Frank Lampard compares transfer windows at Everton to the ‘Wild West’

Frank Lampard has described Everton’s approach to the January transfer window when he was manager as the ‘Wild West.’

Chelsea legend Lampard was in charge of Everton for just under a year between January 2022 and January 2023 in a largely unsuccessful tenure.

Although the former midfielder did keep the struggling Toffees in the Premier League in the 2021/22 season, he was eventually sacked with them sat down in 19th place on just 15 points last term.

Now Lampard has revealed how chaotic the transfer window was at his old club.

Transfer windows would scupper Everton’s ‘football plan’

Speaking on the Stick to Football podcast, Lampard said: “We got to the point where we were struggling for results come January, after the World Cup.

“One of the problems I found at Everton was that we were trying to work a football plan – Kevin Thelwell came in as Sporting Director and Denise [Barrett-Baxendale] was the football plan recruitment – we were working towards it, but the minute January came, it was like the Wild West.

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“Agents, and everyone, it was all about what it was going to be and who we could bring in. We were struggling to spend money because of the FFP situation, but I desperately wanted to bring in some players, and in the end after I’d left, where Sean Dyche came in the back end [of the season], he couldn’t make any moves anyways and Anthony Gordon left the club.

“There was a lot of tension at the club through that and I think it would have been a build up over the past few years, I felt it from the minute I came in until the minute I left – it was almost like we were in a crisis but there is going to be another crisis, it was quite difficult.

“We managed it when we stayed up that year, quite a lot of the plan was to build confidence and feeling and we managed to get over the line with that. But, the second season, towards the end, it was challenging.

“They’ve spent a lot of money on recruitment, and it hadn’t been joined up and that’s come to roost now where we’re seeing the aftermath.” 

Frank Lampard was speaking on the Stick to Football podcast, brought to you by Sky Bet.