purge. No sentiment. Then I'll think Frank - and the suit that is the new director of football or whatever we are now calling it - might have a chance.

 

[TheBigIguana]

Of course he should. You can both criticise him for getting it wrong initially then praise him for changing it to a winning way.

It's like a 90/10 split to the former for me though.

If he changes it at halftime at Watford different story.

 

[Eggs]

Ultimately met the one and only criteria that I had for him: Keeping us up.

Most passionate manager I've seen at the club, the players blatantly really like him and the fans have took to him because of how much he cares.

He's made some absolutely baffling selection decisions, set-ups and substitutions that have made me doubt him but I am really looking forward to next season with him as manager, regardless of the doubts.

He's obviously learning on the job still too, and I like that he wasn't too stubborn to stick with his very attacking mindset that was leaving us exposed. On the flip side though I like that it is his preference to be attacking, to "enjoy the ball" and to press and get at the opposition.

This Summer he, along with Thelwell and their team (no board interference at all), need to settle on the set-up going forward, sort out who fits into in the current squad and find the right players in the market that into it. We don't have to be spending fortunes we just need to be getting the right footballers through the door.

….I agree with that but I think we all underestimate the off-the-field conflict caused by Benitez.

Lampard inherited an unhappy dressing room, unrest and discontent with the FF staff and a divided boardroom, not to mention conflict among fans.

Benitez wasn’t only an obnoxious appointment, he was an obnoxious manager. As Carragher said, he’s a man who thrives on causing discontent.

Putting the brakes on the decline caused by that appointment is Lampard’s greatest achievement, he’s a decent man we like to see assopiated with our football club.

 

[CahillsCornerFlag]

Burn it Frank, burn it all.

Well not all. But I hope he’s ruthless and isn’t blinded by a couple of individuals’ end of season performances. I suspect he is as ruthless as I think he is, we need him to be so this never happens again.

 

[Nymzee]

It's like a 90/10 split to the former for me though.

If he changes it at halftime at Watford different story.

Why does Watford matter when we're discussing his performance vs Palace?

 

[Drico]

I feel like I need a shower after reading the last two pages of this thread. Anyone having a go at this man can get straight in the bin. You don’t understand the culture of the Everton fanbase and what we want.

The culture of the Everton fan base needs a bit of changing too, if we are honest.

The demise of Nil satis... is as much down to us for allowing it to be watered down as it is the charlatans who have run the club. Even if we don't agree with that, I am not sure there is a unique Everton culture among the fans anymore. We are a pretty divided collective - which makes it easier to conquer us.

 

[Blues kompany]

City fan here. Just wanted to say my thoughts on you staying up and Frank too. Made up for you and always had a great amount of respect for your club and fans. Frank will kick on next season with some shrewd purchases I reckon, met him when he played that half season for us and he’s a top bloke who actually gives a [Poor language removed] about the fans. Good luck for next season, hopefully we score early doors tomorrow and stroll it.

 

[Zatara]

Class

 

[MikeH72]

The culture of the Everton fan base needs a bit of changing too, if we are honest.

The demise of Nil satis... is as much down to us for allowing it to be watered down as it is the charlatans who have run the club. Even if we don't agree with that, I am not sure there is a unique Everton culture among the fans anymore. We are a pretty divided collective - which makes it easier to conquer us.

Have you been asleep for the past 5 weeks or something? What a mad statement.