Frank Lampard believes he is able to work through the wider trouble engulfing Everton but said he would understand if it had an impact on the players.
The Blues boss said he understood the passion of supporters and would not seek to tell anyone what to think, say or do about the "bigger problems" surrounding the club.
While he added it was his role to not be distracted by issues off the pitch he said that, speaking from his experience, he was aware of the "difficulties" the game can give to players as he responded to questions after Everton's 2-0 defeat to West Ham United.
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The relationship between the club's board and the fanbase has deteriorated amid Everton's struggles on and off the pitch. The club claimed its board members could not attend Goodison Park for the match with Southampton due to concerns over "safety and security", though it was later confirmed no incidents had been reported to Merseyside Police and the force had not been involved in assessing the wider security picture.
After the match several thousand fans staged a peaceful demonstration that called for sweeping changes to the board while this week Everton's Shareholders Association launched a petition calling for a vote of no confidence in its performance.
Against that backdrop, Lampard was asked whether what was described to him as a "civil war" at Everton was having an impact on his ability to do his job. Dismissing this, he said: "I would hate for it to sound like I was sitting here and saying my job was more difficult than anyone else's because I think you could speak to any manager in the Premier League or the Championship or League One or League Two - particularly managers in League One or League Two who are dealing with a lot of difficulties in their jobs with minimal budgets and all those things. I'm not going to cry about my job. Is it challenging? Yes, every job is. Do I try and do my best in every aspect? Yes. I don't feel like it distracts me because I have to be the first person who can focus on the job."
While Lampard was adamant he could work through the chaos, he said he could understand if a player found that harder - though made clear he also understood the passion of a fanbase he has repeatedly praised during his reign on Merseyside. He continued: "If you are asking about the players then that may be a different question because I have played here [at West Ham], as a young boy, and I have played for England, in tough times. I was fortunate at Chelsea [because] there were not so many - but tough times personally and I understand the difficulties this game can give you.
"People say just have a tough skin, you should be fine with it. It doesn't work that simply. So I understand if the players are affected by it. I also understand the passion of the fans, I also understand that, so I am not here to tell anyone about the bigger questions that are going on at the minute because I have been here a year and I try and focus on the football."
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