FRANK LAMPARD RECOGNISES he is facing an immediate battle for Premier League survival after taking over as Everton manager.
The former Chelsea boss returned to the game as Rafael Benitez’s successor at Goodison Park earlier this week.
The Merseyside club may have bold ambitions – with work on a new stadium at Bramley Moore Dock under way – but Lampard admits his first priority is to avoid relegation.
Everton have endured a miserable season to date and have slipped to 16th in the table, just four points above the bottom three, having won just one of their last 14 league games.
Speaking at his first press conference in the job, Lampard said: “In pure footballing terms we know we are in a position the club doesn’t want to be in, but I have got a lot of belief in the squad.
“I have been watching the games closely from the outside, so I am under no illusions, but I believe we have a squad that can improve quickly.
“I understand in the short term the job is to improve our league position.
“In the long term, it is clear it is a club with big ambition, big history, a huge fanbase and a desire throughout to improve towards the new stadium and towards being a Premier League club fighting in the top half of the table.
“I would love to be part of that, but I cannot get too far ahead of myself. We have important jobs on our plate in the next two, three months. Then we can start dealing with what the future looks like.
“There is a lot of work to be done, but I am very proud to be given this opportunity to be at the front of it as the manager.”
The challenge facing him is different from that he was charged with in his last position at Stamford Bridge, which brought pressures at the opposite end of the table and in the Champions League.
The 43-year-old said: “I can assure fans I’ll give absolutely everything.
“You can say about Chelsea that I had some very good times there, but I’ve certainly had some difficult times.
“Before I went to Chelsea I played at West Ham. I managed at Derby County, where the Championship was a real marathon through the year, and you can have good periods and bad periods.
“I don’t concern myself about what position we are in the table. Of course you’re aware of it, but we will be defined this season in the next 18 games by the work and the focus we put in on the training ground, and by how we can be united between players, club and fans.”
Lampard’s influence has already been evident in the deadline-day signings of Dele Alli and Donny Van De Beek, both highly-rated players who are hoping to kick-start their careers after stalling at Tottenham and Manchester United respectively.
The arrival of England international Alli on a permanent deal was particularly eye-catching.
“He’s a fantastic player,” said Lampard. “Maybe he’s had difficult times. I will make no bones about that – nor would he – but there can be so many reasons for that.
“My job now is to start with a fresh slate with him, to have him in an environment that suits him and supports him, and also pushes him to extract that player we just know is there.
“I’m very excited to have him and Donny. They are two fantastic players and hopefully give us a lift.”
Lampard is the seventh manager appointed by Everton in the six years of Farhad Moshiri’s ownership but that high turnover does not faze him.
He said: “This is the business that we live in and we work in. It’s not my job to analyse things that happened before me too much because you don’t know the circumstance.
“I have to put that to the side and just work and understand and actually appreciate the fact that I’m working for a great club and give it my all.”
Lampard also confirmed Ashley Cole, his former Chelsea and England team-mate, will join his backroom staff as first-team coach.
The new boss also revealed striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin will miss Saturday’s FA Cup fourth-round tie against Brentford with a “small knock”.
Liverpool are done. Milner, Henderson and Firmino are too old. Mane and Wijnaldum, two of their most consistent players, allowed to leave. Their replacements Thiago and Keith spend more time on the bench than on the pitch. Van Dijk is a good centre halve but his poor form is highlighting the lack of a decent partner for him. As for Salah? He looks like he has one eye on a move out of Anfield. Klopp will need a miracle to turn things around there.
@John Fagan: and the whole squad is burned out as a side affect of klopps high intensity style , same thing happened at dortmund.
@John Fagan: yeah the new guy Keith is really struggling in Manes old position. Good take.
@John Fagan: Didn’t Salah just sign a new contract at Liverpool over the summer? “Too old” Firmino who scored a brace and 3 assists just two weeks ago? Van Dijk’s main CB partner, Matip, is just back from injury. Mane wanted to leave but they signed Diaz who has been pretty prolific so far and Nunez so I’m not sure things are as bleak as you’re saying – and I’m not a Liverpool fan even
@John Fagan: we’ll see come the end of the season just how ‘done’ we are.
@Cathal Jenkinson: first of all Firminos brace and assists were against Bournemouth in a 9-0 hammering. Salah will come good, he’s too good of a player not too. In relation to VVD again he has, for some obvious and some less obvious reasons, been poor but should improve. It’s Midfield and using the high line where pool struggle. Thiago and Keita are injury prone and Henderson getting on. I think they’ll still get too 4 and get out of the group in the CL but that’s about it.
@Damien Leen: indeed we will
@John Fagan: as they where done 2 years ago. It’s great insights you find from opposing supporters.
@Gareth Keenan: Very harsh on Keith.
@Getard Lanslanger: I thought so too!
There’s no doubt Liverpool will bounce back. But the bar they set for themselves was incredible. It was almost 110% in 9 games out of 10. They’ll come back again but can’t see them getting close to city this year. Genuinely think there’s a good race on for 2nd across all the rest. Liverpool favourites but other teams now raising the bar themselves at the right time.
Liverpool s problems were evident long before Napoli game , and if you keep persisting doing the same thing and look for better then it’s called delusion . Keita is injured and all of a sudden he is fit for his country , something in the off field department needs sorting first imo .The high line is great if your mid field first does it’s job and I will include firmino in that department because he drops to bolster it , and the space that this leaves when people don’t work is obvious to all .
Always thought a manager’s job(generic, not just football) was to understand the scope, scale and changing nature of the environment within which they operate and adjust appropriately BEFORE the sh!t hits the fan.
Only a verbal agreement for potter at Chelsea , time to klippity klop down the road to london!!