Here are your Everton morning headlines for Tuesday, January 24.
Farhad Moshiri has 10 days to fix Everton’s biggest problem
Everton’s Premier League survival is dependent on the decisions made by the club across 10 of the most important days in its modern history, writes Joe Thomas.
For the second consecutive season the club is facing a battle against what would be a disastrous relegation. And once again it is entering the closing stages of a January transfer window on the hunt for a new manager after the dismissal of Frank Lampard.
There is now just one week left to strengthen the squad for Lampard’s replacement and the club is confident Arnaut Danjuma is set to become the first signing of the January transfer window. But further additions may be needed as attention turns to finding a new manager fast enough to make the most of the precious time until Everton next play.
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Director of football Kevin Thelwell must be allowed to play a key role in the search for Lampard’s replacement. In the aftermath of his departure it was reported that majority shareholder Farhad Moshiri had sought contact with former Leeds United boss Marcel Bielsa over a move to Merseyside. The ECHO understands no significant discussions had been held with Sean Dyche before the decision was taken on Lampard’s fate but he remains a frontrunner with Bielsa, while claims the club had contacted ex-player Wayne Rooney also surfaced following his exit.
Whatever happens, one key feature from last January’s manager hunt must be repeated - the appointment must be agreed upon in unison by those at the top. Much was made of Lampard being the first appointment of the Moshiri era who was chosen unanimously, with Mr Moshiri having led the way on bringing in his controversial predecessor, former Liverpool FC manager Rafa Benitez.
When Lampard was agreed upon Everton had not replaced Marcel Brands and so did not have a director of football in place. This time, agreement should move beyond the boardroom and Thelwell must have a say in who moves into the office opposite his at Finch Farm, with their relationship crucial to the club’s fortunes.
READ THE FULL STORY HERE.
Shocking price Everton will pay after Frank Lampard exit
Frank Lampard's time as Everton manager is at an end, writes Dave Powell.
The writing was on the wall as the Blues went down 2-0 at West Ham United on Saturday, a seventh defeat in the last 10 Premier League matches that saw them, briefly, slump to the foot of the table before Southampton were beaten at home by Aston Villa.
While the former Chelsea boss managed to helm Everton's push to safety last season, this term has seen the off-field problems play a major role in the on-field ones. And with the club facing a battle to retain the top flight status that they have held in English football since 1954, the decision was taken following the loss against the Hammers to end Lampard's tenure at Goodison Park.
In straight footballing terms, Lampard's exit is not unsurprising given the abysmal run of results, but to take a broader look at why the club has failed has seen much of the ire directed towards owner Farhad Moshiri, chairman Bill Kenwright and CEO Denise Barrett-Baxendale, all of whom were present in the stands at the London Stadium on Saturday afternoon as Jarrod Bowen's brace condemned Lampard's men to another bruising defeat.
Lampard replaced the unpopular Rafael Benitez in January of last year, the former England midfielder the seventh manager to work under Moshiri since he took the club over in 2016. Roberto Martinez, Ronald Koeman, Marco Silva, Sam Allardyce, Carlo Ancelotti, Benitez and now Lampard have all exited under the reign of Moshiri, with all but Ancelotti, who departed for Real Madrid, sacked for poor performance.
Recent months have seen Everton fans focus much more on making change at the top than in the dugout in a bid to stop the rot that has seemingly set in at a time when the club should really be in a position to look forward to the future with positivity given the construction of a new stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock. But with the club mired in turmoil on and off the field, the hope that the new stadium had given at one point has turned into understandable anxiety at what the future holds given the club are flirting so dangerously with relegation, something that would be an enormous financial hit for the club to take, especially on the back of three consecutive years of financial losses amounting to some £372m.
READ THE FULL STORY HERE.
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