Lampard pleased with Everton' fight

Iwobi again giving the energy we have lacked. Maybe we've stumbled on the midfield three for the rest of the season.

I've noticed our crowd seems to be getting younger or is it me getting older? Anyway, we have plenty of young fans to carry on the tradition. COYB!

Sadly I missed being there today in my usual season ticket seat due to a sickness bug but the atmosphere sounded fantastic! I was shaking all of the 2nd half watching on TV!

We need to stay positive now for the rest of the season (at least until we are safe) and the board protests can wait until then.

I may have dreamt it but I am sure I read on here before the game that someone had said they'd rather a defeat than a draw so we could sack the manager! I can't buy in to that at all! Just get behind the team, and on today's evidence, the crowd were!

Mr Moss was as usual as he is, and today he gave red card card immunity to Wan-Bissaka.

But it's a start and the hopefully the start of the Everton winning fight to recovery and staying in this League.

Enjoy the break and same effort vs Leicester.

He shouldn't get too attached to some players (eg, Holgate, Delph, Kenny, Doucoure) because if we do stay in the Premier League, we need to replace some of these players with better quality and Lampard can build his own team. I can see Calvert-Lewin leaving.

Some of his running today was what I like to think I would play like if I ever got the chance to represent our club!

The only thing lacking was the composure to kill the game off. Same as Burnley, we got into good positions but couldn't capitalise.

There were some really committed performances all over the park but Mykolenko deserves a mention. I think this lad could be a real favourite amongst the fans in the future. His best game for us by far.

And Lampard could well be a good manager for us, I like him a lot. We just need to stay up this season, then he can put his stamp on the club.

Also, the fact that this may be a bigger positive to carry Everton through to next season in the Premier League than the negatives of the flaws that he has still to learn to overcome and which he will be given the chance to do.

Lampard is fluent and obviously wholly committed to this club. We should listen to him.

Frank has passion for the job and needs to be supported by all.

It was quite scary how much difference Delph made. Hopefully he can beat the odds & give us an 8-game, injury-free run of equally impressive games.

Mykolenko looked useful... it's difficult to just come in as a youngster from abroad and settle immediately so fingers crossed.

MotD highlighted Iwobi's closing down of Man Utd's players, specifically a near 170-m run which took him all over the pitch. Looked slightly comical but did show commitment and he eventually got in the way of a potential Man Utd attack.

Not sure if I would welcome all outfield players taking that approach. Reminded me of younger schooldays where we just chased the ball.😀

Both Pickford and Richarlison were determined. Gordon deserved to be on the scoreboard. Coleman was solid. The two central defenders benefited from the extra support. The performance that was needed. Makes MotD great viewing.

Never thought I'd say this but we need one for Alex Iwobi! Any offers? "I Wanna Be Iwobi" after Katy B?

We have a large number of players who excel in one position (often when supported by some very specific skills in others) but are very poor playing elsewhere.

DCL is certainly one of these as Ancelotti discovered. Six yards out with a first class winger (such Digne or Baines) he will score regularly. Otherwise he isn't even "championship at best".

Frank Lampard could turn out to be our ideal manager. He's intelligent, ambitious but has had enough setbacks to realise that hard work, fitness and the ability to use players to fit their skills is imperative.

On 20 February 2021, Everton destroyed Klopp's orcs at Anfield (I have the newspaper cutting "Anfield in ruins" pinned to my whiteboard in my office) and the BBC report says "Jordan Pickford and Michael Keane were excellent" and Ancelotti's team outplayed, outfought and above all, outthought Liverpool. The team today is virtually the same (Sigurdsson was a late sub).

What is different?

That's possibly because of his young age so he still has to experience a wealth of emotions connected with managing a top flight football team which perhaps makes the older brigade a bit more "bomb happy" to use the old metaphor, but I honestly believe if we can stay up and consolidate, Frank could be fantastic for Everton.

He does genuinely seem to "get" us.

Oh Alex Iwobi, Iwobi, Iwobi
He should have been a goalie, a goalie, a goalie
If only someone had told me, had told me, had told me
He's just a one trick pony, a pony, a pony
Whoa woah wooooo whoa woah woooo!

Sorry mate, best I could do! 😁😁😁😁

Delighted with yesterday and nervously looking at the Norwich match today.

I think Allan and Delph playing together in midfield gave us structure and a calmness that we havent shown for a long time. Listening to Lampard its quite interesting to hear him say he will have to put the style he wants to play on the back burner for now and adopt a more pragmatic approach. Maybe he has put a phone call into his old boss who knew the only way to get this team winning was to not play an open game and keep your defensive structure. Again just like at Burnley Richarlison and Gordon ran themselves into the ground and I think Iwobi yesterday covered more ground than any other player on the park. The defence looked solid and without doubt that was Mykolenko,s best game since joining the club.

The only downside for me was DCL, I understand he has been out injured and it takes time to get back into match fitness. But there was no excuse for his lack of effort, he didn't seem to want to close players down, and since he has come back I don't think he has won many headers, and he certainly isn't holding the ball up at all. Only he and his agent know if the stories about him joining Arsenal in the summer are true but since he has come back he looks like a player who is doing his level best to make sure he reduces as much physical contact as he can. This looks to me like a player who doesn't want to jeopardise any potential transfer in the summer by picking up an injury. I can tell those that cant get to the game that most around me in the Upper Bullens were screaming at Lampard to get him off a lot earlier than he did eventually take him off.

The one thing Evertonians wont tolerate is anybody not trying, and unfortunately thats the impression that we are getting from DCL. I hear some posters saying he doesnt get any service, but he has to do a lot more than he is, Iwobi played a brilliant ball for him to run onto but he was to slow, he didnt anticipate the pass and by the time he did the chance had gone. This is a player who has never scored from further than 9 yards out and has 1 assist in nearly 2 seasons, and some are blaming his team mates for not creating tap ins for him.

Brian @ 23
I saw that pass from Iwobi to DCL. I saw a level of disappointment on DCL's face. I think he realised he had missed that opportunity.

Generally re DCL. I think it's a lack of fitness, assume having had the kind of injury he's had he may not feel as confident in his body's ability to cope with it and doesn't want to overdo it

Hoping form will return. Confidence will come with a goal. It's also hard to come back into a team that's struggling.

Also, we don't know if Lampard is asking him not to run around like a bull in a china shop and ease his way into games.

Agree
It was just a thought.

Mykolenko is starting to be the player we were told he is. He is still very young but has been his country's first-choice left-back for 3 years.

At Hull, he looked flat-footed and lost. A new club, new country, new teammates and a big fee all seemed to have an effect. Then his country is invaded and nobody can complain if his thoughts are not wholly on football.

But now he is looking full of confidence. Faster in thought as well as in action. Add some shooting boots and it could be a case of “Lucas Who?”

Alex Iwobi has been underwhelming since he arrived. Just occasional flashes of brilliance. But he has suddenly had a fire lit under him. If he could just take a bit more care in possession, he could have a real influence.

I have always thought that Ben Godfrey is a real talent. Like all players, his development will involve two steps forward and one back. But he bounced back and looked like a real rock at the back as well as having the pace, skill and attitude to actually play football when the time was right.

Jordan Pickford continues to do what he does best. If anyone wants to repeat on here the trite and ridiculous comments that ignorant pundits bandy about on Sky TV, I won't write it every time, but be sure I'm shouting “Fuck You” at the computer screen.

He had a dodgy few weeks in the 2020-21 restart season. Since then, he has been, week-in & week-out, a very good goalkeeper. Often breathtaking. All players make mistakes, and goalkeepers' mistakes often end up in a goal, but he makes fewer than most.

Finally. Can someone please help me find something negative to say about Anthony Gordon? His development this season has been the one real high spot of a turbulent and disappointing season. I can't remember the last time I saw such growth over one season in any player. Future captain?

As fans, we can forgive players if they aren't good enough as long as they leave everything they have on the pitch. He gives his all every game. His skill set is now as good as any wide player in the team. And he is refreshingly honest and committed in interviews. I'm glad we have him.

Yes, sorry forgot about scoring from the penalty spot, but from general play, it's still only 10 yards. For those suggesting he may still be nursing his injury, then if that's the case, he shouldn't be playing... but I don't believe that.

As Lyndon in his post quotes Lampard: "It always starts with our physical output and on our fighting spirit which the fans here rightly demand." I saw none of these attributes from Calvert-Lewin yesterday, or the Burnley game for that matter.

We need to start with 11 committed players prepared to run themselves into the ground; without that from all the players, it makes the job so much harder. I genuinely think Lampard believes in Calvert-Lewin but he has to give more than he has in the last 2 games.

Normann was linked to Man Utd a fair bit under Solskjaer (fellow Norwegian) but not convinced he's that good. Strikes a ball well though.

But lets not go over the top he has missed a large chunk of the season is obviously struggling for match fitness, things that take time to comeback from. Had are position been better he may not have played the last 2 games.

That being said he doesn't fill me with confidence in a 1 on 1 with the keeper but to say he's not working hard and trying in games in order to save himself well I'm not having that.

Lampard and coaches need to tell him the day job comes first that means working defenders and scoring goals, the other nonesense you havent earned.

I heard someone suggest playing Dele Alli as a false 9 with Richarlison and Gordon either side. I'd like to see it, or Richarlison in the middle with Gray and Gordon either side. Just feel he's out of form. Hopefully it's not because he's thinking of where he'll be playing next season.

Also, feel we should offer Delph a pay-as-you-play contract. Maybe he wouldn't be so fragile if he only got paid when available.

It is just one win, but how needed it was – I was really starting to lose hope on staying up. Just seem to be having no luck and nothing really going our way. Getting used to mistakes and losing.

Hopefully, this is a turning point, with a short break and hopefully a fully fit squad to choose from and a plan or formation the team seemed comfortable with, we can get some continuity and results. Hopefully, we can play with the same determination in away fixtures.

More hopeful now anyhow.

That first half was awful.
Both teams giving the ball away cheaply. So many misplaced passes.
Keane doing his belt to screw us over coming out of defence with the ball only to lose it, shock! An awful advert for Premier leagues football.

Utd had better chances, so well done Pickford with a few good saves and a clean sheet. As for our goal, we can't score without luck and a big deflection. We are poor but that's why we need to shoot and be direct more often. Create your own luck.

Strikers, we don't have any real out and out strikers. Dom is a work in progress, not a natural striker. Ric and Gray both wide forwards. Rondon is the old school big lad but never Premier league standard.

Whoever suggested Puki, go have your head examined. We had and failed with Tosun, a similar player. Not good enough or suited to the Premier league.

Likewise, those expecting Delph to remain fit is like waiting for Christ to return. If Mina and Delph had remained fit all season we would be higher up the league table. We also would still have Rafa in charge, perhaps even Silva. It's never going to happen.

What that will do for confidence I have no idea. But be warned, things could get worse before they get better.

But never ever give up or stop trying.