Salomon Rondon makes 'grateful' Rafa Benitez claim and offers honest Frank Lampard view

Salomon Rondon believes Frank Lampard is the right man to street Everton to safety but has said he is still “grateful” to Rafa Benitez for bringing him to the club.

The Blues have endured mixed results so far in Lampard’s tenure, contrasting uplifting performances at Goodison with disappointing away defeats.

Rondon scored twice in Everton’s 3-1 win over Boreham Wood earlier this month as the club progressed to the FA Cup quarter-finals, but the team followed this with a heavy defeat to Tottenham on Monday.

As the Toffees prepare to host Wolves on Sunday, the 32-year-old striker has insisted that the ex-Chelsea boss has proven his coaching ability and will overturn the club’s fortunes.

“We know what a team like Chelsea is all about,” Rondon told Marca, as relayed by Sport Witness . “But in today’s football world, results are very important, and you have to keep working. We are not in a very positive moment for us.

“But we have to pick it up somehow. He has the knowledge. He wants us to play with the ball as we have trained and as we have played in the last few games.

“But we have to keep going; we have to lift our heads to overcome this moment.”

Everton currently sit a point above the relegation zone but have three games in hand over both Leeds and Brentford above them.

Lampard arrived as manager at the end of January following the dismissal of Rafa Benitez , who had been a controversial appointment by the club.

However, Rondon expressed his appreciation for the Spanish coach, having previously played under Benitez at Newcastle United and Chinese club Dalian Professional.

“There are many things to analyse,” Rondon said, when asked what went wrong for Benitez at Everton.

“I will always be grateful to Rafa