Frank Lampard has opened up on the challenge he knew he would face at Everton - and why the stakes are now bigger than when he won the Premier League as a player.
The former Derby County and Chelsea manager was confirmed as the new boss at Goodison Park at the end of January following the departure of Rafael Benitez earlier that month. From then onwards, Lampard has worked hard to build a strong connection with the fan base, which is leading to something of a revival on the pitch.
At the time of the 43-year-old's appointment, the Blues were at a significantly low ebb in terms of morale and confidence, around not just the squad, but the fanbase as well, following a number of protests against the club's board. However, Lampard knew what lay ahead - and he believes that instantly building an understanding with the supporters has been key.
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The Everton manager said: "Yeah, possibly I could have waited (for a job), I could have sat on my a**e and done the bins at home….that has actually seemed quite appealing a couple times in the last few months!
"But it’s how I’ve been all my career. I moved from West Ham to Chelsea, across London, and people questioned the fee at the time... playing for my country in the last World Cup, people kept questioning it... so I deal with it - it’s part of it, part of the gig, and you have to be tough and strong to deal with it. You build up a thicker skin as you go along, and you do get excited by challenges.
"So you know, had I waited, it would mean I wouldn’t be experiencing 3,300 fans perform like they did the other day (at Leicester City) or coming to the training ground or turning up for the Chelsea game.
"So you have to take the rough with the smooth, and the feeling of that, this club and understanding how big it is, and what it is on the line here, has been a real huge thing for me."
Rousing victories over Leicester and Chelsea have pushed Everton out of the relegation places and hugely lifted the mood around the club. Fans have been exemplary in showing their support in that time - whether it be at Goodison, the King Power Stadium or at Finch Farm.
The pressure of a relegation battle is not something that Lampard is letting get to him - and he admits the stakes for him now are arguably higher then when he chased the title as a player with Chelsea. But he is also very aware that the task for him and his side is far from over - and he needs that message to still be with the players.
"From a personal level, when you live this experience of a relegation battle it consumes you and you so want to do the right thing because you understand what the stakes are - the stakes for this are bigger for me now than when I won the Premier League as a player, because of what it means to the club," he added.
"You know the economics of it are greater as well, to a different degree, and individually what you think about it. You know, the idea of what it means to fans and the people who work here.
"So there shouldn’t be any way with four games to go and one point out of the relegation zone you think you are fine, because you spend the last two or three months with those (intense) feelings, so you can’t treat it like that.
"It’s just getting the balance of enjoying little moments and building up that confidence, with an understanding that we’ve got a job to do still, a big job to do still, depending on results around us. So my job is to put that across to the players, and of course with Seamus (Coleman) and some others, they pass on that message in terms of the group."
Lampard has faced a number of questions regarding his style as a tactician since his arrival at Everton - but he has silenced many of those critics recently. Everton have found joy in a more pragmatic and organised approach in victories over Manchester United, Leicester and Chelsea.
This is a challenge the manager has enjoyed and he expects that questions regarding his style - and that of the players - will still be prevalent for the remaining matches of 2021/22 and beyond.
Lampard remarked: "I think there are a lot of questions of everybody when you are in this position. So the players are questioned, the club is questioned, I’m questioned. And it’s the cutting edge part of the job when you are in that position.
"I’m having an incredible experience - again I am not talking like it is done, we are in it still, but the idea of coming here and people wanting to challenge me...
"And the idea that at Derby we had probably 60 percent possession, high press... and Chelsea 60-70 percent possession, high press... that was the way I set up as a coach. And then in the last three games, 25-30 percent possession, organising the team, getting a result, seeing the reaction, and for that’s been an incredible challenge in a good way, which I’ve really enjoyed and will clearly be valuable if we can get to where we want to be."
