Frank Lampard is on the cusp of being sacked from his role as head coach at Everton following a detrimental recent slump, with a former Premier League boss waiting in the wings…
What’s the word?
Former Hibernian talisman turned pundit Tam McManus spoke to Football Insider following Everton’s double header of defeats to AFC Bournemouth in the week preceding the 2022 World Cup, and now believes the former Chelsea legend is in a perilous position.
He said:
“I think he is one of those managers we could see leave soon. Everton fans are really frustrated with their attackers, we saw how they treated Iwobi at the weekend, incredible stuff.
“They can’t afford to be relegated so I think if they drop into the relegation zone after the break then we will see them sack the manager.”
Owner Farhad Moshiri is no stranger to relieving managers of their duties, and with reports stating that former Leeds boss Marcelo Bielsa is being considered for a shock swoop, despite him closing in on the vacant Bournemouth job.
A definite upgrade
Managers have been churned through and discarded at Goodison Park with such regularity that many Toffees fans wish for Lampard to remain at the helm of the struggling ship, despite a second successive season seemingly battling relegation from the Premier League.
Regardless, even the 44-year-old’s most vocal supporters cannot turn their head from the potential appointment of Argentine tactician Bielsa, who spearheaded Leeds’ monumental return to the top-flight after 16 seasons languishing in the Sky Bet Championship and League One.
Lampard does indeed have some nice ideas, and there is a clear philosophy to how he wants his team to play, but it is not working and something needs to change to ignite the offensive spark that is failing to come to fruition.
But with Bournemouth still the frontrunners to secure a deal for the veteran boss, Moshiri would indeed have to act swiftly, with a clear plan for progress and a lucrative offer paramount.
However, Bielsa would not be the first manager of pedigree to arrive at Goodison Park in recent times, with Rafael Benitez, Ronald Koeman, and Carlo Ancelotti all failing in their bids to secure sustained success at this proud football club.
Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola once lauded the 67-year-old as “unique”, praising him as “probably the person I admire most in world football as a manager and as a person.”
He would however bring a veritable wealth of experience and a winning mentality, with previous knowledge in tinkering away at a flagging club and turning fortunes around, having led Leeds back to the big time.
Before being sacked in February of last year, Bielsa recorded a ninth-placed finish with The Whites on their first season back in the Premier League, scoring 62 goals and recording 18 wins in a triumphant and thrilling campaign.
There would certainly be cautious optimism that he could emulate past endeavours on Merseyside, and his signing could finally be the key to unlocking the Everton conundrum.