UNCLE HARRY’S IN FRANK TALKS
FRANK LAMPARD is keeping it in the family as he tries to save Everton from the drop. The Goodison boss admitted he’s having regular chats with his uncle, Harry Redknapp, who won a famous relegation fight as Portsmouth boss in 2006.
Pompey looked doomed until they picked up six wins in nine matches.
While nephew Frank clinched the Premier League title as Chelsea beat Manchester United 3-0 a week before the end of that season, Redknapp (right) was pulling off a miracle as Portsmouth beatwigan 2-1 to stave off relegation.
And Lampard has been tapping into Redknapp’s experience as he plots a great escape with Everton.
“I regularly speak to Harry and will always speak to him no matter what the situation,” said Lampard, who today faces Chelsea and his replacement as Stamford Bridge boss Thomas Tuchel.
“Harry is always a great voice of reason and experience, and he has been in this situation before.
“I’m not telling you what he says because it will be, ‘Harry told me to do this or that’,” laughed Lampard. “Anyway, it’s not that kind of advice. Speaking to people like Harry, you find the best things they say are really simple.
“And I’m not trying to put Harry down because the smartest managers always make things sound simple.
“I spoke to him about taking the Everton and Chelsea jobs, and I’ve asked him what he thinks about this situation because he was there with Portsmouth.
“You might get some nuggets from those chats. I’ll keep them to myself – it’s great to have him on the end of the phone, though. “And I’ve also got people around me like Paul Clement, who is on my staff and has been in this position before at Swansea.”
With six games left, the pressure is beginning to bite hard but Lampard can’t get too wrapped up in the emotion felt by nervous Evertonians.
“I understand what is on it for the club and the fans here, so there is a real level of intensity but I am the first one who has to stay calm and focused,” he said. “As a manager the job consumes you on all fronts. I want to give everything to make it work.”
JOHN
ALDRIDGE believes Frank Lampard has turned into Jose Mourinho and shouldn’t be managing Everton.
The Kop idol was disgusted by Everton’s
spoiling tactics during last Sunday’s Merseyside derby defeat and insists many Toffees fans won’t stand for a repeat against Lampard’s former club Chelsea today. Aldridge said: “The tactics came straight out of a Jose Mourinho manual, when Chelsea used to
feign injury and slow down play at every opportunity. I don’t believe Everton have a manager capable of pulling them clear of relegation. I don’t think that anti-football performance would have done him any favours with the Everton hierarchy or with many of
the fans either.”