Chelsea legend Frank Lampard is set to take over as Everton manager after winning out over the other candidates who made the final selection process.
As per Italian journalist Fabrizio Romano, Lampard will soon sign the deal to become the new Toffees manager shortly after the club chose not to pursue Vitor Pereira or persist with current interim boss Duncan Ferguson.
Frank Lampard will sign as new Everton manager in the coming hours, confirmed. Decision has been communicated also to Vitor Pereira and Duncan Ferguson tonight. ? #EFC
Everton are preparing contracts and final clauses to complete the appointment. Frankie's back.
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) January 28, 2022
Lampard has enjoyed a mixed time since moving into club management.
Prior to their financial troubles which erupted like a volcano shortly after he left, Lampard guided Derby County into the Championship playoffs, but ultimately failed to earn promotion with The Rams.
Lampard then left the club in order to join up with Chelsea, where he oversaw a period of transition and a seeming rebirth of the academy’s importance.
Players such as Mason Mount, Reece James and Tammy Abraham all made their breakthrough’s under Lampard, so if he can have the same impact at Everton and bring through and nurture the likes of Lewis Dobbin and Jarrad Branthwaithe it can only be a good thing.
However, Lampard was sacked last season amid a run of poor results which left the club out of the title race before Christmas arrived.
Thomas Tuchel subsequently took over and consolidated the Englishman’s efforts, winning The Blues their second ever Champions League at the end of the season along with a top four finish.
This being said, Lampard was probably not their first choice. Instead it was likely England and Manchester United’s all-time leading goalscorer Wayne Rooney.
Rooney is the current head coach of Derby, and admitted to turning down the job offer despite it being his dream job citing the personal importance the job at Derby holds to him as he desperately tries to keep them in the Championship despite a 21 point deduction and dreadful financial troubles.
The 36-year-old is working miracles with Derby, having guided them to within touching distance of safety despite all the adversity facing them. And it’s this desire and passion that has been lacking in many of Everton’s most recent managerial appointments, most notably including former Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez.
However, Rooney has even less experience than Lampard, and the latter does at least have Premier League coaching experience.
Lampard should be able to overhaul the way Everton play and progress them up the table and away from the relegation zone.
But whether he will be capable of negotiating a relegation battle if he doesn’t get the team performing is one of the serious questions being levelled his way right now.