Everton hierarchy to meet over Lampard's future

When?

Even if no one is lined up we are in "something has to be done" territory inevitably meaning "bye Frank".

Shame really but that's footy. They'll be lining up around Stanley Park for the Goodison gig and the big payoff in 12 months.

Sure Lampard is a Nice guy. He is clueless as a coach, or manager. We are going down faster than a bullet and Lampard is in charge of firing this bullet. He should never have gotten this Job. That fault comes to the board.

But Lampard is the worst coach I've ever seen in the PL. Totally clueless. He should resign if he had any decency..

New coach to prepare us for the hardship waiting us in the championship NOW!! ENOUGH MISERY!!

For me, the issue is now whether the position can be salvaged at all. Dyche might be the guy to scrape our way to survival - but there are probably better people to try to reset the club and take us back up if we go down.

And what about players? It's been blatantly obvious since Richarlison left that we needed more quality up front / wide.

Too late already.

Should have been done when the world cup was on giving time to find a new manager.

Too little too late

It's unlikely but I wonder how supporters would react now if Vitor Pereira was appointed.

I don't think he will be sacked.

Who's making the decision then? Moshiri isn't. That leaves the 4 horsemen of the apocalypse. Isn't it great how our board is so revered?

Going to need more than a point per game to survive given that we've taken 15 points from 20 played.

Another 7 wins from 18 games looks an almighty task considering majority of our remaining home fixtures are against top 10 opposition.

1 win in 14 and they still require a board meeting to discuss. Clueless idiots

Yes he should be gone, but there are changes needed at the Club and it should not be only him that is going.

Really the sequence has been-Inadequate and dysfunctional Board - employment of unsuitable and unqualified people - allowing and pursuing a football structure built on Everton connections and not performance- Unprofessional Interference and a failed transfer policy- not having a clue about contract negotiations-outdated methods in preparation and a archaic rest recovery regime-a failed youth development policy - the employment of poor Managers and coaches.

Resulting in a eventual and inevitable race to the bottom, where Everton now find themselves.

Actually the meeting of the hierarchy is a meeting of idiots that have contributed to all the above and some of them should have never have been let near a Football Club.

I am aware our players are also to blame. Very much so. How ever, most manager do have the ability to improve players. Lampard has made some what poor players into to pure shit. Thats on him, his leadership skills and his tactical skills seems to be so poor...

Not noe players has improved under him. Not one!!!

I better taket some benzodiazepiner and calm down.

Two six pointers lost, lampard has to go on that basis, he can't beat our current rivals. Would have loved him to have turned it around, but he hasn't. Doesn't feel good asking for a new manager but it's a results game. Whoever comes in has a mountain to climb, but we need a change to stand a chance?

I am sorry for being so negative. But this is affecting my psyche and I guess IT shortens my lifespan so I belive I am entitled to be a litte pissed...

It'll take weeks for this board to make two decisions. One to sack FL and the next for his replacement.

This is their pattern. They do it every time.
They have no plan, and they never do. Having no plan is planning to fail. Again.

I expect nothing good from this board. It's obvious they have no plan for alternative to FL. Any forward-thinking club would of had candidates lined up since the World Cup.

Mind you, any forward-thinking club wouldn't be in this mess.

Our club is broken. It's going to take some fixing!

Gaute, take your hand off that Benzo bottle, you need to stockpile them for May so you can share them!

I don't see anything changing. He has to go, so do lots of people on Everton's payroll... and the guy who owns the club.

This isn't like other relegation fights we've had. Call me weak but there's no way out of this one.

Another manager sacked won't feel good at all to me. Has to happen, but it's just another nail in our coffin. Lampard isn't the problem. No single person is.

The irony is that he's probably the most decent guy out of all those who should leave the club. And yes that matters to me. When you've got nothing else it's good to at least have some decency. And we've got nothing else.

Ernie, I agree that we're already relegated. But I think Frank has been a big factor in that. And the board also share the blame, for not removing him from post before the transfer window.

Step 1 - sack Lampard. You do not need a meeting

Step 2 - Check history books - 532/352 has never ever worked.
433 has never worked since 1979!

Step 3 - Appoint a manager who promises to play 442/451 but definitely 451 in next 2 games. Tried and trusted.

Common sense in other words.

Moshiri you say it's not your decision
Kenwright you say you now can't see
So ask Sean Dyche what to do
or change our motto to Monty Python

I agree, Frank's one of the good ones he's done his best but sadly we need a new direction... Just someone who can grind out some results and can keep us up. The drugs don't work, but I know I'll see your face again Gaute

Sacking Lampard is our best hope of avoiding relegation, not going to be easy, but our best hope.

Keeping him is suicide.

I'm going to throw it out there. I reckon I'm a pretty resilient individual but this club has got me in despair to the point of genuinely impacting my life. My wife and lots of people I know would find that phrase pathetic but I suspect this might be the one place where it might resonate.

For my own sanity I'm going to check out in between games and do something enjoyable and/or productive. A bit of DIY, swing some golf clubs, walk the dog, focus on my employment. I'm spending far too long wallowing.

If anyone out there is sensing similar in themselves. It might be worth considering the same.

To those of you who are local to the club and organising protests, I absolutely salute you.

Ernie spot on about Lampard and decency, but we are not relegated yet. Danny, Southampton suffered a bitter blow today but they are not already relegated.

Much is out of our control but hope and belief isn't. You've told us often enough we are relegated, what are you getting from repeating it constantly? It does no good.

We need a lift and calling yourself a realist is meaningless. I will get more from the rest of the season keeping some faith.

Ernie @ 23,

Just to confirm there are thousands of us who feel exactly the same so do not worry.

If it is in any way comforting In my opinion and as Brian Labone used to say one Evertonian is worth more than 10 Liverpudlians, only it is more than 100 these days. Most Liverpudlians haven't a clue. They think it's funny to try and wind you up.

Only my mindset makes me see how pathetic they are and I would never swap places in a million years. I am proud to be an Evertonian mate, mainly because of the people like the ones who come on ToffeeWeb, salt of the earth, people like yourself.

And I wouldn't have it any other way, apart from our league position. So all the best to you and all Evertonians, we are the best!

John @ 7, Pereira is coaching in the Brazilian league.

What's that meeting about!! Its all there to see for everyone. Look at the EPL table and you'll know. No need to waste the precious time. Every minute counts now. Sack Lampard!

The survival chances are slim however, if we were to appoint someone to save us, my choice would be Big Sam as he's been there, done that many times previously.

If we go down, we won't be back for a foreseeable future.

If we can pull it off, then we have all the summer to organize protests and such against the board/ owner.

Spot on, Soren. It has to be Big Sam or someone like him now. We do not have a choice.

The Sanhedrin prepare to crucify an innocent man.

I think it's sad. I suspect Lampard is a middle of the road manager but we are the most dysfunctional club in England. Even the best would struggle with our squad, our owners and all of that whilst being compared with eras of past glory.

If a fireman type can save us, that's great but we just go back to Square One next summer. If they can't save us, then League One beckons.

Jerome and Keiran nail it their posts. The manager has been piss poor but the running of the club is dysfunctional at best and it looks like decisions on buying and selling players is left to the tea lady or whoever is present at the time.

Our Chairman and owner don't reside near the city so they run the club over the telephone to people like Sharp and DBB who are nodding donkeys.

Selling Richarlison has probably cost us our top flight status alone. He was under contract so he should have been persuaded to stay. Did we need the money from his sale? Who agreed on Maupay, Rondon, and all of the other useless signings we made?? So many poor decisions being made

I do not believe Lampard or even Benitez would want such average players at the club but their hands seem forced by finances, incompetence and meddling from the top. Unfortunately the managers get paid millions to toe the line and say fuck all so we may never know the truth. Change had to happen at the top to alter our course.

We want our board and owner gone and yet we need a new manager to dig us out of this mess. Some dilemma we are in!

Why do Everton make the obvious so drawn out and difficult? He is a great charmer but a shit manager.

For the life of me, I can't see the fixation with Lampard. Any other manager and we wouldn't be talking about being sacked — they already would be!

For what it's worth. I think if the fans – not blaming them!! – hadn't've started complaining about the board, I think Lampard would have been sacked by now.

The board can no longer pretend they are above criticism. The call for change is louder for the board than Lampard. They know sacking Lampard is not enough.

The next manager will be our ninth in 8 years, with a Frankenstein squad and 𧺬 million spent.

Therefore, sacking the manager will not be enough.

Our fans have rarely had this level of unity that the board of this club also needs to change.

Steve Brown,

I feel a bit guilty on the sackings because, as a 9-year-old, I was quite outspoken that Colin Harvey should be sacked just a few months into the job. That being said, I honestly think (Mike Walker apart) all of our managers after Harvey would have done better if we had any sort of halfway decent leadership at board level.

Not suggesting they'd all have been successful but all of them were handicapped by finances, lies and meddling, whether it be Kendall Mk II being denied Dion Dublin, Royle being denied Flo, Smith having Duncan sold from under him, Koeman finding Kenwright had signed a rival Number 10, Moyes having to constantly sell to buy… so on and so forth.

It's no use complaining about Richarlison being sold, he wanted to leave before and then said he will stay until the end of the season and then leave.

This was typical mismanagement as they had plenty of time to replace him and didn't and if they didn't let him go they would have had a disgruntled player on their hands. They should have got more for him.

And now, the end is near and so we face the final curtain. They did it their way.

I still have hope but this could be it. Sack Lampard? For sure but I don't think it matters. There's an inevitability about this.

Ok Lampard goes this week looking very likely now.

I'll put any money I have now on the next manager not reaching Christmas.

It will be more of the same with this squad of namby-pamby overvalued overpaid wimpy arse tossers.

No goals, injuries galore, no dead ball specialist, no creative or goalscoring midfielder, no striker worth his salt, a finished right back, a shite left back.

And more to the point, zero money to spend on buying better players.

In six months time the discussion of the next managers future will be hot topic and by Christmas he'll be gone.

See if I'm right, it's the merry-go-round of shite Everton Football Club.

Everton fans have had their granite hard solidarity taken for granted for decades by a well-meaning but entirely delusional fake Chairman. And we've been seen to stand by him. 'Been seen to', because truthfully many of us never ever believed his gushing hopeful lies.

Silly Billy Kenwright is and always has been a chancer. He never ever had the wherewithal to run his beloved club… our Club. Never. Worse still, he has always run us like an Arkwright's "Open All Hours" corner shop.

Eventually, Silly Billy's luck was bound to run out. We've never progressed in his dreadful miserable years. Truthfully, Everton's luck ran out when Kenwright took the Chair. By his own words… 'Temporary'. Yet, a thousand years later, here we are. Pantomime Bill is still making a theatrical joke of his "Beloved Everton".

Shame upon you, William Kenwright, the worst, most unsuccessful chairman in Everton's once-proud history. You will take us into a division which we have only visited twice before in our entire proud history.

Please, read that sentence over and over. We have been there for a sum total of 4 years, but this time you will desert us there, bankrupt and bereft. That, Silly Billy, is an achievement to be deeply, deeply ashamed of.

It's a thoroughly appalling legacy, Bill. And it is what you will be remembered for. Now Go!

My prediction pre season was frank would be gone by November, and he should have. We are a good 10 weeks down the line because of the inept geriatrics running our great club.

We should have known it would come to this. The worst owner in our history promises that he will search high and low for his replacement and we wind up with someone even worse- Moshiri.

I think Lampard is now trying to get sacked for a bit fat greasy pay off. Losing 2-0 to west ham and he makes 2 subs during the match bringing on Davies and McNeil? If those substitutions aren't crying sack me now I don't know what is unfortunately

There was a “board meeting” last night in a Mayfair restaurant.

Points of discussion: red wine or white? Fish or meat? Coffee or dessert?

Moshiri asked them all to pay for their own meals which led to Sharpie asking “Just a glass of tap water please, I'm not hungry.”

This is like deciding to carry out a hip replacement on a headless corpse.

Even if he is sacked, we won't have a manager for weeks again. These lot won't have anyone lined up.

I couldn't believe what I was watching yesterday. Possession for possession's sake, passing around the back line, with everyone else just standing almost still.

I don't care how nice the bloke is, he doesn't appear to have a Scooby what he's doing. There really shouldn't be such a huge financial reward for failure.

Why was he given the last two games, let alone the last two months?

It's too late. Incompetence has finally caught up with them.

I've got an awful feeling Lampard will not be sacked, judging by the comments from Moshiri and Kenwright. Perhaps they feel the fan base needs punishing for daring to question their catastrophic handling of the club's affairs. How dare we.

I think there should be be a total withdrawal of support at the next home game. That's the only way to get the message home to these clowns! Empty the ground.

Wouldn't it be great to know what the players actually think of the coaching and tactics. Unless there's a feeling of unrest with players wanting a different system, then the assumption is they accept they are limited technically and couldn't give a flying frig about who's in charge.

I'm amazed he hasn't been sacked by now, but then again I'm not surprised in the slightest. The plan was to wait for Moyes to be sacked - that hasn't happened so what's the plan now lads?

Andrew@48, non of the players are used to performing, being winners or achieving anything other than being a professional footballer and living on Easy Street, for a handsome salary and lifestyle. The majority won't care.

I haven't read one post that says keep Frank
That's positive
I have also only read one or 2 that are asking for Allardyce back or Moyes back, that's positive too
We have little money now and have to accept that it's a car crash
Out of that accident we need to dust ourselves down and rebuild the car and manage the casualties.
It's not the end but they can't just walk away from the crash they have to look at the casualties, look at the wreckage and start re-building now
With limited resources we need to get a Dyche type character who comes cheap but will galvanise us as a club until such time as we get bought out and the board are history.
I'd say get Sean Dyche because if he can't save us I'd take him to bring us back up on a shoestring budget.
We have to accept we are not going to get a Tuchel or a Pochettino but we are all agreed that Frank, as nice a chap as he is, has to go and that means right away, without delay. Would Dyche come, 100%

So, who in their right minds would take the managers job, seriously, poisoned chalice is an understatement. If we can't afford players, we can't afford a new manager, the cost of getting rid of and then hiring is mind boggling. I really do despair as to what has happened and where we are heading.

Happy New Year everybody, today is the start of the Chinese year of the Rabbit, yesterday saw the end of the year of the Tiger. Unfortunately, Everton couldn't find a Tiger in its tank this last year, perhaps it can pull a Rabbit out of the hat in the new one.

Previous years of the Rabbit – 1891, 1903, 1915, 1927, 1939, 1951, 1963, 1975, 1987, 1999, 2011, 2023, 2035

Interestingly Everton became Champions in five of those years, but were also relegated in one. If this year does result in the same fate as in 1951, I hope we don't have to wait until the next year of the Rabbit in 2035 to get promoted. All a bit of harmless fun or is it?

Could the song “Paint your Wagon” be applied to Kenwright and Co? The meaning of Paint your Wagon is “get your shit together and move on.” An unpainted wagon will rot - a painted one is protected from the elements and fit for travel. Somewhere, I can just see this applying to our board……………

Gold
Gold
Gold
Gold
Gold
Gold!
Gold!!

Gotta dream boy
Gotta song
Paint your wagon
And come along

Where am I goin'?
I don't know
Where am I headin'?
I ain't certain
All I know
Is I am on my way
When will I be there?
I don't know
When will I get there?
I ain't certain
All that I know
Is I am on my way
Gotta dream boy
Gotta song
Paint your wagon
And come along.

Where am I goin'?
I don't know
When will I be there?
I ain't certain
What will I get?
I ain't equipped to say
But who gives a damn?
Who gives a damn?
Who gives a damn?
We're on our way

Where am I goin'?
I don't know
Where am I headin'?
I ain't certain
All that I know
Is I am on my way
When will I be there?
I don't know
When will I get there?
I ain't certain
All that I know
Is I am on my way

When am I goin
I don't know
Where am I headin'?
I ain't certain
All that I know
Is I am on my way
When will I be there?
I don't know
When will I get there?
I ain't certain
All that I know
Is I am on my way
Gotta dream boy
Gotta song
Paint your wagon
And come along
Where are we goin'?
I don't know
When will we be there?
I ain't certain
What will we get?
I ain't equipped to say
But who gives a damn?
Who gives a damn?
We're on our way!

This so-called hierarchy should be asked;

Who really owns Everton? Where do the funds come from? How are we paying for BMD? Why are we (tenuously) being linked through our shirt sponsorship deal to an Asian betting triad who's boss has just been jailed for 18 years? Does Usmanov, or any other Putin agent, still have any involvement with Everton?

I hope I'm wrong but I fear if the lid was opened we'd find a festering morass of corruption and wrongdoing.

I'd say the board will be thinking the same as most of us - it's too late and any manager available or prepared to try and work with this board and squad would be looking a big load of money in their bank account.
The time to replace Lampard is long gone and I just would not be surprised if this owner and board have accepted our fate and will stick with Lampard until end of season hail or shine.
We are truly fucked.
I notice on several threads some people who are NOW outraged at the evil Russian money we have had - get a fucking grip, nobody was complaining when the money was flowing!

Frank needs to be replaced for his own sanity if nothing else, with the players we have we cant keep trying to play tippy tappy football - for want of a better description- their not good enough, the results don't lie.

I think it might be too late to save us now but its not impossible, get Dyche in he will stir things up for the better he also knows whats required to get out of the Championship.

We need some kind of method to get us wins and playing more direct can hardly be worse than we are doing up to now.

Looks like Frank is off but who's lined up (and I hope someone is if they do pull the trigger) I have no idea.

I am not a statto but these troubled times got me to thinking and researching - so, for what it's worth, I was astonished to find that since 1888, ie. in 135 years, we have been managed by just 31 named managers. 16 of those - over half - have been since Kenwright joined the board in 1989, and 10 names have managed us under Moshiri alone with 11 manager changes - about to become 11 names/12 changes.

Now whether that tells us more about the state of football in the modern era or more about the stagnation of the club since our sort of swan song in the mid eighties, and that decisive moment in 1989, I don't know.

Coincidental? Who's to say...

Colin 42, you do exaggerate - Sharp also asked for a piece of lettuce to go with the water.

Whether FL goes or not, the table is so tight at the bottom and there is a lot of games to go. 2-3 signings, of the right calibre, and the outlook can change quickly. 35 points may be enough, which means 5 more than we got in the first half of the season. Considering how dreadful we've been, that isn't an insurmountable improvement. IF we get in the new players.
It's way too early to throw in the towel, with or without Frank.
One thing is for sure, the fans need to repeat their world class displays of last season. Maybe even eclipse them, if that's possible.

If Moshiri or his mate aren't involved in the hiring or firing of the manager on this occasion, it means the board or Kevin Thelwell will have to decide? I can see the arrival of a Rooney rather than a Dyche if as many of us believe, Frank is dismissed this week. I think the club has to think the unthinkable will happen regardless and should be picking a manager who might save this season, but will be geared up to managing in the Championship too. Not too many candidates will make themselves available for that scenario, particularly, with a lack of funds to add to the limitations of the current squad.

Colin 55

I think we know the answer to your question as to who owns Everton. Its the same person who had a 2 hour meeting with Ancelotti before he signed and who had Benitez on his yacht before he signed. The problem is that since he was sanctioned is he still financing the club through another route via an off shore account.

Regarding the playing side we are managed by a nice man who is well out of his depth trying to manage Everton. He escaped relegation by the skin of his teeth last year, and started this season poorly and how he wasn't sacked prior to the World Cup is anybody's guess. Had he been sacked then there was a bigger pool of experienced managers who would have taken the job, but we delayed and now were in a position were that pool of managers willing to take on this job has reduced dramatically. I see Lampard is now saying we are not in as good a position as some others in and around us in the league. Well I think someone should remind him he has spent near 㿨m on players, not including the increase to wages for a couple of loan players.

He and his coaches will walk away with millions in compensation payments, no wonder he says he doesn't fear the sack. This will be the 3rd club he has failed at, I would suggest you give up the managerial game and accept despite being a great player management isn't for you.

I genuinely thought I would wake up to find Frank had been sacked but so far he is still clinging on. I have no idea if a new manager can save us, and maybe they wont but to keep Frank another day will just delay the obvious.

Kim (58) - Theo Kelly was our 1st official Manager in 1939 - before that Clubs used their Club Secretary...not sure if they "managed" the team????

Kieran @28:
I do hope your comment wasn't intended to be anti-semitic,
-but we could do with someone who could do the equivalent of turning water into wine, or even make a silk purse out if a sow's ear.
I guess we've been looking in the wrong places! Meanwhile the road to hell seems to be paved with Uncle Bill K's good intentions.

Jim @37: How painful it is to see the stark truth of the paucity of our squad. Who can big this lot up into thinking and playing like world beaters? Even Coady and Tarkowfski, who were the team's main strength before the WC have caught the malaise.

I guess there are potential managers out there who could change the players' mindset -which is pivotal; and have a modicum of tactical acumen.
Any new manager has to be immediately available (we don't have the time to negotiate with the club of a currently engaged manager), and if the likes of Tuchel and Pochettino would run a thousand miles (and does Big Dunc have the tactical game?) the prospect of Dyche starts to become that bit more attractive, but not without some pain too.

Oliver 56, you are right. I, like many others, held my nose and looked away when Usmanov and his clan started to invest in Everton. After years of scraping the floor for crumbs dropped on the floor I thought this could be our last chance to get a seat at the table. How wrong I was.

Ever since the Russian invasion of Ukraine I've celebrated our decoupling of any links to Russian oligarchs and their bloodthirsty boss but unlike Chelsea, who made a clean break, we still have a man who maintains his links with his friends and business associates.

For the sake of our club I want to know A) Where the money comes from and, B) Where is it going to? It may sound naive but this worries me more than getting beat by WHU. This is, possibly, an existentialist threat to us.

We probably need to win 7 or 8 of our remaining games to stay up - most of those games are against top 10 sides so where are the points coming from?

Answers on a postcard.

I can't believe he is still employed, he should've been sacked the moment West Ham scored their first goal. We were never going to get back into the game at that point.

Frank's demeanor over the last year has been that of a guy who has tried hard but failed. His hands have been tied in terms of finance but the few players that have come in have not improved us.
After a good start Tarkowski and Coady are no better than Holgate and Keane. Patterson's frm dropped off before his latest injury. Mykolenko had proved to be poor in defence and poor in attack. Maupay has never been used properly and Mc Neil might yet prove to be a decent wingback but he lacks pace.
Gordon has lost the plot and Gana has been disastrous.
So there have been very few players to show improvement in the last year.
And this is with a popular coach- I have heard first hand that the lads love him.
Maybe a nice chap like Frank is not what this group need.
Our ruddlerless heirarchy cannot be trusted.
Frank should have been sacked before the World Cup and the new guy would have has plenty of time to reorganise the team and ientify transfer targets.
All this dithering has led to where we are now. The owner/board sitting on their hands watching a coach make the same mistakes week after week.
Even with tight purse strings a coach should try something different, whether that means playing two up top or bringing some youth into the starting elelven. Frank has failed to try very much at all.
There is obviously a big black hole in the finances. It is the only explanation for the lack of transfers and Frank still being at his desk.
Who can trust these incompetants to pick the right guy to take over?
The club are a laughing stock on the field and off it.
The owner and board have butchered the relationship with the fans and left us with a plethora of average players.
We need proper leadership from the owner down but the situation is clouded with a lack of information about the possible sale of the club and the completion of the new ground.
The inertia will lead to relegation.
Time is running out.
Only a well organised manager with the ability to mitivate will give us a chance of survival. It is still possible because there are other terrible sides andwe are still in touch.
We are as likely to pick up points against Arsenal and Liverpool as we are versus anyone else.
Now we need to see some big decisions taken promptly.

One thing that further makes clear the board's idiocy is the fact that we are now in this position ahead of matches against the league leaders and the team that we cannot beat. As many have said, It's been clear since Bournemouth that Frank needs to go. But we're now in a position where there is not a straw to grasp, yet it is not ideal to appoint a new manager before two completely unwinnable games.
Feel free to tell me that this is defeatest, but the fact is that with our squad, there is zero (0) chance of getting victories against the next two teams, no matter the manager.

The refusal to give Simms and Gordon half an hour at least, 7 unused subs when two goals down is a shocking indication of indecisiveness and a failure to think on his feet.
The coaching must be awful because none of the players seem to know their role.
Frank has had plenty of time to show a bit of progress and has to go. Dyche will instil fight and organisation and energy all of which are lacking.

It will be Billy Bullshits decision me thinks.

The man is a legend in his own mind, I wonder if the next tears he sheds are the ones that lament our relegation.

I have nothing I can add to sum up our situation except...we're fucked.

Some did Oliver if I recall - - but desperation leads to bad decisions - - and again we are desperate now - - and, of course, people can change their mind and see what they didn't see before - - the saddest thing is that football is not about logic - - it's tribal - - maybe we don't like to think like that but it is - - football - - throughout the world as witnessed a month or so ago in The World Cup - - seems more corrupt that I can ever remember - - maybe with age you think more - - when I was young I watched Everton - - I didn't care about AGM's/Owners/EUFA/FIFA/Balance Sheets but sadly all of this is thrown at us - - selectively of course (real information is still severative) - - when I was very young in the 50's I loved Real Madrid - - remember watching the Eintract Frankfurt game - - loved Di Stefano and Puskas - - got older realised how corrupt they were and the favours they received from Franco - - same in Italy and France - -so maybe your right Oliver we are all false but I guess sometime it's OK to say I was wrong - - for me I recall stating on TW I didn't want The Russian Money knowing of the Politics of that Country - - but is their a clean team in football - - or better still to ask is their a successful clean team in football - - I want Everton /football back but I am pretty sure it's never going to happen - - once you open Pandoras Box you cannot close it.

My gut feel is Gordon's going to be sold. Danjuma has come in for his spot.

I just hope that Frees some money for a striker. 6 goals in 10 games. Less than 2 shots on target a game, and shipping 2s, 3s and 4s.

Sorry something has to happen, we can't sleep walk our way into the championship.

Big Dunc and Stubbs to the end of the season with the remit to save our skins to buy us time to get a decent manager for next season.

If we still get relegated then keep them in the job to see how things go in the Championship.

How is he still the manager? Waiting until Monday? Why?

I remember when we couldn't register Maupay (hindsight shows it wouldn't have made a difference) and Lampard said it was a joke cause 'we don't get days off'

so have the board taken a day off?

Surely they met last night in whatever fancy hotel they were staying. Surely a press release could have been sorted for Sunday Morning with the caretaker being announced.

At least then, the players would come into training on Monday morning and they'd know the situation, and not have this situation hanging over them.

They'll be discussing between themselves. How will they apply themselves in training when they know the manager is a dead man walking? How will the coaching staff prepare for Monday knowing their boss is a dead man walking?

2 weeks until the dreaded visit of Arsenal. A new manager installed in the next 3-5 days will give time to work towards that. Followed by the derby. it's a brutal challenge for any manager, and many will not want the job, but stasis is taking us in one direction.

Poor Danjuma, he must be regretting his move already.

The majority new Raf and Lamps were the wrong managers. Although almost anyone would have been preferred over Raf.

The problem is, I, like the majority, don't trust the board to get the right manager in.

And why do we pay them so much without success? £1m plus £4m to keep us up. Not £6m do your best.

So, do we keep a nice, says their right things, doesn't blame individuals or the lack of money Frank to relegate us and rebuild, or, get another wrong manager in the hope we repeat the past season of survive and hope.

I'm at a loss but fully expect Frank to go. He's not good enough or experienced enough. Sadly that's another £15m+ comp we will have to pay. Ridiculous.

Great post, George. Age brings wisdom to some but not all. We live and learn, I hope.

Barry #53, Year of the Cat actually.

Never heard of an album named Year of the Rabbit!

Hi Gerry - Thanks for the history lesson, you live and learn. So adjusting my numbers to show 25 'official' managers, about half of them under Moshiri/Kenwright. 16 about to become 17 during Kenwright's shift.

Eric @79

In Vietnam it is the year of the cat, but the Chinese say it's the year of the Rabbit.

HANOI, Vietnam — As China gears up to welcome the Year of the Rabbit, Lunar New Year looks slightly different in Vietnam, where the Year of the Cat is about to begin.

Across the country, streets are decked out with statues of felines and shops are stocked full of cat-themed decorations, popular gifts during Vietnamese New Year, known as Tet.

Vietnam and neighbouring China share 10 of the zodiac calendar's 12 signs -- the rat, tiger, dragon, snake, horse, goat, monkey, rooster, dog and pig.

But the Vietnamese honour the cat instead of the rabbit, and the buffalo instead of the ox.

There are a host of theories to explain why the Vietnamese plumped for the cat.

Nguyen Hieu Tin, an expert on traditional Vietnamese culture, said the answer may lie in the rice fields prized by farmers.

"Rice is a huge part of Vietnam's agriculture, but with the threat of many rats in the fields, the cats (which can hunt them) are a popular animal for the Vietnamese," he told AFP.

"Another explanation is that the Vietnamese don't want to observe two years with a similar animal. They see the mouse and the rabbit as being closely linked," Tin said.

There is also a theory that the Vietnamese made their own interpretation of the Chinese word for rabbit, "mao". In Vietnamese, this sounds like "meo", which means cat.

The Year of the Cat is believed to bring good luck and smooth sailing in Vietnam

Ok Colin,
I think we both know that the Russian money has gone quiet, but make no mistake, this is only PR exercise from all the countries in Europe and the rest of the world.
It may not even take for the war to end to see the Russian Oligarchs cash flowing and sanctions being lifted, if they can get rid of Putin things will get back to "normal" for them and people like Moshiri rapidly, and most of us will not give a fuck.
Change of subject, I just read that Sharp said the following amongst other stuff.

“The club is in turmoil. It needs unity with everyone working hard for the cause, supporters included. Surely no one wants to see scenes again where players have their cars kicked."

I wasn't aware that Gordon or Mina's car were kicked - anyone know if this is true?

Get Dyche. 4-4-2. Needs must ASAP. Forget all the hyperbole and discussion around the board. Get Dyche. He's waiting for a job. We cannot afford another to have Frank beyond today. Get Dyche whilst he's willing to come

Ian 73 I think so too, Gordon to the Barcodes and we will spend on a striker.

Who knows, maybe with a new manager bounce, 442 with a fit DCL and a new striker we just might compete? I don't really know what I am saying anymore. I could write loads but I know it will be hopeless drivel which reflects my confusion and despondency.

Bill #31, you can't blame Lampard for not having been sacked, that's purely down to our Board, and fans according to Moshiri, but not his decision anyway.

Barry #81, I live in Ha Noi!!

So where did Al Stewart get his album name from then???

Eric...you mention Stubbs.
What in the name of God makes you think he will even be allowed near the tea lady after what he's said about the teary one in the press.

You're right, Oliver, we have short memories and fickle is our middle name. I suppose if some Middle Eastern entity, or an African war lord, a Mexican cartel, an Asian gambling syndicate or some tax dodging Tory like Dyson or ratcliffe came in with an offer to buy the club, sack kenshite and co, pay off the debts, finish BMD and buy us Mbappe, I like the rest of us would look away and scream in silent joy. Jesus, I'd probably accept Kim Jong Un over this shower right now,

As for Dyche. Go on then. Get your saviour in and in three months time you'll be calling for him to get the boot and move on to the next messiah.

Agreed Kim - which proves even worse now than your original... :)

So does Moshiri want the fans to make the decision for him? Well that's easy;

Dear Mr Moshiri,
We think that Frank needs to go, please take the necessary steps immediately.
Lots of love,
The Fans of EFC

Right done, what's the next decision?

Eric @86
I (Al Stewart) was beginning to lose my mind because I had this piece of music forever and I couldn't think of any words. I had a girlfriend at the time and she had a book on Vietnamese astrology, which was kind of obscure, and it was open at a chapter called 'The Year Of The Cat.' Now that's, I think, the year of the rabbit in Chinese astrology. I'm not too sure. I don't know a whole lot about a whole lot of things but I recognize a song title when I see one and that was a song title.

Song Facts

Sorens #26, I beleive we approached Allardyce and he said no, he doesn't want two relegations on his CV.

Thanks for that Barry #91

Dave #87, I meant Unsworth.

Bloody autocorrect!!!!!

We'll have to wait for Moshiri's mate Joorabchian to come up with Franks replacement before he's sacked.

Colin @88. I watched Darren Lewis this morning on Sky with some book from The Athletic….they got most of the points right except the sacking Lampard debate. They said he should stay for continuity purposes but they clearly haven't seen his dreadful stats and chose to overlook that, instead blaming the revolving door. Which has some merit tbf. However, regarding Dyche they said if it works out then what? Show him the door as the fans clamour for someone more glamorous as happened with Allardyce?? I guess this is the conundrum….

Darren Lewis, like most of the football journos have to toe the line, Nick or they can lose their access to agents, players and club executives. Without the constant stream of leaks they'd be out of a job. Plus they'd lose all the perks eg free flights, accommodation, drinks by the pool with the lads, escorts, gossip, goody bags etc…

Dyche, imo, could save us from relegation but as you said, then what? We tire of his negative football and the entire vicious cycle starts again,

The players that we should have been looking at bringing in are the two championship players from Coventry and Blackburn, both hungry players, that if and when we do go down, can score in the championship

Jerome [11] Take a bow, you've nailed the situation.

George [72] Unfortunately, you are correct in your overall summation of the state of football. However, please don't forget during our 'glory years' of the 60's and Catterick, weren't we called the Merseyside Millionaires? Plus Jack Walker at Blackburn. It has always been about financial swings and roundabouts.

Regarding the current situation, it seems simple to me; or rather simplistic anyway.

Take away the name, a manager has managed a club for just short of 12 months, and spent £68.65m so far on transfers, not including loans and frees. Their league record is as follows;

Games: 37
Wins: 9, Draws: 8, Losses: 20
Goals Per Game: 0.91, Goals Against Per Game: 1.54
Win Percentage: 24.32% Points Per Game: 0.94

Being kind, since September 18th and the win over WHU, it has been 3-2-9 League Only (11pts from 42!!); or since the last win Palace 22.10, the run has been 1-2-6 (only 5pts from 27!) NB Not including exits from the League and FA cup.

This is relegation form, surely? So, again, take the name out of the equation, all results 3-2-11, and out of the cups, is sacking territory surely?

The solution, bring in a new manager. After sleeping on it, I personally would go with Dyche. Why? Well, if you take off Frank's velvet glove management approach (The players like him etc), you'll get an experienced manager who can use the iron fist, and when needed the velvet glove.

I think he would give us the best chance of survival, and also, if we do survive, he would probably make better use of the transfer windows. PLUS he has worked with Keane, Tarkowski and McNeil before; their inside knowledge would probably help in the dressing room too.

If we go down, we'd have no money for transfers, an exodus of our better players, and we'd probably have to 'mothball' our academy. Which I think would require an experienced manager to steer the ship. (If we are still in existence?)

Hopefully, between now and the end of the season, Mr. Moshiri is looking for replacement qualified replacements for Mr. Kenwright and DBB. For example, Nicola Cortes as Chairman, and Marina Granovskaia as CEO; which would be a huge improvement on our current incumbents.

Once identified, they should be appointed immediately, and then working with Thelwell, if still employed, they should work on getting the playing side sorted, before cleansing the dross from the club. I.e. All the acolytes and cronies of Bill and Denise; and all the ex-Everton personnel who add nothing to the organisation, but drain funds.

Ahh, you can but dream.

Step 1, get Dyche in and hopefully with 18 games to go, we stay up, and live to fight another day...

George- back in the sixties we had Littlewoods mogul John Moores and we were big spenders but of course the revenues throught the gates enabled the well supported clubs to have more clout.
In those days fans were relevent. The grounds were not full of seasonticket holders who had already paid for their seats.
Todaythe PL managed quite well without fans during lockdown.
They certainly don't rely on us for very much of their income.
How it has changed from clubs owned by local businesses to clubs owned by Nation-states or sports franchises.
There obviously has always been corruption but now everything seems magnified. The bloated bank accounts of ordinary players and agents are a stark remeinder to the hard-hit fan struggling with mortgates and household bills.
It's uglier than ever.
Moshiri surrounded by a team of MMA thugs summed it up.

Very good post, Simon. Imagine he saves us from the drop….then what? Do you replace him? Because we've been here before with Allardyce who didn't do anything wrong, and had never been idolised by the neighbours. I think he was treated like shit by Evertonians and I hope there is some contrition in the fan base over this. After all the club is and should only ever be the most important factor. Which is why Kenwright gets it so spectacularly wrong.

Well said, Nick @100.

If we go with Dyche where does that leave Thelwell ? If, by some miracle, Dyche keeps us up, will we replace him at the end of the season. Likewise, if we go down ? If it is Dyche, I'd favour keeping him for a couple of seasons, relegated or not.

Meanwhile, Thelwell could be let go. Hasn't exactly discovered any gems and we won't have the funds to keep extra layers of 'management'.

There are a few reports stating the club cannot afford Lampard's severance pay, without using up the limited transfer funds.

Looks like if Lampard goes, one of Gordon, DCL or Pickford is going too.

Although, the ‘reports' are never usually that accurate, but it wouldn't surprise me with Bumbling Bill and Farthard…

What Simon @ 98 said. Do it today please

Never mind they can't afford to sack him. They can't afford NOT to sack him.

Allardyce should've been given a second season to see what he could build but hindsights easy. IF we bring in Dyche we need to give him time to break the cycle and turn this outdated juggernaut around. It's time we lost this delusional self entitlement and stopped thinking we're too big for managers like Allardyce and Dyche. No one except Evertonian's think we're a big club anymore. Time to do the hard work and build a solid foundation.

I wrote a while back that the major problem was F. Moshiri for allowing the people or person responsible for this situation to remain.
It now seems that he wants to bury his head in the sand and still leave the person he appointed, who is one of the major problems, still in charge. Like giving a burglar the keys to your house and wondering why you get robbed.

Mark@106. Excellent post. I've been thinking the same for some time.

Spot on Rob@54, and to finale, Gold Fever.

A great film, one of my favourites of all time.

It's very dark hours for Everton FC, but let's keep the spirit and believe, and miracles do happen, and this season, if so, will be like the parting of the Mersey.

Interesting to see what the next 24 hrs reveals, if any thing, regards the manager of the Everton 1st team.

UTFTs!

Nick 100. your right about Allardyce theres plenty who turned their noses up 'he doent play pretty football' I for one don't care if it wins you the game.
Thats where we are at, we cant afford or attract enough quality to play 'total football' as its stupidly called.

I thought the aim of the game was to win, sure lovely skills are great also if your capable, but we have gone 30 years kidding ourselves that we can compete with the best teams playing their style of football.

Winning football is good football. Allardyce had a decent record with us. But he's not the right appointment at this moment in time. We need to think ahead to next season.

Hi Nick [100] Yes, if we stayed up, why change the manager, Dyche, and replace him?

If it is because the 'fans' don't like his 'anti-football', tough! He kept us up with his 'anti-football', and with this, what's the latest phrase... Frankenstein monster of a squad. The club should be patient, and allow Dyche to identify the players who are surplus to requirements, and start to ship them out.
Maybe also, instead of trying to get in 4-5 players straight away, why not look for two quality players I.e. better than average PL level, then in the January window, try and pick up one more? A slow steady build, and bring thru the odd U21/23 to help out, e.g. Simms, Welch, Branthwaite, Onyango, Price and Warrington.

Take advantage of the 'demand' for Gordon and sell him. From Tim Keoghan's twitter, "This is Jeffers to Arsenal, Barkley to Chelsea, Rodwell to City. Take the money and run." Absolutely!

Between now and the end of the season, look for a quality replacement for JordanP, flog him, make money, and re-invest (or even bring Joao Virginia back?)

The fans are going to have to accept a rebuilding phase, or reboot, despite how we play, and stop being so precious.

Currently, we are no way near the 'School of Science', and the only way to get back there is by identifying the correct, skilled players for the club, and stop buying 6-7 players at a time who add Zero to the squad, and the club. E.g. we've spent £15m on Maupay, and yet if he doesn't start he doesn't get on, and when he does start, we don't play to his strengths!?

Sorry for being long-winded again; I've hardly slept since the WC break after the detritus football Lampard has been dishing up. Yet, we criticised Allardyce, and view Dyche as 'anti-football'.

Get over it, suck it up, and hopefully we'll survive if the fans back him!

Colin, I'm with you fully. I don't care who buys us, as long as they have big pockets and rid us of this incestuous non achieving board.

I do agree with you on Dyche, the natives won't like the brand of football next season. For the record I've been behibg every manager including Big Sam and Rafa (yes Rafa). The injuries he had in the squad were incredible, and it's those early season results that kept us up. The only manager I seriously didn't like was Koeman. He was herevfor the money more than Carlo! But also not a likeable person.

Mark- what a sensible post- excellent stuff!!

Can we stop with the Allardyce myth too.

He lost the fans because fat ginger Sammy Lee was running up and down the touchline and hooking Rooney for trying to push forward.

That's TWICE blue Bill has saddled us with red shite. We just can't tolerate it.

Winston [103] On the jungle drums, it 'twould appear that Gordon is on his way. Off-field and training discipline problems, and a case of too much too soon, apparently.

Good luck to him. He really isn't PL level anyway, just look at his stats, not so much goals, but where are the assists?

Joe, I was told that Dyche's relations with the new owners were terrible last season, which led to them sacking him. Do you know anything about that?

Paul [105] When they sell Gordon, they can afford to.

Keep Gordon and Frank = Relegation

Sell Gordon and sack Frank = Possible survival

Barry and Eric good stuff!

And Eric I hope you've made your way to Da Lat. Sometimes the Vietnamese will just throw some words into combination to express a foreign phrase, example- ‘no problem' is khong sao dau which in Viet is no-star-where. It works for them since the native tongue is mostly monosyllabic I think

Paul [117] Don't forget Rodrigues was injured for long parts of last season, and then they sold Wood, while bringing an untested Weghorst in?

Just been listening to All Together Now on my iPod. Great characters, great spirit in the team then.. This lot aren't fit to lace their boots.

Another scenario is that the board stick with Lampard, get a couple of strikers in and we win the next two games, and improve our league position whilst those around us falter.

I don't know what the answer is. Can a new manager change this bunch of misfits?

With all the SSN super interviewers, who IMO can't string a sentence together, trotting out the same old (so called) questions, ask Dyche one question.
If asked would you take the job on a temporary/full time basis?
I'm not suggesting for one minute that Dyche is the answer, but it's very quiet on that front!

Yes, Simon, I noticed that. I know a couple of people in Burnley (the town) who mentioned that the new owners didn't rate Dyche and vice versa. They also mentioned a feeling that he'd been there too long and it had all gone a bit stale.

Would be interested in Joe McMahon's view on this..

If I was our owner...firstly.

SACK Lampard.
Hire on a short term basis a current out of work Boss who's British,ruthless,no-nosense,who plays a simple direct system.
SACK off all the players who couldn't wait to get off the pitch yesterday...not the type we need in a scrap!
Recall ALL players currently on loan all over the world if needs be.
Use our entire squad.
Play 4-4-2.
Keep it simple and don't come out with shit sound bites.
Don't be yet another boring bastard!
Keep smiling through and fully embrace our still wonderful club.

When they sell Gordon?Has anyone actually made an enquiry about him never mind make an offer?
More paper talk!

So, it seems that many supporters think or assume we will go down and to save this happening, sacking the manager is the answer.

For me, I would prefer to keep Lampard. If we can get a striker in who knows where the goal is, life could improve. I would like Lampard to at least have the benefit of a striker. Remember, there are 18 games left although I do appreciate the next 2 games could be challenging, leaving 16 games to go!

Also, remember, there are porobably at least 7 other teams probably feeling the pressure.

One of the criticisms I do have of Lampard is his non-use of all (or at least more than 2) substitutions just to change something.

Simon 112 spot on - how could anyone complain about the style of football - can anyone say what style of football we play now - I can't, we have no identity - people talk about Everton players giving everything for the shirt - does Lampard's team do that? - teams reflect managers personality- I think we need an aggressive fighter to get out of this that the teams performances will mirror

Have they met yet?

Kieran Kinsella is correct, we could have the best manager in the world, and he'd find it hard to be a success with this squad, most players bought by previous managers, even as far back as the worst appointment under Moshiri, Koeman, not excluding Benitez. Lampard has to go, a nice fella, but his time is up, not bringing on a 2nd striker yesterday didn't make sense, especially when you're losing 2-0, put Maupay or Simms beside Calvert-Lewin who had to battle with 3 centrebacks. Why only 2 subs?

That last fact is pretty damming, Christy, even if anyone wants to defend Frank. No attacking substitutions in the situation we were in is beyond belief.
And, as far as I know, not one reporter has asked him why. Football journalists are frigging useless.

Does anyone of my fellow Blues know 100% which "Players"? left the pitch yesterday without thanking our superb away support?!

Totally shameful btw and cowardly too. shithouses!

Paul@117. I'm not that much in the know, it's just I live about 15 miles from Burnley and know a few ST holders, inc my brorher in law. I would be suprised though, as it was only in September last season that Alan Pace extended Seans contract, with a higher salary, only for him to give the bullet to Sean 7 months later.

George @ 72
Thanks for that, top man.

Eric @ 74,
Surely if that was to happen and we stayed up, they would deserve the managers job full time ?

Colin @ 88,
Bang on, except I think I would give Dyce longer than three months to make his mark.

But I'm convinced now this owner and board will stick by Lampard and watch the fans go even more mental!

So we are either “fucked like rabbits” or we are hopefully going to use another one of our nine lives, then?

It feels like it's been either the year of the pig, the rat, or the snake, at Everton, for donkeys years now, but I'm sure one day soon, the curse will finally be over.

Lampard is finished, because his team lack every single major characteristic required, to even become half decent. No heart, no fight, no leadership, no real footballing know how, no desire, very little pace, and no real willingness from any player, to break rank, or show a bit of courage to go and try to do something a little bit different, with the football.

We were okay yesterday, until West Ham, stepped it up just 20%, and then we started wilting because the players are simply gutless, and guileless. Same in the second half, because although West Ham, let us have the ball, so we could look neat and tidy, they also knew we had nobody willing to be brave enough, to try and take the ball forward, to try and commit our opponents.

Lampard should have been sacked when Bournemouth spanked us twice in a week - one of those games was pretty much against their B team!

There were then nearly two months to put something in place and train the squad that weren't involved in the WC and prepare for the transfer window.

Our board deserve relegation, us fans don't.

Cheers Joe. That would be an odd decision. Just looking for clues re Dyche.

I'd be interested to the answer to Matthew #121 and also who are the players who aren't trying?

We still have a chance IF the bloody Everton board do their job and replace Lampard with a proper, experienced coach.

Everton's next six fixtures compared to Southampton, Bournemouth, Wolves and Leeds (From red echo).

16. Leeds (17 points) - next six Premier League fixtures

Brentford (H) - January 22

Nottingham Forest (A) - February 5

Manchester United (A) - February 8

Manchester United (H) - February 12

Everton (A) - February 18

Southampton (H) - February 25

17. Wolverhampton Wanderers (17 points) - next six Premier League fixtures

Manchester City (A) - January 22

Liverpool (H) – February 4

Southampton (A) – February 11

Bournemouth (H) – February 18

Fulham (A) - February 24

Tottenham Hotspur (H) – March 4

18. Bournemouth (17 points) - next six Premier League fixtures

Brighton (A) – February 4

Newcastle United (H) - February 11

Wolves (A) – February 18

Manchester City (H) - February 25

Arsenal (A) – March 4

Liverpool (H) – March 11

19. Everton (15 points) - next six Premier League fixtures

Arsenal (H) - February 4

Liverpool (A) – February 13

Leeds United (H) – February 18

Aston Villa (H) - February 25

Nottingham Forest (A) – March 4

Brentford (H) – March 11

20. Southampton (15 points) - next six Premier League fixtures

Brentford (A) - February 4

Wolves (H) - February 11

Chelsea (A) - February 18

Leeds (A) - February 25

Leicester City (H) – March 4

Manchester United (A) – March 11

He quite simply has to go.

A new manger in now with half the fixtures remaining gives us a fighting chance look at Villa for example.

We keep Frank we get relegated its that simple. Frank Lampard is out of his depth look at Chelsea for example, champions league winners a few months after he got sacked.

We are bad that's no doubt but part of that has to be down to frank his tactics and his coaching. We are getting worse not better.

SACK HIM NOW.

I just think his ideas went a bit stale. The midfield wasent involved as itvwas long punts up top from defence to the likes of Barnes an Wood. The exception being the gifted Maxwell Cornet who would run with the ball and shoot, but he picked up too many nigley injuries as he has done this season at West Ham. If we had landed Cornet, even 20 games in a season you would get more from any current Everton midfielder.

Sean Dyche signing Cornet does shoew some hope abouthis game plan evolving, but he also signed Steven Defour a few years ago, but again he really was injured all the time.

What Vincent Kompany is currently doing is incredible though, against WBA on Friday its now 8 consecutive league wins. Scott Twine is one to watch now he is fully fit.

Thanks Joe. I think he's got a good track record at the level we're currently at and is unexposed with better players/budget. And he's available.

I'm warming to the idea slowly Paul, as you may well be right.

Dyche would simply, simplify us. Basic football ala Joe Royle, and only After this would we find out how good he can or cannot be.

This has to be decided today. They can't attend Goodison for a replay on Wednesday.

Everton are reportedly gearing up to make a £15m bid to purchase Sheffield United frontman Iliman Ndiaye but will need to raise the funds first.

The Senegal international has played a crucial part in the Blades' successful season so far, returning 10 goals and seven assists in 28 games, helping lift the Yorkshire club up to second place in the Championship.

But, according to The Sun, the 22-year-old's prolific form in the second tier has attracted the eyes of the Everton bosses, who are keen to sign a new striker in a bid to help them avoid relegation this season.

Personally I think the club is not going to sack Lampard.

This is because:

- they haven't done it yet.

- they have invested in a structure which includes him and his coaching staff along with Thelwell.

- they've seen no real progress from any of the hire and fire activity, in fact it's going downhill.

- the sort of manager who might keep us up (eg Dyche) might not be the right man to get us promoted if we go down.

- apart from Dyche and some dubious credential foreigners, there won't be much interest.

- unlike Brighton, the club has not painstakingly put together a succession plan.

- the money associated with a new hire might be better spent on players.

- it's harder to sign players like Danjuma if you can't tell them who the manager is.

- it's probably now dawned on them that we're not really underperforming by much. We have a really bad team. They could throw £50m and a good new manager at this and still go down.

- in circumstances like this, scapegoats are required. Lampard fits the bill.

To me it's starting to look like Lampard will resign or part company by mutual consent once relegation is confirmed - and then Baines and or Rooney will take over for the last few pointless games

I desperately hope I'm wrong about all of this and will be delighted if I am.

Ray @ 122 Dyche was interviewed recently and was pretty much asked what he thought of Everton and he said " They're a proper club"
The impression he gave was that he'd jump at the chance but when someone says " Everton are a proper club" does that make them insane ??
IMO it's a no brainer.
He went stale at Burnley just as Moyes did with us
I'd be happy to have him over Frank

You're right, Tony. Dyche would simplify us and only then would we find out if he'll go beyond that. Quite frankly, I'd love the luxury of finding that out.

Paul, the board are going to set up a GoFundMe site to raise money for this deal. Either that or Bill will be seen busking on the streets of Belgravia.

The other thing, Joe, is that if we do go down, Dyche would be a good bet toget us back, as he's done that before on a low budget.

Paul # 145, unfortunately it would be very strange for Sheff Utd to release their best player on the cheap just when it looks like they'll be promoted.

The options are really limited but Moshiri has one last roll of the dice that may just about save our Premier League status.

I think these players need a simple approach at the moment. Back to basics playing football that they can easily understand and execute . Dyche is a strong personality who will get the players organised and to fully understand their roles and responsibility.

We are all over the place at the moment no player understands his role, it's just totally dysfunctional. Dyche would address that on day one and it would the first step of us becoming a football team again instead of a bunch of directionless misfits. I cannot believe that Frank Lampard remains in his post.

Soren 138 - thanks for highlighting what I thought. We obviously still have a chance of staying up. As a) loads of games to go and b) clubs around us also have tough games coming and are also in shit form (otherwise would not be near us). We also still have a lot of games against sides near the bottom.

BK and Moshiri aside, the NUMBER ONE priority for this club is avoiding relegation. Get rid of Lampard NOW and bring someone in, even on just a 6 month contract at first, to galvanise this group of players. The squad have surely long given up on Lampard anyway and not clapping the away support yesterday says everything as to where their minds are - most probably have their agents on the sniff for other clubs in case we go down.

There is absolutely no justifiable reason for Lampard to still be in the job and he should have gone before the WC and latest after the Wolves debacle. It beggars belief the guy's still not been sacked. Even if his pay off is large, put him on gardening leave and get someone else in. The club went through a manager search barely 12 months ago so it's not like they need to start from zero.

If moneys the problem, sell Gordon to Newcastle, Spurs, Chelsea, whoever offers any money. Getting rid of Lampard is far more important than keeping Gordon.

Paul/Robert

Sheff Utd are also under a transfer embargo so if they sold him presumably they can't replace him.

The teams in trouble around us keep giving us half a chance thats if we can actually win a game.

What price us v Arsenal, very strange results happen in sport often, you never say never.

In 2020 Sean Dyche got Burnley into Europe.

We probably didn't notice.

There's A LOT of managers out there who would do a better job than Lampard. Dyche, Hutter, Bordelas, Marcelino, Tuchel, Zidane, Seoane, Tedesco, Hassenhutl, Vilas Boas, Favre, Bosz, Bielsa, Ismael etc

And those are just the ones who aren't currently employed!!

I might write an article on the options if I can find the time but I think the majority of the list above would do as good a job as Lampard if not better.

He's got to go. Sooner rather than later.

Bob, neither did the burnleys fans, Aberdeen, then one overseas trip then out.

Joe, of course they couldn't compete in Europe. He never had the squad or the money to build on the relative success of reaching the heady heights of Europe

I believe with a limited budget at Everton he could do a job for us.

How long did it take us to get Lampard in after sacking Rafa? I recall it took a long time which suggests, as always, they'd not been making any contingency plans on who the next manager would be and only started the process once Rafa had been sacked despite the fact it was inevitable he might go for weeks. What are the chances we waste precious time again because the Board are incapable of any sort of simple and obvious planning.

Abraham Lincoln in 1858 said 'a house divided against itself cannot survive'.

Rings true today and is the root cause of the issues at Everton. Moshiri and Kenwright didn't even sit next to each other yesterday.

If Frank stays he needs to man up and clear half his backroom staff. It's not working. He also needs to get the squad playing for him. It's obvious Gordon / DCL / etc. would not run through a brick wall for him. He worked wonders with Iwobi, so why not the rest? Plus get a striker, or two, in.

I was one of the majority on here who called for his appointment last year, so I can't voice a hypocritical opinion to sack him. Or call out the Board to sack him, as bad a job as they are doing. We the fans made noise, and the Board listened and appointed him. So we have to shoulder that blame.

COYB UTFT - Were in this together.

Bob, your are correct he could, a few could but we have an inept board that dither.

Look at Villa now since Gerrard, but for us it maybe to late considering the fixtures we have coming up. Everything since Bill has been a shambolic shit show. We are stuck we the oversized tosser even in the Championship.

Absolutely Sam. The original shortlist of Ferguson, Lampard and Pereira was criminal. Likewise appointing Benitez before and going in for a Martinez return once Benitez was sacked. Other clubs use the globe as a market for managerial hires - we use the back of a fag packet

Lampard knows what's coming, the players know what's coming, the fans know what's coming, the journalists know what's coming, and the entire footballing planet knows what's coming.

The board need to put this guy out of his misery. It's baffling that they didn't let him go immediately after the West Ham game.
In fact, he should either have gone months ago or at the end of last season, as it was obvious he was out of his depth.

Look folks, I get Lampard should now go. And a scrapper put in his place,say Dyche.
So Sean Dyche keeps Everton up etc etc. We all celebrate and go to our lovely holiday destinations in relief!! All good so far then!
However, because all are sooo relieved and the sun is shining, all will be forgotten about the Board being completely inept.
And they get away with it AGAIN. Dyche will get sacked in 12 months or so because his football is not the Everton "Way" and the fans want him out because he hasn't managed to get Everton into the top 6 yet! He's had money though!
Yeh,right then- just enough money to buy shit player's nobody else wanted, or loans for bloody has beens or for dick heads who "need an arm round their shoulder " or some young kid(usually foreign) who becomes completely overwhelmed by the bullshit that pervades this clubs corridors of power and wants out. There are various other player purchase scenarios- but I can't be arsed to write anymore of them- we all know them well enough.
Let's get something straight- I would happy if Sean Dyche became Everton manager,because he is a tough fella who takes no shit from player's- just what Everton need for a few good year's. But if any of us thinks his methods would not become diluted and frowned upon by the hierarchy within 6 months of keeping us up,then we all need to get real!!
This Board don't do LEADERS- they only do Yes Men.
Thanks Kenwright you tosser.

Allan, I've been saying the same thing for a while now. It doesn't matter who the manager is. The stench of complacency and mediocrity runs right through this club and no one is prepared, or allowed, to fix it.

Managers know they'll get a multimillion pound handshake. Players know no other club will pay them the same wages so they stay with their shitty attitude and damage morale on and off the field.

I now think Lampard will stay. If they were going to sack him they'd have done it yesterday. Some players will leave this week, inshallah, and we'll get 1-2 players in. It might not be enough but I think he'll see out the season.

Loving the (inevitable) urgency from the board on this crucial matter.

It is shameful that Lampard has not been sacked yet - this from me who was still hopeful after the Wolves debacle of turning it around. There won't be any turnaround with Lampard - I am convinced of it. Bizarre selections, players not motivated, poor substitutions, nothing is working. Moshiri seems to have abdicated his responsibility as an owner - if he is unable to take crucial decisions like this one, he needs to get out of the door. He seems to have made Kenwright the scapegoat - the coward. It is bizarre that the fans are turning on the board rather than the guy who really is responsible for running the business and the manager responsible for getting the results on the pitch. Do the board really have any powers or are they the board just for namesake? The lack of leadership at EFC is what is killing this club.

They would be be insane if they kept Lampard. Lose to Arsenal and the RS and Lampard's points-per-game would be the same as Mike Walker. Worst first 20 games in the club's history. What more do they need to know? The board are too slow to make a decision, same as with Benitez.

Of course Kenwright, DBB and Thelwell need to go, but Lampard needs to go first.

Sam@157

Your list of currently unemployed managers is very enlightening but is likely to remain beyond the ken of our utterly useless Chairman and CEO.

According to Sky “ The board are currently having a review of poor performance “

It's become comedy ….a review ? What's to review ? Its been like this for months on end and deteriorating. It should have been reviewed to the n'th degree by now with contingencies in place.

Tony E. Presumably starting with themselves?

Nick (168), please appreciate the difficulty of getting everyone together to make a decision.
Bill's got a couple of shows on, Sharp has some golf days to attend, Baxi is conducting a strategic review into the strategic review and Mosh had to dash back to Monaco suddenly. Apparently, someone said, 'here comes the axeman' and he thought they said 'taxman' and was off to Heathrow like a shot.
So March 23rd is the earliest date.

There are three reasons why I think that Lampard will stay.

1 Financial. The pot of money that we are allowed to spend under P&S rules is small. Paying off Frank & crew would leave that much less for players.

2 Fans. The match day fans appear to be behind Frank.

3 Toxic atmosphere. Many available managers will be wary of walking into a war between the board, the fans and the owner.

Sam @157
I think we may have to look somewhere between Paris and Dakar for Villas Boas [ Andre?), I'm sure he's quit footy to take up rally driving!!
Good to see you looking outside the box as always though.
Zidane??? That would be the most leftfield management appointment of a generation?? For lots of reasons...
At least you are offering alternatives.
Allan @166
Great Post,

Various sources, most notably Talksport saying that Moshiri has held talks today with Lampard, so no doubt we can expect an imminent announcement. There are still plenty of outgoing transfers we can complete to counterbalance any affect on S & P, but should we face any kind of points sanction, I imagine it would be suspended for a year or two.

Was Bill there, Rob? Wiping away a tear thinking he'll never get David back now.

Sam @157
You missed Joey Barton off your list!
Sorry,just re-read your post you're only listing people you think could do as good as or better than Lampard!
Only joking!

Stu and Sam, the good news is we may just have enough funds to pay National League Oldham Athletic when we make an approach for Unsworth.

Lucien Favre is currently out of work.

No PL experience, but he is an experienced and highly regarded manager. He's coming to the end of his career, but could be a wild card option.

Sam, (157) looking forward to your article. I am sure it would be better researched than Everton Football Club's search for the new manager.

Ajay and others, not saying this is gospel, but a mate, who I have reason to believe would not make things up, has said that Lampard has been sacked and an announcement will be made later today. If this is the case, then I believe protocol would be to invite Applications, in which we have almost two weeks till the next fixture. Interim, would, I believe be Leighton Baines as Caretaker until an appointment is officially made/announced.

In some ways if this is the case I almost feel sorry for the well liked Frank, BUT he did himself no favours after the narrow escape last season. Which should have been a warning sign, initially he seemed to be doing okay this season, but recent performances, formations, substitutes etc, have all led to a chain of unacceptable results. Not replacing Richarlison, or even letting him go in the situation, was a purely money driven decision by the struggling and floundering Board.

Of course he is not the sole root of the problem, but that can't be solved quickly (unfortunately) I believe the whole World knows now about the lies and false headlock allegations, and a history of falsehood and questionable practices at Boardroom Level. Their time is numbered and hopefully it all gets sorted out before we are in the Championship, a 70 year top flight record down the drain through incompetence and arrogance.

None of this attributable to the magnificent Fans of Everton who are a credit and can hold their heads high, but at the end of the day, we are the ones who have suffered and are hurting the most.

Stu @179, I didn't notice Gerrard on their either!!!

Oliver #133,

Yes, another good option, give them the summer budget and up to Christmas to prove themselves.

But I'd put them through the job application process along with any other candidates.

Dale #119,

I went to Da Lat many years ago on holiday but, as I can get the wine cheaper in Ha Noi than there, I doubt I'll go again.

Yes, a monosyllabic language, which I don't speak, a lot like Thai which I do. They cover their re-use of words with tones though which makes it hard. Sounds like you know more Vietnamese than I ever will!

Ffs really, c'mon. Is it done yet ?

Vinnie O'Connor is outside FF right now with a black cap on. It ain't looking good for Frankie Lamps.

Any smoke coming out the chimney ?

Let's hope they don't leave Clement in charge

Who is the guy on You Tube saying Lampard has been sacked ? any credibility to this fella

Mark Goldbridge ?

Ignore, clearly a crank

The daily Fail reporting Frank has gone