Frank Lampard has revealed he HASN’T introduced a fines system at Everton …leaving his new squad to police themselves.
And he explained that’s because he wants his players to “own” their situation in the midst of an almighty relegation scrap, and understand the best practices to help keep them in the Premier League.
The Blues boss scorned one report in a notoriously anti-Merseyside newspaper which suggested he fined one Goodison star for stopping to tie his shoelaces. This comes after reports of some strict rules when he was boss at Chelsea. But he said:
“We haven't implemented a fine system since we've been here, and our reason is that I want the players to own it.
“We are in a position where the most important thing is to get results to move up the table. If the players can own it and understand their behaviours, then I have no need to bring in a fine system.
“At the moment I don't have one - though I do lay out to them that I try to act myself by being on time and giving my all every day - and I've had no problems with the players. No-one has been fined over shoe laces, let me get it out there right now.”
Everton are deep in relegation trouble after defeat at Newcastle - their fourth straight Premier League loss - plunged them to within two points of the relegation zone.
Defeat by similarly haunted Leeds on Saturday could put them into the bottom three. But Lampard insisted the reaction from his players has shown him there is no need for strict rules and regulations at present.
And he admitted that could be because he has evolved from the manager at Chelsea who introduced a tough list of penalties. “I like players to be on time because I think that's important in everything you do,” he said.
“But, from what I am seeing of the players at the moment, they are a tight, strong group that are doing things right. At that point I don't feel there is any need for fines at all.
A lot was made of it at Chelsea and sometimes you change or evolve as a manager. Sometimes you go into a group that you feel needs some discipline in a certain form, and sometimes you want to give the group ownership of it, and that's what it is at the minute.”
Lampard believes the only focus at his training ground should be on the relegation fight. But he did argue that his players must show complete respect for each other, to foster the sort of spirit required to beat the drop:
“If you don't respect your team-mates with timings and things it can have a roll-on effect. That's all I'm worried about.”
Lampard has an injury crisis to deal with ahead of the pivotal Leeds game, with news that Yerry Mina’s quad injury will rule him out for two and a half months. Centre back Ben Godfrey is also absent until March.
Demarai Gray and new boy Vitalii Mykolenko are also ruled out, while Fabian Delph, Abdoulaye Doucoure and Tom Davies are still some weeks away from returning, but Dominic Calvert-Lewin is back.
