Everton manager Frank Lampard could be told by the club to stop speaking about a potential relegation battle this season.
That is according to Dean Jones, who was speaking to This is Futbol about Everton’s summer ahead of the Premier League kick-off in just over a week’s time.
It has not necessarily been a successful pre-season for the Toffees, with the club having played three fixtures, winning one and losing the other two, including a humiliating 4-0 defeat at the hands of MLS side Minnesota United.
After that humbling defeat, Lampard accepted that the club could have another relegation battle on its hands like last season if they don’t improve performances going into the campaign, stating: “If we don’t want to be in that situation again, they have to be better and I have to be better.
“As a club, it [the Minnesota game] reinforced the situation in terms of what we need to do with the squad, because it has to be stronger than what we saw tonight.”
And Jones believes that somebody amongst the Everton hierarchy will inform the former Chelsea legend that he will have to stop speaking with such brutal honesty.
He said: “There’s some optimism, they finally got a win at the weekend in pre-season, which would have changed some of the feeling around Everton.
“So that was good news for them and good news for Frank Lampard.
“I think once we get to the end of August, that’s when we’ll have to judge what Frank Lampard’s future looks like at Everton.
“Obviously, having him talking about being in a relegation battle in pre-season is not an ideal place for the club to be in.
“I think he’ll be told to stop talking like that, even if he feels like that.”
TIF Thoughts on Jones’ comments…
We believe that Everton fans will appreciate Lampard’s honesty going into the campaign, as you would forgive the Goodison Park faithful for growing tired of the ownership and lack of signings so far this summer.
The club struggled to survive in the Premier League last season, finishing 16th, and the former Derby County manager will know that he has even more of a challenge on his hands to stay afloat this season after the £60m departure of Brazil forward and last season’s top scorer Richarlison to Tottenham Hotspur.
We therefore think that whilst the ownership might want to hear more optimism from their manager, we can’t knock him for his brutal honesty.
Stupid article!