Lampard appointment has to work for Everton after so many failures

Well, he wasn’t my first choice and I still feel instinctively that he’s not a natural fit, but Frank Lampard is the new Everton manager.

The former West Ham, Chelsea and England midfielder becomes the sixth manager to be appointed at Everton since Farhad Moshiri took over in February 2016.

That’s a catalogue of failure and misfortune since the Iranian became owner that simply has to end with this decision to bring in Lampard.

I think without question this situation is the most difficult and uncertain for the Toffees since the Moshiri era began. As I said before, I hope the new manager fully understands the scale of the task he is taking on.

The club’s structure is in a mess with a ‘strategic review’ supposedly taking place while there is no Director of Football in post although rumours are Tim Cahill might be joining the club to do a similar type of role.

Meanwhile on the pitch the team are enduring a dreadful run of form and results that has seen them tumble down the Premier League table. Not since the dark days of the1990s have the Blues been in more danger of relegation than they are now.

And, fan discontent is at new levels. There have been repeated protests inside and outside the ground and while I assume these will now subside, at least for a time, of course another run of bad results will probably see them start up again very quickly.

So, Lampard is coming into a situation that could hardly be any more challenging and he hasn’t exactly got a lot of experience managing in these situations. The fact he’s still willing to take the role and sign a two and a half year contract, indicates a degree of self-confidence that is to some extent reassuring.

Lampard has already moved quickly to add a new player to the squad in Donny van de Beek with the Manchester United midfielder completing his loan move today.

There are rumours that he will want more players with at least one more signing, possibly two, although that seems unlikely given the club’s financial pressures and the fact with van de Beek joining Anwar El Ghazi means they have their two allowed domestic loans.

Everton can still add a player from abroad on a loan or obviously agree a permanent signing, again though finances and lack of time would surely prevent a permanent deal being done.

The new boss is apparently taking first-team training today as he begins his new job. The first game he will be in charge for is an FA Cup tie against Brentford on Saturday then comes two crunch Premier League clashes, Newcastle away followed by Leeds United at Goodison.

It will be a huge first week or so. The results from those three matches could go alongway to deciding the eventual outcome of the campaign.

Whether or not he was our first-choice to replace Rafa Benitez, Lampard is the Blues manager. Now Evertonians need to give him backing and keep our fingers, and everything else crossed, that this appointment works because if not it will almost certainly mean the team going down at the end of the season.