Is Ashley Cole a good addition to Everton backroom staff

Rumours are building that Everton manager Frank Lampard wants his former Chelsea team-mate Ashley Cole to join his coaching staff. Is this a good idea?

Lampard has already brought three new coaches to Everton, Paul Clement, Joe Edwards and Chris Jones as he reshapes his staff ready for the rest of the season.

After a manic month of change at Goodison Park we have a new manager, a raft of new players and yet another fresh start.

There have been so many false dawns at this football club that it’s hard to get that excited once more as we get used to yet another new face in the dugout at the Grand Old Lady.

In addition to the manager, the Toffees have added six new players while losing their previous left-back Lucas Digne to Aston Villa.

We have to hope that these new players can settle in quickly and start delivering very soon as the Blues have some very critical matches coming up next week.

I’m not sure whether the transfer window was a total success and while Dele Alli is a very talented player, after bringing in Donny van de Beek, I think the team needed a more defensive midfielder alongside him.

Lampard now wants to add another individual to add to his embryonic coaching staff as he apparently wants Cole to join him in Merseyside.

Cole is currently at Chelsea coaching their Under-16s and I presume Lampard wants him to take up a similar role at Everton.

As a player he was an outstanding full-back  and might he help Mykolenko and Patterson develop more quickly. He was also a controversial player who somewhat personified the off-field distractions and glamour of the early noughties England team along with players like David Beckham.

He’s recently been working with Chelsea and England’s youngsters and also still makes the odd appearance on TV as well.

Thinking about how he might contribute, one of the things that has been a little frustrating with the club recently is the feeling that not enough young players have effectively come through the ranks and broken into the first-team.

In the long run given the financial constraints that the Toffees are facing ensuring more young players come through and make the grade is going to be increasingly important.

The Blues new boss has a good reputation for nurturing such players and giving them a proper chance to blossom. Could adding Cole help this at Everton?

Chelsea have benefitted hugely from the development of players such as Reece James, Mason Mount and Tammy Abraham all given their biggest chance under Lampard.

Lampard has several good young talents in his new squad. Anthony Gordon, Jarrad Branthwaite, Lewis Dobbin and the two young full-backs Mykolenko and Patterson.

They need good support and coaching to help them develop, although I’m not sure if Cole is the right addition to his staff in this respect and it raises questions about the future of others like Leighton Baines.

But, I hope that the new manager and Cole if he joins, can find an effective way to bring through and integrate these players. Because I think that will be key to both recovering this season and building something solid for the future.