Former Everton striker Kevin Campbell has called on the club to stick with Frank Lampard - whatever happens this season.
Lampard took over a Toffees team on a downward trajectory in January and, although his reign has been far from plain sailing, he has galvanised the fan base and the squad in recent weeks with the back-to-back wins over Chelsea and Leicester City meaning the club now finds itself out of the relegation places. And victory at already-relegated Watford on Wednesday night would give Everton even more breathing room going into their final three games of the campaign.
The Toffees are not safe yet, though, and should the worst happen, and the club drop into the second tier of English football for the first time since 1951, there may be question marks over the future of Lampard, despite the fact that he guided Derby County to the play-off final in his only season managing in the Championship.
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But Campbell, whose goals famously fired Everton to safety back in the 1998-99 campaign, wants his old club to keep faith with Lampard no matter the outcome of the season.
“I do, I do [think he’s the right man]. I think what’s got to happen is Everton have got to be brave,” Campbell exclusively told Goodison News. “If the worst was to happen, which I don’t think it’s going to if I’m honest, if the worst was to happen I think you’ve got to let a manager start bedding roots down at that football club.
“You’ve got to because the way they’ve been going, they haven’t had a plan, they’ve never had one. Where’s the plan been? There’s no plan. So whether it’s Premier League or Championship somebody’s got to start putting the plan in place, and I think that’s Lampard, I really do.”
A win at Watford on Wednesday would open up a four-point gap between the Toffees and Burnley - and possibly Leeds United, too, depending on the result of their match at home to Chelsea on the same evening.
Everton then host Brentford and Crystal Palace, on Sunday and next Thursday respectively, before travelling to north London to face Champions League-chasing Arsenal on the final day.
