2022/23 Frank Lampard

[ToffeeTim]

The thing is people say he's underperforming, but he really isn't. This squad is absolutely AWFUL.

However, we clearly need a manager who is capable of overperforming and getting every single ounce of the players. Right now unfortunately it looks like Lampard can't do that, and it's a massive shame because he's been the one good thing about this club in the last year - not that I ever thought he was a particularly good manager, but he truly has bought into the club, understands the issues, and truly has tried his very best. Should be prerequisites but that's not always been the case at Everton, has it.

But regardless, Everton are down if they don't make significant signings in this window. One, at the very least, should have been through the door already. It's pathetic. And none of that is on Lampard.

I'd say anything above the relegation zone is acceptable for this squad, but being in the relegation positions is underperforming. 3 wins in 18 games is not good enough and I doubt even the manager would argue it is.

We've seen how this goes at Everton. Once the spiral starts, it doesn't stop until the manager is replaced, and the bounce is only short term too.

 

[BlueToff]

Still believe this team is better than where we are. I was all for Lampard being young and ambitious but tactically I really don't think he cuts the mustard. Too much tinkering for me. Looks like he hasn't got a game plan and is over estimating the abilities of quite a few of our players. In our situation I would be happy with 5 at the back to stay solid and work on a plan of counter attacking. Our players do not seem to know what to do

I don't think it should be 18th but equally so this squad is nothing but a relegation-battling team.

It's not good enough to be safely mid-table as it doesn't have goals in it.

 

[BlueToff]

I'd say anything above the relegation zone is acceptable for this squad, but being in the relegation positions is underperforming. 3 wins in 18 games is not good enough and I doubt even the manager would argue it is.

We've seen how this goes at Everton. Once the spiral starts, it doesn't stop until the manager is replaced, and the bounce is only short term too.

Yeah I'm not saying it's acceptable to be in the bottom 3 but my point was this squad as it stands is one that will be battling relegation whichever manager is in charge.

By that I mean never more than 6 points away from danger. It simply doesn't have the quality.

That's not to say it should get relegated, but unless significant changes are made then it's a team that will be scrapping.

 

[ToffeeTim]

Yeah I'm not saying it's acceptable to be in the bottom 3 but my point was this squad as it stands is one that will be battling relegation whichever manager is in charge.

By that I mean never more than 6 points away from danger. It simply doesn't have the quality.

That's not to say it should get relegated, but unless significant changes are made then it's a team that will be scrapping.

I've said all season that this year is about survival due to the lack of quality we have. But I still don't believe 15 points and 3 wins from 18 games is good enough. Our home form in particular is not acceptable and lots of that has been down to poor tactics based on a false philosophy of trying to play through the lines with slow possession football.

Lampard was badly let down but I also believe his tactics are questionable and he is no longer the right person at the right time.

The manager leaving is inevitable but there is absolutely no likelihood of us improving just because we change the manager. We need changes from top to bottom, from owner to manager, to recruitment team, to coaching staff, right down to the attitude of the players on the pitch.

 

[hktoffee]

I've said all season that this year is about survival due to the lack of quality we have. But I still don't believe 15 points and 3 wins from 18 games is good enough. Our home form in particular is not acceptable and lots of that has been down to poor tactics based on a false philosophy of trying to play through the lines with slow possession football.

Lampard was badly let down but I also believe his tactics are questionable and he is no longer the right person at the right time.

The manager leaving is inevitable but there is absolutely no likelihood of us improving just because we change the manager. We need changes from top to bottom, from owner to manager, to recruitment team, to coaching staff, right down to the attitude of the players on the pitch.

I have my doubt. Could KT force him to accept McNeil and Maupay as the attacking solution. Frank must agree to that?

 

[BlueToff]

I've said all season that this year is about survival due to the lack of quality we have. But I still don't believe 15 points and 3 wins from 18 games is good enough. Our home form in particular is not acceptable and lots of that has been down to poor tactics based on a false philosophy of trying to play through the lines with slow possession football.

Lampard was badly let down but I also believe his tactics are questionable and he is no longer the right person at the right time.

The manager leaving is inevitable but there is absolutely no likelihood of us improving just because we change the manager. We need changes from top to bottom, from owner to manager, to recruitment team, to coaching staff, right down to the attitude of the players on the pitch.

Fully agree there.

 

[BlueToff]

I have my doubt. Could KT force him to accept McNeil and Maupay as the attacking solution. Frank must agree to that?

If that's literally all that was offered though, and it's a 'take it or leave it' thing, then that is what it is.

Lampard deserves his share of the blame for those crap signings but ultimately it should not fall on him to be scouring the market for players.

Thelwell hadn't at the time hired a head of recruitment, which is absolutely mad, so that blame falls on him for not providing better players.

He's got away with a lot has Thelwell, just because he's had a lot to do (which he has).

 

[BlueToff]

Winning the ball back and scoring are different things. They wanted us to come at them and then they broke many times down the flanks.

Yep and it was very reckless I agree.

But if you win the ball back 7 times in your opposition's own box you should have the quality to produce better chances than we did. That's simply down to the players we have lacking that quality when it matters.

 

[hktoffee]

If that's literally all that was offered though, and it's a 'take it or leave it' thing, then that is what it is.

Lampard deserves his share of the blame for those crap signings but ultimately it should not fall on him to be scouring the market for players.

Thelwell hadn't at the time hired a head of recruitment, which is absolutely mad, so that blame falls on him for not providing better players.

He's got away with a lot has Thelwell, just because he's had a lot to do (which he has).

He is another Brands. Could sign some promising player and buy crap at the same time. Knowing that the Brighton Japanese winger only costed €2.5m makes me wonder how useless Thelwell is by buying McNeil almost 10 times the money.

 

[BlueToff]

He is another Brands. Could sign some promising player and buy crap at the same time. Knowing that the Brighton Japanese winger only costed €2.5m makes me wonder how useless Thelwell is by buying McNeil almost 10 times the money.

it's all about having systems in place

the priority last summer at Everton wasn't a coach educator, it was a head of recruitment.

Yet that head of recruitment position wasn't even offered to anyone until last month, and even though it's supposedly been accepted by said person, it's not yet been announced so it's not yet official. And that is absolutely pathetic.

 

[hktoffee]

it's all about having systems in place

the priority last summer at Everton wasn't a coach educator, it was a head of recruitment.

Yet that head of recruitment position wasn't even offered to anyone until last month, and even though it's supposedly been accepted by said person, it's not yet been announced so it's not yet official. And that is absolutely pathetic.

Unprofessional. Run by amateur.

 

[maccavennie]

I don't think it should be 18th but equally so this squad is nothing but a relegation-battling team.

It's not good enough to be safely mid-table as it doesn't have goals in it.

I'm still unsure how much better people think we should be doing when like you say, there are no goals in the side.

Let's just go through them so everyone can see we aren't making numbers up

Between the whole of the back line of Coleman, Patterson, Mykolenko, Vinagre, Godfrey, Holgate, Tarkowski, Mina, Keane and Coady.....we have 2 goals (Mina and Coady)

Between the whole of the midfield of Iwobi, Davies, Doucoure, Gana, Garner and Onana.....we have 1 goal (Iwobi)

Between the wingers of Gray, Mcneil, Gordon....we have 8 (3 for Gordon, 3 for Gray and 2 for Mcneil)

Between the strikers of DCL and Maupay.....we have 2.

Can someone tell me where the goals are coming from? Full backs don't score, midfield doesn't score and barely creates and the 2 main strikers on our books have a goal each nearly halfway through the season.

I think 6 is the best goals return Gray has ever done in his career, 3 is Mcneils best, what was Gordon last season? 5? Has Maupay ever gone past 10 in the PL? Looks like he won't get to 5. Iwobi? What's the most he's ever scored in a season, 3? Onana and Gana don't look like they've got 5 Between them.

So yes, sack Lampard by all means but no one should be expecting a miracle as goals don't just magically appear, you need quality players for that.

 

[Toff33Blues99]

No it's called not making sense, Frank is employed by EFC, he isn't going to sack himself is he? If you want him gone then ask the board why he is still here, it's their decision.

Any negative club post, on and off the field can be be attributed to board in some way. It's tedious seeing every post saying bill this and Moshiri that by the same tedious group of posters.

 

[degsy]

The city game was the blueprint. Changing for Brighton was suicide. They were always going to swarm us if we were open. They are that kind of technical team. And so it proved to be. If an amateur like me can see that but a “professional” like Lampard can’t then we are done for.

5 at the back didn't really work Vs City - we were 1-0 down.
541 and Godfrey's man mark job on Haarland made it harder for a stuttering city who tried to play everything through him. It did give us a solider base but it took a once a season blammo worldie
To give us an actual point.
433 played into Brightons hands as it will Vs United...both aren't one man teams so there's no point in a same again Vs United.
Something in between542 and 433...451??.
If DCL is fit enough - with Simms and Cannon to either share the load or even replace DCL.
1 up front needs legs, energy and commitment and if 2 young lads can't manage that between then
gtf.

 

[badloaf]

I'm still unsure how much better people think we should be doing when like you say, there are no goals in the side.

Let's just go through them so everyone can see we aren't making numbers up

Between the whole of the back line of Coleman, Patterson, Mykolenko, Vinagre, Godfrey, Holgate, Tarkowski, Mina, Keane and Coady.....we have 2 goals (Mina and Coady)

Between the whole of the midfield of Iwobi, Davies, Doucoure, Gana, Garner and Onana.....we have 1 goal (Iwobi)

Between the wingers of Gray, Mcneil, Gordon....we have 8 (3 for Gordon, 3 for Gray and 2 for Mcneil)

Between the strikers of Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Maupay.....we have 2.

Can someone tell me where the goals are coming from? Full backs don't score, midfield doesn't score and barely creates and the 2 main strikers on our books have a goal each nearly halfway through the season.

I think 6 is the best goals return Gray has ever done in his career, 3 is Mcneils best, what was Gordon last season? 5? Has Maupay ever gone past 10 in the PL? Looks like he won't get to 5. Iwobi? What's the most he's ever scored in a season, 3? Onana and Gana don't look like they've got 5 Between them.

So yes, sack Lampard by all means but no one should be expecting a miracle as goals don't just magically appear, you need quality players for that.

That’s the nub of it. It’s no good bringing in a new manager if we’re not also bringing in at least two goal scorers for him to deploy. The best we’ll get with the current squad and a new manager is then making us harder to beat, but even a long run of nil-nil draws will still see us go down.

They had the summer to fix this and the only thing of note that the club did was sell the player who kept us up last season.