Frank Lampard has spoken with Everton majority shareholder Farhad Moshiri and chairman Bill Kenwright in recent days and believes: “There is a unity and an understanding of what we want to do.”
The last-minute defeat to Wolverhampton Wanderers on Boxing Day means Everton remain just one point above the relegation places heading into Saturday’s trip to Manchester City. It also placed Lampard under growing pressure as the Blues attempt to avoid another season fighting off relegation.
Lampard, who said he speaks with Kenwright before and after most games, added: “My role is firstly to coach the team and also [we spoke] on what we want to do in this month coming up, because we understand where we want to improve and everyone is working together in that direction.”
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Speaking ahead of the match with Man City, Lampard said he had been in recent contact with both Moshiri and Kenwright. He said he understands the expectations of him and, while he acknowledged he can not control what other people think of his performance as manager, he said their conversations had been positive.
Asked whether he hoped the circumstances within which he is working - as he attempts to overhaul a squad that was spiralling toward relegation last season but do so amid financial constraints - would overcome the emotion of a difficult period of results, he said: “I can’t control any of that from other people as such, but I feel I’ve got a good understanding of it and that allows me to do my job and just work. I understand it. I understand what I came into at the club, [with it] in a difficult position where a lot of the feeling behind the scenes was, ‘we are in real danger of getting relegated here’.
“And the years before that where the club had changed position from being higher to where it was when I came in. And the fight that we all have now on and off the pitch to try and get the club back to where we all want. I can’t control everything around it but I understand why emotions would be high from fans.
“The owner, chairman, myself, we all want the best so it’s important we keep working on that and the conversations I’ve had on that have been very positive in that sense.”
Lampard is clear in his understanding that results matter and said he is focused on what he can control. He maintained there were positives to be taken from the game against Wolves despite the result and that perspective matters - while Everton have lost their last three league games they began that run with the top half in sight after beating Crystal Palace and earning a point at Fulham. He is hopeful new signings in January will strengthen his hand, as well as Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s return to match fitness, which is close.
Lampard said: “I understand expectations. In terms of Dominic, we’ve hopefully got him at a stage where his match fitness is pretty good. Hopefully he does come back and hit the ground running. They are all ifs and buts, obviously, and hopefully we can bring in players who have a big impact. It’s important that we bring in players to impact now. And we need to get results. That’s what helps with the time and the process. I understand that it’s as simple as that.”
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