Frank Lampard: This is who to blame for Everton woes as ‘baffling’ claim issued – pundit
It is Frank Lampard’s job to install more courage and confidence in his Everton players, according to Gabby Agbonlahor.
Speaking exclusively to Football Insider, the ex-Aston Villa and England attacker delivered his verdict after Lampard’s attack on his squad following their 4-0 hammering to Crystal Palace in the FA Cup quarter-final on Sunday (20 March).
As quoted by the Guardian after the game, the 43-year-old claimed the result was down to a lack of confidence and questioned the attitude of his players.
He admitted he did not have a “magic wand” to transform the “resilience across a whole squad”.
But Agbonlahor has insisted that is the reason he was hired by the club’s hierarchy in the first palce.
He told Football Insider‘s Connor Whitley: “Lampard’s got to change the confidence himself.
“That’s what players are looking for, that’s your job as a manager. You need to be the one who gives the players the courage to go out there.
“That is his job and that is why Everton have appointed him. He needs to spend the international break with whoever is left there and force them to have that courage to be comfortable.
“It won’t be nice as a player but some of them will be thinking ‘You know what, he’s right’.
“A team like Everton should not be losing any game 4-0 to Crystal Palace, never mind an FA Cup quarter-final. It’s baffling.
“They’ve got some quality players have Everton they shouldn’t be struggling, no way.”
Everton have won four of the 10 games Lampard has been in charge of but only two of those have come in the Premier League.
They are next in action when they travel to West Ham after the international break (2 April).
In other news, four ‘£100,000-a-week’ stars could be at Everton next season after a ‘massive’ update.