Everton rule out the appointment of 43 year old despite interviewing twice

The search for the new Everton manager seems to be reaching its culmination. After evaluating a number of managers that included the likes of Frank Lampard, Fabio Cannavaro, Niko Kovac, Roberto Martinez and few other noticeable names, the Toffees seem to be zeroing in on Vitor Pereira.

Lampard was one of the first names to be mentioned as a possible replacement to Rafa Benitez who was sacked after a series of shambolic performances that saw drop from the top half to the lower end of the table. Currently, in 16th position, the Royal Blues are hovering over the relegation zone and need an extraordinary push to avoid relegation.

Lampard was interviewed by the Everton board and he seemed to be one of the options in the final list that included Pereira as well. The 43 year old has been out of a job since parting ways with Chelsea in January 2021. In the summer of 2021, when Carlo Ancelotti left the Toffees, Lampard was also considered a candidate but it was Rafa Benitez who was chosen by the Everton board.

At Chelsea, Lampard didn’t have the desired results on the field despite the staggering spending in the summer of 2020 that saw them acquire Kai Havertz, Timo Werner, Hakim Ziyech, Thiago Silva and Malang Sarr.

Frank Lampard to miss out on Everton job

For the vacant manager role at Everton, while there was hesitation for Pereira, Lampard jumped into contention once again and was interviewed twice. As per the Express, Lampard is set to miss out as former Fenerbahce manager Pereira is expected to take over at Goodison Park.

One interesting aspect of Lampard’s appointment would have been the probable inclusion of youngsters in the match lineups as he had done at Chelsea and Derby County previously. At Stamford Bridge, Lampard groomed youngsters such as Fikayo Tomori, Mason Mount, Tammy Abraham and Reece James became regulars in the side.

Perhaps, Lampard would have shown similar trust in the burgeoning youngsters like Jarrad Branthwaite, Ellis Simms, Anthony Gordon and latest inclusion Nathan Patterson. However, with Lampard’s appointment ruled out and Pereira eding as clear favourite for the job, excitement is non-existent among the fan base.

The 53 year old doesn’t boast an impressive CV nor does have an appealing tactical approach to appease the fans. The biggest question now is whether Pereira can keep Everton in the Premier League and avoid a relegation scrap.

Would Frank Lampard have been a better choice than Vitor Pereira?