Whatever supporters think of him as a football manager, Everton as a club is lucky to currently have Frank Lampard on the frontline as a communicator.
This is a difficult time for everyone associated with the club, from the players and non-playing staff to what, in my view, is one of the most passionate and dedicated fanbases there is. I could write about the many factors behind the current problems - on and off the pitch - for pages and pages and have detailed some of my concerns at length, including on the front page of the ECHO earlier this month. Many pre-date the arrival of Lampard.
But despite the difficult hand he has been dealt, and at a time when fans are justifiably calling for answers, Lampard is the one person who comes out time after time to face the questions. He might not have a choice over whether or not he attends press conferences, but he does have a choice over how he conducts himself.
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And while tensions may be running high around Goodison Park, Finch Farm and the Royal Liver Building the Blues boss appears to continue doing his best to be as honest and reflective as possible. I was unable to attend Finch Farm this week for Lampard's pre-West Ham United conference but watching from afar I thought he handled a potentially fraught situation well. The form has been terrible, but he accepts responsibility for his role in what happens on the pitch.
There is no doubt he will be frustrated with how the transfer window has unfolded. He had a plan going into this month and, while there was always an understanding this would be a tough window to do business in, he would have hoped for at least one new forward player to boost his options by the game with West Ham - the last of the month - if not Southampton seven days earlier. His position is clearly under pressure despite the recent public backing from majority shareholder Farhad Moshiri and he has watched as the wider management of the club has become the subject of protest.
Despite this he continues to speak well and, I believe, openly. There was his unfortunate choice of words when he was asked about the circumstances that led to the late Wolverhampton Wanderers winner on Boxing Day but considering everything else he has said and done in the previous 12 months, and again ahead of West Ham, when he speaks of the privilege of leading Everton and his admiration of the fans and their passion, it feels like he means what he says. This is the same behind closed doors. I have spoken with him up and down the country, in the US and Australia, on camera and off camera and I have never doubted his sincerity.
There will be a lot of people reading this and thinking this is all well and good, but it is results that ultimately matter. They are, of course, correct - and recent results and the club's league position is a legitimate cause for scrutiny and concern. Being a good communicator cannot be what keeps Lampard in a job, results need to improve. Lampard does deserve credit, however, for his commitment to honest dialogue even as the club is engulfed in problems that largely pre-date his arrival.
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