Everton boss Frank Lampard is currently feeling the love at Goodison Park having seemingly lifted the doom and gloom surrounding the club since his arrival in January, helping to steer the Merseysiders away from safety last term after a dismal run of form under predecessor Rafa Benitez had sparked fears of relegation.

The former England international appears to have struck up a bond with Toffees supporters during his time at the helm, although it remains to be seen just how long that goodwill will last, with just one win from the opening seven Premier League games of the season.

While there have been encouraging displays thus far - notably in the goalless draw with bitter rivals Liverpool - the jury is still out on whether the 44-year-old has what it takes to make what is a hugely historic club competitive again.

There are lingering doubts over his quality as a manager, having failed to secure promotion with Derby County back in 2019 off the back of hefty investment, while he was unable to deliver the goods during his second season in charge at Chelsea, despite spending over £200m in the transfer market.

As such, there will still be concerns as to whether Lampard is the right fit in the long-term for the Merseyside outfit, with the club potentially having made a mistake in not doing more to land a certain Graham Potter following Benitez's departure.

Reports at the time suggested that the former Brighton and Hove Albion boss was on the shortlist of potential replacements for the Spaniard at Goodison, having impressed fans and pundits alike for the work he had done during his time at the Amex.

Something of a "genius" - in the words of broadcaster Joe Thomlinson - the 47-year-old caught the eye during his time with the Seagulls due to his progressive and attractive style of play, with Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola having lauded his counterpart last term due to the south coast side's "courage" and ability to play "like a top four or five team."

Brighton notably secured a remarkable ninth-place finish under Potter's watch last term, with arguably the high point of that impressive campaign having come at the tail end of the season as they hit Manchester United for four on home soil.

That form continued into the new campaign with the former Swansea City boss having guided the club to fourth place with 13 points from their opening six league games, once again overseeing a deserved victory over the Red Devils on the opening weekend at Old Trafford.

Even prior to his time in England, the coaching visionary had earned plaudits for the job he had done for Swedish outfit Ostersunds, guiding the club from the fourth tier to eventual Europa League participants, notably masterminding a shock, second-leg triumph over Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium in that competition back in 2018.

Such managerial brilliance has not gone unnoticed with the Englishman having only recently replaced Thomas Tuchel in the dugout at Chelsea, with that step up to an elite team a welcome reward for the work he has done in recent years.

It would appear that Everton have now missed the boat after being unable to land Potter during the winter, with it set to be a notable blow that they were unable to secure his services ahead of Lampard.