Everton are on the hunt for a new manager following the sacking of Frank Lampard on Monday afternoon.
Lampard was sacked following a string of poor performances since the return of the Premier League following its break for the World Cup. Everton are mired in the relegation zone.
The Blues are without a win in the top-flight since October and are stuck in a relegation battle in 19th place. Everton's poor form, consisting of six defeats and two draws, is Lampard's longest winless run as a manager in league competition.
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Lampard’s last game in charge of Everton came at the weekend as his side were beaten 2-0 by West Ham United. Two first-half goals from Jarrod Bowen secured the Hammers all three points at the London Stadium.
Kicking things off in his final press conference at the London Stadium on Saturday evening, Lampard said: “Disappointed in the result, especially when we had major control in between both boxes. To lose 2-0 is obviously disappointing.
“The game went the way we wanted it to until about the 20th minute. The stadium was quiet and we had the ball.
“It came down to probably an issue for us recently. We are not going to be clinical enough and not dynamic enough and not tough enough in the final third.
“You always have the possibility, especially with a good team like West Ham with good individuals, of conceding and it changes the face of the game.”
Everton majority shareholder Farhad Moshiri was in attendance for Saturday’s game, it was the first time he has watched his side in the flesh since October 2021. And when asked if he had spoken to Moshiri following the match, Lampard said: "No, not to me. Whether it should or not is not for me to second guess.
“I've been asked this question a lot now and I know there are things going on at the club so I understand why, but it has never been a consequence to me whether an owner or a chairman or a board member are at the game.
"I spent 18 months at Chelsea and the owner didn't come to one competitive game. It's not about that for me so you can read into it what you want but, when I say it is of no concern I am not talking anything away from it, it is just not the relevant thing for me."
Lampard was then 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."
Before he added: "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."
To conclude the press conference, Lampard was asked, and then refused to shed any light, on why Anthony Gordon failed to feature for Everton against the Hammers. The 21-year-old has been linked with a move to Newcastle United over the past few days.
"No. Sorry, no,” Lampard replied, and before he had even answered the question he was up out of his seat and heading for the exit.
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