Frank Lampard makes honest comment about what Neal Maupay was like at Everton

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Frank Lampard’s tenure as Everton manager can be viewed in several ways.

The 45-year-old had his ups and downs, with the scenes at the back end of the 2021/22 season living long in the memory.

Unfortunately, Lampard was the victim of the way modern-day management is heading. It’s a results-driven business, and the board couldn’t risk Everton’s league status.

His 27 per cent win rate was the second lowest of his career, with his caretaker stint at Chelsea amassing just 9 per cent.

Exactly a point a game wasn’t enough for the Chelsea legend, and he has since opened up about his tenure at Goodison Park and picked out one player in particular.

Frank Lampard shares honest verdict on Neal Maupay

Talking to YouTube channel JOE, Lampard revealed how Neal Maupay struggled upon his arrival at the club.

“I wanted to change the way we played – Tarkwoski came on a free, Coady came in on loan – but in that second season, as we tried to progress, Dominic got injured in pre-season, and Neal Maupay came and struggled to get in there, so we were playing without an effective number nine,” he said.

On his sacking, he accepted that the club had to make a change.

“This is not me making a lot of excuses because you will lose your job if you don’t get results, and in that last period of time, we couldn’t get results,” he added.

“We tried everything, tried to find solutions and when I lost the job, I got it. I sit and think more about Chelsea and think there were some things there. If we could have got over it, we could have moved forward.

“At Everton, I understand an owner has to make a change. The problem for me with Everton is that now I have quite a big feeling for Everton because I really enjoyed being there for the year. And the similar problems and mistakes that have been made are still kind of there.”

Is this an excuse from Lampard?

The lack of an adequate number nine didn’t help Lampard, and Maupay’s underperformance certainly impacted Everton’s attacking output, ultimately costing the 45-year-old his job.

However, his comments on Dominic Calvert-Lewin need to be picked apart. Lampard suggests that had the 26-year-old been fit, Everton’s goalscoring issues would have been eased.

This season, he has struggled to hit the back of the net and has even found himself out of the starting XI in recent weeks. Very little evidence suggests he would have alleviated the pressure on Lampard’s shoulders.