(Reuters) – Everton manager Frank Lampard said he has not sought any guarantees from the club about his future after the team slid into the Premier League relegation zone following a chastening 4-1 defeat to Brighton & Hove Albion.
Everton held champions Manchester City to a 1-1 away draw on Saturday but were then booed off the pitch by supporters after the defeat to Brighton on Tuesday, their fourth loss in six league matches.
Next up is an FA Cup third-round match on Friday against a Manchester United side in ruthless form.
“I’ve never and would never seek reassurances. I come to work to try and improve a little bit every day, myself, the team, the squad – everything,” Lampard told reporters on Thursday.
Lampard succeeded Rafael Benitez in January 2022 and instantly connected with Everton’s long-suffering fan base, strengthening those ties by leading the team to Premier League safety in May following a 3-2 comeback win over Crystal Palace.
They have only managed to win three of their 18 league games this season, however, and Lampard is the bookmakers’ favourite to be the next Premier League manager to lose his job.
“We managed to have an incredible time together to stay up. Everyone saw the images of Palace, and I lived that moment with the fans and so did everybody at the club,” Lampard said.
“I went home that night, had a glass of wine and (said) this is where the work begins and it’s going to be a tough journey. I was very aware of what I came into with this job, I want to be a success at this club, and whatever challenges that come I’ll take them head on.”
Lampard faced a fresh blow on Thursday with the news that full-back Nathan Patterson had been ruled out for six weeks with a knee injury.
The manager urged his side to try to replicate their performance against City when they visit United to lift the mood.
“We’ll have to be diligent, organised and have the same work ethic as we had at City,” he said.
“We can only control what we can control so we want to perform well, with a good work ethic and passion. That ignites the fans and that is our responsibility. It is on us to bring them with us and stand up to play for Everton.”
(Reporting by Richard Martin; Editing by Toby Davis)
