Everton continue to keep tabs on former Goodison Park boss Roberto Martinez as the pressure begins to rise on Frank Lampard at the Premier League strugglers, according to Belgian publication Het Belang van Limburg.
With the Lampard marriage hitting the rocks, could the Toffees return to an old flame?
The frustration in the away end was audible on Tuesday night, as Everton stumbled to a humiliating 4-1 defeat to AFC Bournemouth in the EFL Cup; the club’s fifth loss in seven games across all competitions.
Lampard, after taking over from Rafael Benitez, appeared to have given Everton an identity again. A dash of desire, and a sprinkling of fight. None of those attributes were apparent in Bournemouth, however; all the worst parts of the Benitez and Carlo Ancelotti’s era returned with a vengeance, much to the dismay of a travelling support who had made the long midweek trip to the South Coast only to see their side serve up a performance with more backwards passes than a rugby match.
Could Everton bring back Roberto Martinez as Frank Lampard replacement?
There is currently no suggestion that Lampard’s job is under any immediate threat. The former England international still has two years left on his current deal on Merseyside. But the impending availability of a man still popular on Gwladys Street is unlikely to go unnoticed. Reports indicate that Martinez remains in Everton’s sights ahead of the expiration of his Belgium contract in December.
The affable Spaniard, HBVL claim, will receive the offer of an extension from the Belgian Football Federation. They hope an agreement can be reached even before the World Cup opener against Canada on November 23rd.
Martinez, however, is in no rush to commit his immediate future to a side currently second in the FIFA World Rankings. The 49-year-old former Wigan Athletic and Swansea City boss may feel he has unfinished business at Everton, having come closer than any Toffees boss in the last decade to securing a Champions League berth at a side who have underachieved badly since his 2016 departure.
Martinez, who recently turned down Aston Villa and was courted by Tottenham Hotspur last year, took Everton to the brink of the top four during a superb 2013/14 season.
He has also been absent from the club game for six years.
In addition to Canada, Belgium will go head-to-head with Morocco and Croatia in World Cup Group F.
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