The grapevine is buzzing, while reports also surfaced on Friday night, that Everton are about to appoint Frank Lampard as the successor to Rafael Benitez after an almost two-week search.<\/p>\n
A Friday evening report emerged from The Daily Telegraph that the former Chelsea and England midfielder is all poised to take over the vacancy at Goodison Park, having supposedly impressed the Toffees hierarchy in interviews. This has since been followed up by The Times claiming Lampard is now ‘set to become Everton manager’.<\/p>\n
The Blues legendary midfielder was one of three candidates in contention for the position, with the Blues conducting final interviews on Friday in London, and it would now seem that Lampard has been selected ahead of Vitor Pereira and Duncan Ferguson to take over from Rafael Benitez, who was given the sack 13 days ago.<\/p>\n
Lampard, a vastly-decorated former midfielder for club and country, has prior managerial experience with Derby County – who he steered to the Championship playoff final – and Chelsea, the team for whom he is still on record as the all-time top scorer.<\/p>\n
During his tenure as gaffer at Stamford Bridge he more than exonerated himself in guiding the team to fourth place in his maiden campaign in charge while having his hands tied working under a transfer embargo.<\/p>\n
However, he was eventually sacked midway through his second term in charge after a prolonged period of dismal performances by the squad despite Lampard having overseen a lavish recruitment drive in the summer of 2020.<\/p>\n
Former Paris Saint-Germain manager Thomas Tuchel took over the reins and steered Chelsea commendably to Champions League glory that same season.<\/p>\n
Lampard will now be tasked with the responsibility of revamping the fortunes of an Everton team that has been in woefully lamentable form in the Premier League, with the recent defeat against Aston Villa last weekend leaving the Toffees way down in 16th position in the table, keeping close company with the likes of Norwich City, Watford, Newcastle United and Burnley.<\/p>\n
Everton\u2019s miserable record have seen them win just once in a stretch of 13 games in the top flight since September. Lampard’s first Premier League game in charge looks set to be a vital one away at Newcastle United immediately after the FA Cup clash with Brentford at Goodison Park next weekend.<\/p>\n
Lampard was one of the most successful English players of the modern era, having won the Champions League and four Premier League titles during his time at Stamford Bridge.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"