Frank Lampard insists he isn’t seeking ‘reassurances’ from Everton board despite doubts over future

Frank Lampard insists he isn’t seeking ‘reassurances’ from the Everton hierarchy despite emerging as the bookies’ favourite in the Premier League sack race.

Lampard’s position at Goodison Park is hanging by a thread after Tuesday’s 4-1 hammering against Brighton, which has left his side languishing in the relegation zone.

The Toffees have now suffered three straight defeats on their own turf and are also without a win in six matches, piling the pressure on their manager at the halfway stage of the season.

Frank Lampard is under pressure to keep his job at Everton amid their poor run of form

The Toffees were thrashed 4-1 by Brighton on Tuesday to extend their winless run to six games

Lampard, who has only guided Everton to three wins out of 18 in the league this season, has now overtaken West Ham boss David Moyes in the Premier League sack race, with the former Chelsea midfielder as short as 1/4 to lose his job, via oddschecker.

However, as things stand he is set to take charge of the club’s FA Cup clash with Manchester United on Friday despite increasing calls for him to be axed, and in his pre-match press conference a defiant Lampard stressed that he is not seeking reassurances over his future.

When quizzed on the conversations he had with Everton’s board after the defeat against Brighton, Lampard said: ‘Private conversations, simple as that.’ 

He then continued after being asked if he was seeking reassurances: ‘No, I’ve never and would never seek reassurances. Part of my job is to absolutely focus on the job at hand – day to day, game to game.

Despite increasing speculation over his future, Lampard is still focused on the job at hand

He also stressed that he isn’t seeking ‘reassurances’ from the club’s board amid their poor form

Everton will look to turn their fortunes around against Man United in the FA Cup on Friday

‘That’s the absolute reality of it. I don’t need reassurances. I come to work to try and improve a little bit everyday; myself, the team, the squad – everything. I’m not hunting around for reassurances.’

Lampard added: ‘I think I came here nearly a year ago now and my feeling when I walked in the building, a lot of Evertonians, who’ve got such passion for the club, felt that we were going in the direction of relegation. That’s my honest feeling.

‘So we managed to have an incredible time together, that sounds a little bit soppy or whatever you want to say, to stay up. Everyone saw the images of Palace, and I lived that moment with the fans and so did everybody at the club.

‘In my mind as well, I went home that night, had a glass of wine and [said] this is where the work begins and it’s gonna be a tough journey, because the elation of surviving the relegation battle was all well and good, but the reality was that there was a lot of work to do from there because why we were in that battle.

‘So I feel like we’re in that process. No I’m not silly, we need to get results, we want to stay in this league – that’s the first thing this year. We’ve just slipped into the bottom three, that’s not my major concern – and I’m not talking away from that – I’m just saying we’re in and around this area, that’s the reality, and if we win our next league game we’ll be out of the bottom three probably.

‘So those are just part of the process for me and I can’t affect anything other than that, my point being that I was very aware of what I came into with this job, I want to be a success at this club, and whatever challenges that come I’ll take them head on.

‘I actually enjoy them, I enjoy working for this club. It’s a real honour for me. So that’s why I said in my previous answer that I don’t need reassurances, I don’t need these things, I’m a big man that’s working for a great club and I’ll keep doing it.

According to The Sun, Wayne Rooney is on owner Farhad Moshiri’s shortlist should they sack the D.C. United manager’s former England team-mate Lampard.

Moshiri’s list of potential replacements for his under-fire manager also includes Sean Dyche and former Everton manager Roberto Martinez. 

Wayne Rooney is reportedly on Everton’s shortlist to replace Lampard at Goodison Park 

Dyche has been out of work since being sacked by Burnley in April, while Martinez – who recently quit as Belgium boss after their World Cup exit – previously managed the Toffees from June 2013 to May 2016.

Rooney is the surprise name on Moshiri’s shortlist, particularly after he turned his boyhood club down last year.

During his time at Derby, Rooney admitted: ‘They approached my agent and asked me to interview for the job which I turned down.

‘I believe I will be a Premier League manager and that I’m ready for that, and if that’s with Everton in future that would be great.

‘It was a very difficult decision but I’ve got a job here at Derby which is important to me.’