By Daily Sports Nigeria on March 17, 2022

Lampard was in the picture to be the new Newcastle boss back in November

Newcastle United’s trip to Everton on Thursday night represents a clash between two sides at contrasting ends of the form table. Eddie Howe’s men suffered only their first Premier League defeat of 2022 on Sunday when they were undone by a late and arguably undeserved Kai Havertz goal.

Although a kick in the teeth for Eddie Howe’s side, the result doesn’t take the shine off what’s been an excellent spell for the Toon since the turn of the year, and they’re now almost certain to avoid being dragged into a late season relegation battle.

The same can’t be said for Everton who are in free fall and at real risk of suffering their first relegation from England’s top tier since 1951. They’ve lost all but one of their nine Premier League matches since the beginning of January, with Frank Lampard having overseen a large portion of those results.

The same can’t be said for Everton who are in free fall and at real risk of suffering their first relegation from England’s top tier since 1951. They’ve lost all but one of their nine Premier League matches since the beginning of January, with Frank Lampard having overseen a large portion of those results.

Lampard joined the Toffees at the end of January and it was expected he’d have an immediate positive impact on their form. His first game in charge saw him secure a 4-1 win over Brentford in the FA Cup, however, his first league game ended in defeat, notably at the hands of Newcastle in last month’s 3-1 victory at St James’ Park.

A 3-0 home win against Leeds aside, results have failed to pick up since, and the ex-Chelsea manager’s struggles on Merseyside perhaps act as some redemption for those who weren’t convinced by his credentials when he was in the frame to land the Newcastle job back in November.

Before Howe was appointed, Lampard was one of the names linked with a move to the club. A startling playing career combined with experience at one of the country’s biggest clubs made the 43-year-old a more appealing option in the eyes of some when compared to Howe who had a relatively modest CV in comparison.

Thankfully the Newcastle hierarchy opted to pursue Howe and show faith in the former Bournemouth boss instead, and that belief is already starting to be rewarded by the 44-year-old. Coincidently, at the time of his appointment in November, Newcastle trailed Everton by ten points in the table, yet going into Thursday night’s clash, they are nine points better off.

Another victory wouldn’t just extend that gap to 12 points, but it’d further underline the impressive job Howe has done since arriving at St James’ Park. He may not have enjoyed the same glittering playing career as his Everton counterpart, but he’s certainly showing from a managerial standpoint, there’s no comparison between the two.

Source FlashSport

Posted March 17, 2022

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