"When I say I'm not concerned" - Chelsea legend Frank Lampard on possible sack at Everton
Former Chelsea midfielder and current Everton manager Frank Lampard refused to speculate much on his future with the Toffees after their poor run of form.
Everton have won just one of their last 12 matches across competitions. They suffered a 3-1 loss against Manchester United at Old Trafford in the third round of the FA Cup on January 6.
During the game, a section of away fans held a banner to protest against the club's owner Farhad Moshiri and the whole hierarchy as well. When asked about the same, Lampard chose to focus on the support his side received even though they lost.
The Chelsea legend said:
"That's what I saw [fans clapping the team] , and when the players perform with the spirit of an Everton player, the performance they put in tonight, the fans will react to that, even in defeat."
He added:
"That says a lot, but we can’t harp on too much about the fans. I don't want to hear talk about the fans too much that isn't in a football sense.Next week is at Goodison, we need to try and make the fans feel like they felt tonight, and try and win the game."
Lampard also shared his thoughts on his future at the club. The Englishman was appointed Everton's manager in January 2022, one year after he was sacked by Chelsea.
Speaking on the speculations regarding his future at Goodison Park, he said:
" That's not under my control so it's not for me to focus on that. It's on me to focus on what I saw tonight, which was a good performance, what every manager wants with the attitude and focus of the team. Our only focus now is Southampton because this league, to answer your question, can change very quickly and when you are in a difficult time you have to work really hard to get out of it and the picture can change."
He added:
"I don't want to go on that [if he will be sacked], I only want to talk about the players tonight and how well they played. When I say I'm not concerned, my focus is in this team and getting a result against Southampton."
Everton are currently 18th in the Premier League table, level on points with 17th-placed West Ham United, but behind on goal difference.
◉ 1-0 (2007)
◉ 2-2 (2013)
◉ 1-0 (2013)
◉ 3-1 (2020)
◎ 1-3 (2022)
Frank Lampard has lost an FA Cup tie against Manchester United as both a player and a manager for the first ever time. 😩
#FACup https://t.co/KsfNJ751MU
Manchester United fans aim homophobic chant at Chelsea legend Frank Lampard during Everton clash
While Manchester United came out as 3-1 winners against Everton, the occasion was marred by some of their fans making homophobic chants towards Lampard.
They were heard chanting "Chelsea rent boys," which has been condemned for years now. The Football Association (FA) put out a statement stating that they are investigating the issue.
This comes just a few days after some Nottingham Forest supporters aimed the same homophobic chant in their 1-1 draw against Chelsea on January 1.
We strongly condemn the taunting of Frank Lampard with the illegal and homophobic chant from a section of our fans and call for the club to take action. @ManUtd