Former Premier League manager Harry Redknapp gives a damning assessment of the unfolding mess at Everton.
Speaking on talkSPORT, Former Tottenham Hotspur manager Harry Redknapp has given a scathing verdict of the trouble that Premier League side Everton find themselves in at this moment in time.
All season, the Toffees have won just six games in the league and are hovering just a point above the relegation zone. More so, they showed little heart for a fight and surrendered meekly to Tottenham in the 5-0 thrashing earlier in the week. It is fair to say that the scoreline could have been more humiliating had Spurs taken their chances or pushed harder.
As things stand, Redknapp’s nephew, Frank Lampard, is the one in the hot seat at Goodison Park. The Chelsea legend took over from Rafael Benitez earlier this year but now finds himself between a rock and a hard place. The chaotic nature surrounding the club makes Everton look more like a group of individuals rather than a proper team.
Redknapp certainly did not hold back any punches, describing the Toffees bunch as a poor group. If anything, the 75-year-old’s comments resonate with that of Jamie Carragher, who considers the Everton back four to be worthy of playing at the Championship level.
“They are just a very poor group of players. I watched it on TV and Jamie Carragher said it was a Championship back four. If you go through, man-for-man, it’s a poor outfit. They’ve recruited badly, got no legs in midfield,” Redknapp said.
Everton’s problems on the field are just the tip of the iceberg. The Merseysiders have not only spent vast amounts of money in recent transfer windows but also done so poorly. The midfield, in particular, has struggled to impose themselves in games, failing to keep up with opposition players who want it more.
Everton’s last two managers were Carlo Ancelotti and Rafael Benitez, both of whom have won the UEFA Champions League. Lampard is nowhere near the same calibre as a tactician and has his work cut out at Goodison Park.
“They are average players, average characters. Frank has his work cut out. If he keeps them up then he’s done very well because they are in desperate trouble,” Redknapp added. “It’s down to recruitment. I don’t care who you think you are, you could put Pep [Guardiola] in there and he’s not suddenly going to turn that group around.”
The 75-year-old has placed the blame squarely on the recruitment process that looked haphazard and lacked long-term vision. Whether Everton can stave off relegation and hit the reset button in the summer remains to be seen.
The Toffees play eight of their last 13 games at home. Everton, by no means, have an easy run of games but face relegation six-pointers against Brentford and Watford. It could be these ties that eventually decide where Lampard’s side end up.
