By Amaechi Agbo
Chelsea legend, Frank Lampard has been relieved of his duties as Everton manager after West Ham 2-0 defeat
Former England midfielder Lampard, 44, replaced Rafael Benitez in January 2022 with the team 16th in the table and helped Everton avoid relegation.
Everton are now looking for their sixth permanent manager in five years.
Lampard’s dismissal follows Everton owner Farhad Moshiri attending his first match since October 2021 as the Toffees succumbed to defeat at the London Stadium – their third consecutive defeat in the league.
The former Chelsea boss arrived at Goodison Park in January 2022, and although he helped the club avoid the drop last season, he leaves Everton with 15 points from 20 games and three wins this term – the worst victory record in the division. Everton are 19th in the table, with only Southampton below them on goal difference.
Everton fans protested against the club’s hierarchy as Jarrod Bowen’s double condemned their team to defeat but the board have instead responded by dismissing Lampard.
After a 1-1 draw at reigning champions Manchester City on 31 December, Everton have lost 4-1 to Brighton at Goodison Park, were knocked out of the FA Cup with a 3-1 defeat at Manchester United and were then beaten by Southampton despite taking the lead, before the latest defeat by West Ham.
They have managed only three wins all season.
There have been widespread and vocal protests from fans against the board in recent games, and supporters staged a sit-in demonstration after the loss to Southampton.
Everton’s board of directors missed that game because of what the club claimed was a “real and credible threat to their safety”.
Lampard took over at Goodison with Everton 16th in the table, six points above the relegation zone last season
Everton had 10 defeats in the remaining 18 games of the season, but secured their survival with a 3-2 comeback victory against Crystal Palace on what Lampard called “one of the greatest nights” of his career.
Lampard won only 12 of his 44 matches in charge in all competitions, a win percentage of 27.27 that is far worse than his record at Derby (42.1%) and Chelsea (52.4%).
As a player, Lampard made 648 appearances and won 11 major trophies during 13 seasons with Chelsea after joining from boyhood club West Ham in 2001.
He left Stamford Bridge in June 2014 as the club’s all-time leading scorer with 211 goals and had stints at Manchester City and New York City before ending his 21-year professional playing career in 2017.
