Frank Lampard admitted his future is out of his hands after Everton crashed out of the FA Cup at Old Trafford.
The Everton manager was given a generous ovation by the club’s 9000 travelling fans following a 3-1 loss to Manchester United and it was deserved, as the score did not reflect how close they had come to gaining a positive result.
But Lampard understands that a sequence of results which now reads nine defeats in 12 matches in all competitions leaves him vulnerable to the whims of owner Farhad Moshiri and while he has the backing of supporters, it is unclear whether it extends to the boardroom.
Frank Lampard’s position at Everton is under more pressure following their FA Cup exit
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The struggling Toffees have now lost nine of their last 12 games across all competitions
‘That’s not under my control,’ he said. ‘It’s not for me to focus on that. It’s for me to focus on what I saw tonight and that was a performance that every manager wants with the attitude of the team, and the focus. The focus now is Southampton.’
Lampard, whose team remain the relegation zone, added to ITV sport: ‘This league can change very quickly and when you’re in a difficult run you have to work really hard to get out of it but it can change.
‘I don’t want to talk about my future, I only want to talk about the players and how well they played. My focus is on this team and getting a result against Southampton.’
On the ovation he and his players received at the end, Lampard said: ‘The reaction at the end of the game probably speaks. They saw that spirit in the team and the way we played and we deserved to get a result and that is good for the players to see.
Lampard says he is focusing on his next game but the defeat put his position under more threat
‘The fans will respect when you give everything for the club. We had a lot of that last season and early this season. Recently it has been tough. Even though it has been a tough little period, I think the players have been good. We just need a win.’
Erik Ten Hag, meanwhile, believes Marcus Rashford can become unstoppable after his outstanding performance was instrumental in propelling United into the draw for the next round and keeping the manager’s ambition to win a trophy this season on track.
The England international set up two goals and converted a stoppage time penalty that enabled United to beat Everton 3-1, maintaining his brilliant form. This was fifth consecutive game in which he has scored, the first time he has had such a sequence in his career.
Everton next play Southampton – a chance to turn their form around if Lampard continues
Ten Hag is delighted with Rashford’s form bit insists the scope is there for him to get even better and he said: ‘It was great performance, staying in the game from the first minute as a team he dealt good with the setback and Marcus was the one who goes in front and showed the confidence and the belief and good movements behind, taking the players on and I think he was 90 minutes a threat for the defending part of Everton.
‘Marcus is doing very well but also the team so that he can bring his strengths in and be unstoppable with his speed his dribbles.’