New Everton manager Frank Lampard has an experienced and exciting backroom staff
Officially Frank Lampard was announced as Everton manager yesterday, however for days the media and club fan social media channels had reported he was the front runner and the deal had been done since Friday night.
During last week when Lampard was in the prolonged interview process for the Everton job he was already contacting his footballing contacts to start to ensemble a backroom team that he trusted and knew could take on the challenge of turning Everton’s fortunes around.
Joe Edwards – Assistant manager
On Friday reports were flying around about Lampard taking Chelsea coaches Joe Edwards and Anthony Barry to Goodison Park. Lampard had worked with both in his time at Chelsea and had been credited with taking set piece expert Barry to the club which current Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel has taken advantage of since.
As it turned out Barry has stayed at Chelsea, but presumably in a meet in the middle type of conversation Edwards was happily allowed to leave Chelsea and join up with Lampard.
Edwards has been at Chelsea since 2004, seventeen years working his way up from the youth team set up at Chelsea to being a valued first team coach. Lampard has been credited with integrating him into the first team set up further and establishing him with world class players. It is no wonder that Lampard has trusted Edwards with the Assistant Manager role to further his development.
Paul Clement joins Frank Lampard at Everton as first team coach
Paul Clement – First Team coach
One of the best moves in January aside from Lampard is to get the experienced Paul Clement in as first team coach. Clement has been a key right hand man for ex Everton boss Carlo Ancelotti at several top clubs and was linked with joining Ancelotti at Everton when he got the job.
Clement has also been manager himself in the Championship with Swansea, Reading and Derby. His last role was as a manager in Belgium with Cercle Brugge. Clement has struggled when being the number one, but is known to be one of the most tactically astute and a key part of a backroom set up.
Here in the Coaches Voice, Clement opens up about his work with Ancelotti and how he likes to work in a set up that is flexible and offers players a chance to be leaders:
In our exclusive interview, the former PSG, Real Madrid and Bayern assistant, Paul Clement, explains how he empowered the Chelsea players – including Frank Lampard – to decide the tactics for the final day of the season, and why Carlo Ancelotti is his greatest influence... 🏴🔵
— The Coaches' Voice (@CoachesVoice) January 31, 2022
Chris Jones -First team coach and Head of performance
Lampard has also called upon Chris Jones from his time at Derby County as Head of Performance, someone who Lampard asked a lot of in his time at Derby being as though he knew little of most of the squad. At Everton Lampard will know more of the players, but will ask Jones to analyse younger players and new signings at first to understand where they can fit in to the first team picture.
Duncan Ferguson – First team coach
Two of Everton’s backroom staff from previous regimes have stayed on. Much was made of Duncan Ferguson’s position and many thought he would leave after Lampard was appointed. Even yesterday contradicting reports were being shown whether he would be at the club still, but Ferguson does stay on and will work with Clement as a first team coach, another useful learning curve for the Everton legend.
Ashley Cole is also rumoured to join Frank Lampard’s backroom staff at Everton
Alan Kelly – Goalkeeping coach
Alan Kelly also stays on as goalkeeping coach which is good news for Everton’s hopes of keeping Jordan Pickford. England’s number one has been in good form for the past year and this has been credited to Kelly working with Pickford more closely and mentally helping get his game back on track.
The backroom staff lined up for a group picture before training today:
https://twitter.com/Everton/status/1488482282830770176?s=20&t=NxD6mzxSutwtxx3oMe4VXA
This may not be the end of the backroom team however as Ashley Cole has been linked with a move to join Lampard at Everton. The ex England international has been helping Chelsea at youth level coaching and has been brought in by Lee Carsley as an England under 21 coach recently. While Cole will probably continue his England under 21 role, Lampard is pretty confident of getting Cole to join him at Finch Farm as he offers him a more first team role, probably as defensive coach.
With Everton having two young and new full back’s in Nathan Patterson and Vitaliy Mykolenko, Cole coming in would offer them valuable experience from one of the best full back’s to have played the game in the last twenty years.
Much work needs to be done by Everton’s backroom team with a heavy week of games coming up. Brentford at home in the FA Cup 4th Round on Saturday, then a vital league trip to the biggest spenders of the transfer window Newcastle on Tuesday night before another vital league game at home to Leeds a week on Saturday.
However, there is much confidence in the team Lampard has assembled with a great blend of experience and coaches who have been in very successful setups.