Frank Lampard has a point to prove. He will know that plenty of people will wonder why he has been given the chance of a fresh start at Everton. There are questions to answer after Lampard’s sacking by Chelsea and, although the former England midfielder has time to alter perceptions of his coaching ability, it is hard not to feel that he needs this job to be a success. If that sounds harsh, consider how it ended for him after 18 months at Chelsea. They had slumped to ninth after a series of tactically incoherent displays and, even taking into account Roman Abramovich’s ruthless streak, there was nothing outrageous about the Russian’s decision to fire Lampard 12 months ago. Chelsea were right to act. They had spent £220m during the summer of 2020 but performances were disappointing and morale in the dressing-room was low. Lampard had fallen out with some big players and he knew his time was up when he woke to an early morning text from Chelsea’s chairman, Bruce Buck, and saw that his presence was required in the boardroom. Buck and Marina Granovskaia, the powerful Chelsea director, thanked Lampard for his efforts. Less than 24 hours had passed since Chelsea’s victory over Luton in the FA Cup, but the decision had been made. Thomas Tuchel was available and the German would go on to make a stunning impact, doing Lampard’s reputation few favours by winning the Champions League four months after taking over. The difference under Tuchel was stark. Chelsea conceded 54 league goals during Lampard’s first season and the defence did not improve during his second campaign. Opponents repeatedly punished an invitingly open midfield by hurting Chelsea on the counterattack and one of the first things that Tuchel did was to make a previously dysfunctional side hard to break down. There had also been questions over how Lampard handled senior players such as Marcos Alonso and Antonio Rüdiger. There was a feeling that the 43-year-old was not a great communicator. At times Lampard came across as awkward and distant. His man-management could have been smoother and there will be concerns that he could struggle again if he has not worked out how to forge stronger connections with players. Some people feel that Lampard needs to loosen up. Even he admits that he can be an over-thinker. Nerves can be an issue. Lampard’s interview for the vacancy at Crystal Palace last summer did not go well – the club ended up turning to Patrick Vieira, who has been quietly impressive this season – and it is understood he has spent time working on how to convey his ideas more effectively. Lampard is a young coach and should not be judged solely on his demise at Chelsea. He performed encouragingly after Derby handed him his first opportunity in 2018. Lampard took Derby to sixth in the Championship and, although they lost the play-off final to Aston Villa, his work was enough to convince Chelsea to give their greatest goalscorer a chance when they needed a unifying figure in the dugout after the departure of Maurizio Sarri in June 2019. It should be remembered that Lampard was not walking into a simple situation. Chelsea were under a transfer embargo and were unable to replace Eden Hazard after selling him to Real Madrid.Yet Lampard took on the challenge and there were positives during his first season. Losing the FA Cup final to Arsenal was a blow, but Chelsea finished fourth and earned some memorable wins over Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United and Tottenham. Lampard could also point to the part he played in promoting Chelsea’s talented academy players. At their best, Chelsea could be aggressive, quick, proactive and exciting when they clicked under Lampard. Mason Mount and Reece James have become England internationals since breaking through under him and are key players for Tuchel. The pressure, though, rose when Chelsea were free to spend. Lampard wanted a smaller squad but Chelsea struggled to shift players and were left with three left-backs and five centre-backs. “It’s not nice and you can’t bullshit players,” Lampard said. His team became more confused and a run of five defeats in eight league games convinced Abramovich to fire a club legend. It was a bruising experience for Lampard and he has taken time out to mend his wounds. He did not feel ready when Bournemouth approached him in February 2020 and he has been keen to wait for the right opportunity. He was not convinced about walking into a relegation scrap when he spoke to Norwich City about replacing Daniel Farke last November. There has been a lot of introspection. Lampard has decided to move forward without Jody Morris, who was his No 2 at Chelsea and Derby, and he has put thought into his coaching team. He has convinced Joe Edwards to leave Chelsea and could ask Carlo Ancelotti’s experienced former assistant, Paul Clement, to be his right-hand man. Anthony Barry, though, has decided to remain part of Tuchel’s back room staff. This is not an easy job. Everton look broken after the demise of Rafael Benítez. Lampard, who had three interviews before landing the job, will be under pressure. The atmosphere around Goodison Park has felt poisonous and Everton, who are in danger of being sucked into the bottom three, need Lampard to make a fast start. He has to be ready.