Frank waiting for the axe as Moshiri begins search for yet another boss

FRANK LAMPARD is waiting to hear he has been sacked as Everton prepare to begin the process of another new manager search. Former Chelsea and Derby boss Lampard spoke with owner Farhad Moshiri and chairman Bill Kenwright over the weekend, along with director of football Kevin Thelwell, and has accepted things will change after Saturday’s 2-0 defeat at West Ham.

Moshiri, remarkably, abdicated responsibility over what the future held for Lampard as he left the London Stadium, telling a reporter from Sky Sports News that ‘It’s not my decision’ on managers.

The comment was greeted with incredulity.

Everton’s players have been given time off and are not due to return to their Finch Farm training complex until tomorrow afternoon though it remains to be seen who will oversee the planned session, if — as expected — Lampard and his staff are jettisoned.

One option would be to promote former player Leighton Baines, who is now in charge of the Under 18s, and Under 21 head coach Paul Tait to oversee matters. Dispensing with Lampard, who has 18 months remaining on his contract, and his five staff will not be cheap for an owner who has so far paid out close to £40million in severance pay to five previous managers since May 2016 — only Carlo Ancelotti has left of his own accord. Sean Dyche has been heavily linked in recent weeks — Moshiri sounded him out in October 2017 when Ronald Koeman left — but the former Burnley boss has not been approached and is not high on the list of candidates. Former Wolves and Tottenham boss Nuno Espirito Santo was interviewed after Ancelotti’s departure in June 2021 but he is now at Al-Ittihad in Saudi Arabia with a £7m release clause.