There are few jobs in football that are more demanding and pressurised than managing Chelsea, but by accepting the challenge of reviving Everton’s Premier League fortunes, Frank Lampard has arguably found an even more difficult task in his new job at Goodison Park than he ever encountered at Stamford Bridge.
When you manage Chelsea, it goes with the territory that success is an absolute must, but while owner Roman Abramovich expects silverware from every manager he appoints, the job also comes with the knowledge that the club is a supremely well-run organisation, with some of the best developing talent in the game in its youth ranks and the financial backing of Abramovich, who has always ensured that the team is stocked with elite players in every position.
Sometimes even success isn’t enough to stay in the job at Chelsea. Carlo Ancelotti was fired just a year after winning the Premier League and FA Cup double, while Roberto Di Matteo was gone within six months of winning the Champions League in 2012. Lampard himself was dismissed after 18 months in charge last January, despite guiding the team to Champions League qualification and the FA Cup final at a time when Chelsea were unable to sign players due to a FIFA-imposed transfer ban.
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But while Chelsea are a club that is built for success, Lampard will soon discover that Everton have all the same ambition but none of the advantages that he enjoyed in his previous job. It is a club with a proud history — only Manchester United, Liverpool and Arsenal have won more league titles than Everton’s nine — but one that hasn’t won a major trophy since the FA Cup in 1995.
Goodison Park is an outdated relic and a move to a new stadium on the banks of the River Mersey is not due until 2024 at the earliest. There is also the ever-present issue of neighbours Liverpool winning major honours including the Champions League and Premier League at…
Source : espn
