Frank Lampard sacked as Everton manager after less than a year in charge

Everton have sacked manager Frank Lampard after he was in the job for less than a year.

The club have suffered a poor run of form and are second from bottom of the Premier League, with no wins in their last 10 games in all competitions.

They were beaten 2-0 by fellow strugglers West Ham on Saturday and sit 19th in the table - only above bottom-placed Southampton on goal difference.

Lampard's dismissal comes after Farhad Moshiri, Everton's owner, attended his first match since October 2021 as the Toffees succumbed to defeat at the London Stadium - their third consecutive loss in the league.

The former Chelsea boss was appointed at Goodison Park at the end of January 2022, and although he helped the club avoid the drop last season, he leaves Everton with 15 points from 20 games and three wins this term - the worst victory record in the division.

They last won a league game in October when they beat Crystal Palace 3-0 at home, and are now in a relegation battle.

The Toffees have also been eliminated from both domestic cup competitions.

Marcelo Bielsa is being considered to replace Lampard at Everton, according to Sky Sports News.

The former Leeds United boss has been out of work since leaving Elland Road nearly a year ago.

Two weekends ago, Everton's board of directors were ordered to stay away from Goodison Park for a match against Southampton due to perceived security risks.

In an unprecedented move, the executives did not attend on 14 January after offensive messages - including death threats to chairman Bill Kenwright - were made to specific individuals during the week by angry fans.

Everton lost the game 2-1, which led fans to chant "sack the board" as players left the pitch.

Lampard is the sixth manager to be fired by Moshiri since 2017.

The former Derby boss won only nine and lost 21 of his 38 Premier League matches since taking over at Goodison Park and departs eight days before the first anniversary of his appointment.

Only 10 days ago, Moshiri offered public backing for his manager but the hugely damaging defeats to Southampton and West Ham forced a change.

In a statement on Monday, the Merseyside club said: "Everyone at Everton would like to thank Frank and his coaching staff for their service during what has been a challenging 12 months.

"Frank and his team's commitment and dedication have been exemplary throughout their time at the club, but recent results and the current league position meant this difficult decision had to be taken. We wish Frank and all his backroom team well for their future in the game.

"The club has started the process to secure a new manager and will provide updates on the appointment in due course."