Work is underway to plot Everton’s summer recruitment drive as Frank Lampard and director of football Kevin Thelwell seek to improve the squad for next season.
Frank Lampard explaining: “They are discussions that will happen quickly. I’ve not felt that yet to be honest but if that is the case we will sit down and probably look at the best way through it… If I had my way, let me keep players that perform really well for the club then we can try and get as far forward as we can.”
Asked whether his attention had turned to transfers before the Goodison Park win,
Frank Lampard said: “Yes it has. I have been thinking about that and it has obviously been second in the list of priorities because we had to get this done and now we will quickly continue to think about that because we want to take the club forward. It has to improve. We have to improve. I have to improve. I have to get to work in pre-season. I didn’t have a pre-season [with this squad], now me and my staff do. Can we make the squad stronger and more balanced? I believe we can. We will look at everything in that way and it is important we look at it quickly… we have Kevin Thelwell now and we have the board that are interested in trying to get the best out of this club. We don’t want to be here next year but we understand if we don’t make positive moves it is possible. So we will be ready to move on that quickly.”
Injuries have devastated Everton’s season and Lampard has repeatedly been unable to select key players since arriving in January – an issue he wants to address.
Frank Lampard said: “There are things we can improve. I want the squad to be far more robust. We came into injuries and those injuries continued and ramped up. We lost two centre backs in my first week here, one for 10 weeks and one for five weeks, then we lost them again later on. And there’s things we have to look at around the whole situation that can help that stuff. But I have been really pleased with the players, they deserve their moment.”
Detailing his mindset towards tactics,
Frank Lampard added: “There is a long time for that kind of stuff in terms of the work we will do pre-season, the potential recruitment we have if we want to start playing a bit better between the lines, that starts from the back, and so we will look at all those things and through the middle of the pitch about how we can work because that’s always the first thing and then maybe how we can add and improve.”
Crucial to his ability to move forward with the club, he said, was being able to hold on to key assets – including Jordan Pickford, Richarlison and Dominic Calvert-Lewin – all of whom have been the subject of speculation while Everton’s Premier League future was in doubt. Lampard is planning to sit down with his stars now he can guarantee them top-flight football.
Frank Lampard said: “Those conversations have been on hold because everyone knows our situation and I’m not silly – those players they want to play in the Premier League. It is what it is. Now those conversations can start. You saw the quality levels of Jordan this season but in the last six weeks particularly and the form he has been in, of Dominic tonight and Richarlison. If we want to be successful we want to continue in that way so those conversations can start from now.”
