Chris Sutton has taken to Twitter after Everton mounted a spirited comeback against Crystal Palace to preserve their Premier League status.
The 49-year-old was responding to a critical comment aimed at Frank Lampard by Rory Smith of the New York Times, and it’s safe to say he isn’t happy.
What’s the story?
Well, Sutton decided to praise the £105,000-a-week man for keeping the Toffees in the Premier League, given the mess he inherited from Rafa Benitez.
However, Smith responded in sarcastic fashion, saying that Lampard has done ‘brilliantly’ to take Everton from 16th in the Premier League to… 16th in the Premier League.
You can see the awkward exchange in full below.
You can see where Sutton is coming from, but you can also see where Smith is coming from as well.
To put it simply, Everton should never, ever have been this close to relegation given the amount of money spent by Farhad Moshiri, so you can see why some – like Smith – are downplaying the achievement.
Frank Lampard has work to do at Everton
In many ways, Lampard hasn’t even done the hardest part of his job at Goodison Park yet.
Yes, keeping the Toffees in the Premier League is a big step, although now, there is a huge amount of deadwood to offload, and some big signings must be made.
It has been a dismal campaign, and things could get worse next season if Everton lose Dominic Calvert-Lewin to Newcastle or Arsenal this summer.
The Toffees could also lose Richarlison to Tottenham.
Nevertheless, whether you think Lampard did well to keep Everton in the Premier League, or he just did the bare minimum expected of him, is irrelevant.
Now, the 43-year-old faces the toughest task of his managerial career yet, as he attempts to rebuild this weak, depleted Everton squad.
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