Gareth Southgate England call should be welcomed by…

Gareth Southgate England call should be welcomed by Everton as major distraction avoided

It is news that will divide the country.

On one hand you will have some who are relieved and happy. On the other, you will have some who will be disappointed and feel this is an opportunity missed.

This news is, of course, that Gareth Southgate is staying on as England manager after just over a week of speculation around his future following his side’s quarter-final World Cup exit.

The news that Southgate would be staying on as England boss was confirmed by the Football Association just after 10.30am on Sunday morning following reports broke late on Saturday night revealing that he had made a decision on his future.

“We are delighted to confirm that Gareth Southgate is continuing as England manager, and will lead our Euro 2024 campaign. Gareth and Steve Holland have always had our full support, and our planning for the Euros starts now,” a statement from the FA read.

It has been an interesting time since England were beaten 2-1 by France at the Al Bayt Stadium. The debates have been wide ranging, to say the least.

First, it was whether Southgate should stay or go. Then, we had who could replace Southgate before the debate moved on to whether the person in charge of the national team should be English.

But it was during the debate around who could replace Southgate that Everton boss Frank Lampard entered the equation. Some reports from the national media namechecked Lampard as a possible contender if there was a change at the top.

And it is easy to see why. Lampard has been there and done it as a player for England, and he also has a close relationship with Steve Holland, who is highly thought of at the FA, having worked with England's assistant manager at Chelsea.

There was never any indication that Lampard would be prepared to leave Everton for England, or that the FA would come knocking had Southgate chosen to walk away. But speculation is never good.

And as the Blues continue their preparations for their return to Premier League action against Wolverhampton Wanderers next Monday, the last thing they needed was for their manager to be at the forefront of speculation linking him with another job.

The uncertainty that such situations bring is never good. And make no mistake, these next six weeks, both on and off the pitch, are huge for everyone connected to Everton Football Club.

As things stand, the Blues sit one place about the drop zone. Defeat to Wolves on Boxing Day would be catastrophic and leave supporters fearing that another relegation battle is on the cards.

Then, there is the small matter of the January transfer window. As reported by the ECHO earlier this month, Everton have a list of players drawn up to target during the month Strengthening Lampard’s attacking options is the priority.

Lampard told the ECHO preparations for the window had been ongoing for some time, and that he, and director of football Kevin Thelwell, who he gets on well with, have a list of targets and are in constant communication over their plans.

It is no secret that Everton are working under financial restrictions. Every penny needs to be spent wisely and this window already has a huge feeling about it. The Blues can’t afford any more mistakes.

And Lampard, just like he was during the summer, needs to be at the forefront of the recruitment drive, which would have become all the more difficult if he was being lined-up as the next England manager.

To put it bluntly, the last thing Everton needed right now was distractions away from their pressing matters. All the focus has to be on the tasks at hand.

And that is why today’s announcement by the FA should be welcomed by the Everton hierarchy as it puts to bed any potential speculation around Frank Lampard.

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