With the always doomed Benitez era over, optimism can now return to the blue half of Merseyside
Rafael Benitez has left the building and Frank Lampard has taken his place in the dugout as new Everton manager. It was always going to be difficult for the Spaniard to win over the majority of fans given the success he had with their arch rivals, but in the end his sacking would have been justified and predictable had he never managed Liverpool. It was obvious that as soon as things started going badly for Rafa, the whole world would come crashing down on him. Unfortunately for him and the fans that didn't take long.
The Toffees started the season surprisingly well and the old fox had many in the media thinking that he'd put together a team worthy of challenging for European places on a shoestring budget. Bringing in the likes of Demarai Gray and Andros Townsend for next to nothing and winning three out of his first four games, Rafa made believers out of many. The wheels came off shortly after, and an endless run of bad form saw Everton slip closer and closer to the relegation zone, before those in power finally had to act.
One new managerial appointment and several good January signings later and Everton fans can now hopefully put the whole ordeal behind them. Having one of your rivals' most storied coaches at the helm is bad enough but losing almost every week to boot is enough to put you off going to the ground altogether. Thankfully things now seem a lot rosier at the Goodison and fans must be looking forward to the rest of the season and the years to come with a young, determined manager in control, and one who never played for or managed Liverpool.
Lampard has his critics but when analysed closely his career has been far from a disappointment. After doing a decent job at Derby where he showed his ability to develop young players, he returned to his spiritual home of Stamford Bridge and again did quite well. That opportunity may have come a tad too soon but he by no means embarrassed himself, particularly during a first season blighted by a transfer embargo in which he was forced to rely heavily on prospects and overachieved. He once again showed his knack for improving players and some could argue his dismissal in the second season came far too soon and in an unfair fashion for a man with such standing at the club.
Everton fans on the whole seem to be pleased with the appointment, as is evidenced by the replacement of bitterness with enthusiasm in the stands and the celebratory memes online. We wanted to know just how optimistic they are about the rest of the season, Lampard as the man to take the club forward and the new stadium project, among other things.
To get a better idea of the atmosphere among the Everton fanbase we reached out to two people. Tom Mallows from Royal Blue Mersey joined me on the Sporticos Football Stories Podcast last year to discuss his love for The Toffees and he's back with some more thoughts. We also hear from theeesk.org, writer and podcaster with a huge Twitter following and his finger firmly on the pulse of matters on and off the pitch at Goodison Park. Here's what they each had to say:
Q. Ahead of a tough run of fixtures including Man City, Spurs and Wolves, how much optimism did the weekend's 3-0 win over Leeds generate among the fanbase?
Tom: It felt like it could be the turning point of the season. It has been such a grim few months I had begun to wonder where the next point was coming from. But the arrival of Frank Lampard has given everyone a lift and Saturday’s win over Leeds was one of the most enjoyable afternoons I’ve had at Goodison in a long time. After all the bitterness and rancour of the Rafa Benitez era it felt like we had got our club back. We are still in a perilous position of course and as you say we have some tough fixtures coming up, but we are in a much better place going into those games compared to a month ago.
Q. Is Frank Lampard the man to take this proud club forward?
The Esk: Lampard is a high risk appointment. He has an obvious football heritage and is considered to be a highly intelligent man. However, he lacks experience in a relegation fight, and he has a football team with questionable desire for a fight. Can he turn round a group of players many of whom have failed successive managers?
Q. What are your thoughts about the Bramley-Moore project and how concerned are you about ticket pricing at the new stadium?
Tom: Bramley-Moore has the potential to be a real game-changer for the club. Goodison Park is a wonderful historic stadium, but it is falling apart at the seams and totally unsuitable for modern football. The opportunity to move to a new, iconic stadium on the waterfront is too good to turn down.
Regarding ticket prices, it is a concern and a very tricky issue for the club to grapple with. They have recently announced season ticket prices for next season have gone up after several years of price freezes. I appreciate the club cannot freeze prices forever and they remain very competitively priced compared to other clubs, but it is yet another kick in the teeth for fans already dealing with a cost-of-living crisis.
I think we all expect prices to jump further when we move to Bramley Moore. It needs to be paid for after all and will have much greater facilities than at Goodison. But the wages of the supporters aren’t magically going to jump up at the same time, so I hope the club will have a variety of price points to try and ensure some supporters aren’t priced out. It is a difficult balancing act.
Q. What are your thoughts on the capture of Donny Van der Beek?
The Esk: Van der Beek is a quality player, denied many opportunities at Manchester United. Will he be accommodated higher up the pitch to be most effective? Everton’s biggest problems are in defensive midfield with Allan and Gomes not mobile enough to effectively shield a suspect defence.
Q. What would represent a successful end to the season for Frank Lampard and his staff in terms of results and league position?
Tom: Frank Lampard has said himself that we cannot look too far ahead and I completely agree. Given the woeful run they have been on, securing Premier League survival is the only aim between now and the end of the season. The squad is certainly better than their league position suggests but performances (up until the Leeds game) have not been. Make no mistake if Benitez had remained, we were going down. We are still in the FA Cup so I’m not going to say no to a run to Wembley, but I’d certainly take a stress-free end to the season knowing our top-flight status is secure. Only then can the rebuild properly start.
Q. Who could be the most important players for Lampard for the remainder of this season?
The Esk: Dele is obviously talented but appears to have lost his way. Lampard clearly values him, can he get him playing nearer to his previous peak? Again in terms of balance, he’s not an obvious fit, especially if Calvert-Lewin returns to fitness. Can he accommodate Calvert-Lewin, Richarlison and Dele in the same side?
Everton are away at Southampton on Saturday as they look to build on their 3-0 victory over Leeds United last weekend. Ralph Hasenhuttl's side have been in fine form so it won't be an easy assignment for Lampard's men but with confidence growing on the pitch and probably a raucous away support off it, there's every chance the blues can make it back-to-back wins for the first time since last September.
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