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Everton intend to stick with Frank Lampard amid World Cup break

For many teams across the world, the fun stops for a period of months now. The last major league games have been played until the end of the 2022 FIFA World Cup. Held in winter, this uniquely positioned tournament has seen leagues across Europe and beyond stop for the duration of the tournament. This will naturally give teams who are in a good position space to plan for a busy January window. For teams who are struggling, though, these fallow months mean plenty of time to think about the future.

For Everton in particular, that kind of time can become dangerous. The Toffees have become used to making change after change, never really settling into one period of management. The Blues frequently change coaches, rebuild playing staff, and shift about their staff. This has led to the chaotic inconsistency that has seen Everton drop down the standings. They finish the pre-break batch of games in lowly 17th spot, having fallen to pieces in recent weeks.

The scenes at the end of their 3-0 defeat to Bournemouth – their second loss to the Cherries in a week – seen fans turn. Everton players threw their shirts into the crowd, only to have them thrown back at them – notably Alex Iwobi, one of the few bright sparks of the season. Lampard, too, was given a barrage of abuse by fuming Everton fans who have grown more than sick of the clubs disfunction on and off the pitch.

However, reports around the club suggest that no change is in the offing. Lampard, who kept the club up last year amid over-the-top fanfare, has seen his stock fall apart drastically. A busy summer window seen most of the forward line leave, while more injuries to talismanic striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin means that, for the most part, Everton are in trouble.

Lampard set to be given more time

With a January window to come, reports suggest that the former Chelsea manager will be given funds to try and change his squad. While other teams are sure to be busy in January, Everton are expected to be looking heavily at new recruitments. Outgoings will be possible, too, though it will be hard to find takers for most of the players they wish to move on.

A chaotic transfer strategy ever since Farhad Moshiri bought Everton has seen too many misses and not enough hits. With the axe hanging over the manager, fans were expecting yet another change. Reports suggested that former Everton coach and on-the-pitch hero Duncan Ferguson could return as the first-team coach.

Now, though, it looks like Lampard will get more time. Though his overall away record has been disastrous in charge of Everton, he has made Goodison Park somewhat harder to visit for opposing teams. The club will need to move quickly in the winter, though, as games will return thick and fast just prior to the transfer window opening.

Lampard, then, has his stay of execution – can he stick around long enough to see it through?

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