Everton are planning to sack Frank Lampard if they lose to Manchester United on Saturday, according to Football Insider.
This would be the Merseyside club’s last attempt at saving their season, as they stare relegation in the face over the course of the last nine matches and it would be an extraordinary move with so little time for it to work.
Talks have already been held behind the scenes about executing the last-gasp dugout change, with Everton chiefs believing the 30-game mark represents the last realistic opportunity to parachute in a new boss and give him time to make a mark.
If the former Chelsea boss is sacked, discussions have already taken place over appointing an interim manager on a deal initially running until the end of the season reports Football Insider.
The likelihood is that it would be someone like Duncan Ferguson, who has filled in the role on numerous occasions before. Everton could hope that their former striker could get them motivated enough for the final push to stay up and whether that will be enough remains to be seen.
This would be the club’s third manager this season after sacking Rafael Benitez and then replacing him with Lampard on the 31st of January. The former Chelsea boss was given a two-and-a-half-year contract running until the summer of 2024 but if the former Chelsea boss loses to United on Saturday, that could be that.
This season is turning into a disaster for Everton who are sat just one point outside of the relegation zone at present. The club has been severely mismanaged since the takeover of Farhad Moshiri and are now paying the price for it.
Lampard should have never been given the job in the first place, as the 43-year-old is still a novice in the managerial world and it was a lot to ask of him to help Everton in a relegation fight. Whether that was naivety in thinking that relegation was not a real possibility, no one will know, but that outcome is now real and Everton seems to be panicking at the thought.