FRANK LAMPARD paid the price for Everton’s latest shortcomings and was dismissed with the club sitting 19th in the Premier League table.
The Chelsea legend has been fighting a losing battle for much of the season having ensured Everton retained their top-flight status with a late revival at the back end of the last campaign.
After the fateful defeat at former club West Ham, Lampard cited poor investment and structure which has seen Everton plummet down the table in recent years.
“We stayed up by the skin of our teeth last season,” Lampard spoke post match.
“We were five points shy of safety with not many games to go.
“I said that we will maybe stay where we are and then someone gave me a second question and went, ‘is that competitive enough talk?’
“But, for me, if you’re in a club where over recent years the club’s moved downwards with serious investment, the conditions now are that we don’t have that investment.
“We sold our number nine and we’re trying to rebuild. That doesn’t mean that straight away we should start climbing the stairs.”
Embed from Getty ImagesLampard leaves Everton with the second-worst win percentage of any Toffees manager in the Premier League era, with his sacking coming a week shy of his one-year anniversary.
Everton’s narrow escape last season left fans hopeful of a successful summer rebuild but the sale of Richarlison to Spurs did little to help matters and the signings that were made have failed to impress.
A lot of fans’ discontent has been directed towards the ownership but it’s Lampard who has received the fatal blow, leaving his managerial reputation in tatters.
Former Leeds manager Marcelo Bielsa is the early frontrunner to succeed Lampard with the club needing to act swiftly in order to have a chance of remaining in the Premier League.
