Lampard makes his point as Everton fans buy into improved showing

I imagine yesterday what we really lacked was an out-and-out centre-forward; I have no doubt we win that game if we had Ivan Toney or Ben Brereton Diaz. That for me is the next piece of the puzzle for Frank.

Make a decision on Calvert-Lewin, if he's never going to get back to those levels of fitness, then we need to replace him with a like-for-like.

It would be a wise move in January to make Blackburn an offer for Brereton Diaz and then blend him in.

If Calvert-Lewin plays 10 or 15 games and scores a few goals, I'd cash in on him next year if we could somehow get 㿅 or 㿊 million.

That is not unlike Alex Ferguson in my book, who got lucky when the target man he wanted (having failed to buy Shearer and Hirst) turned out to be a gifted number 10 (Cantona) that opened up new tactical opportunities. His genius was to bring in skilled coaches like Kidd, Queiroz and Phelan, rather than do it all himself (small club mentality Moyes style).

Frank will need to find the right blend on the coaching side to complement his excellent man management skills. I'm not sure we're there yet with Clement.

Frank is luckier than some of his predecessors in many ways. Firstly, there is a recognition that we can't just go on sacking managers, there is a need for some stability. Also, there is an ever-growing feeling that the 'problem' is higher up and that is where most criticism is directed. Lastly, we are not judging him on his ability to deliver Champion's League qualification, just to produce a team the fans can believe in again.

At the moment, 10th is the new 4th.

I believe Sir Alex also was close to the sack early in his tenure flirting with relegation.

Last I checked he went on to do some pretty amazing things.

Let's hope the parallels continue. Frank was so close to relegation, and with one transfer window and a few months later, he's clearly on the up.

I was on the fence when we appointed Lampard but, as with 98% of the time, I was committed to getting behind the manager. Only once have I never wanted a manager and another been extremely uncomfortable.

I think Frank can become a good manager. As with many in the modern game, the important thing, especially for young managers, is to have the right team around them. Early days, but that seems to be the case.

I don't know if he was close to the sack, Jamie (more I can't remember as the years stack up!!), but there was pressure and the natives restless, especially the season they finished 11th in the earlier years.

I think it took him 4 or 5 years to win his first piece of silverware and 7 to get his first title, which was Man Utd's first in 25 years, during which time they had been relegated.

Kendall looked to be gone late '83 / early '84 if you and many Evertonians were calling for it.

The moral of the stories: we have to stop the managerial revolving door and stick with a plan, however many bumps in the road there are along the way. The alternative, as we have seen, is more damaging.

I think Frank has a bit of the Terry Venables about him. Not just the tan.
He's a likable guy, he supports his players, gives them confidence and trusts them. They are playing for him. He has built a team spirit.

I think what he's done through the 'Gordon to Chelsea' drama has been excellent. He's protected his player, even though he knew he may have lost him. He was open and honest about the level of money and how it may be too much to turn down. But never threw Gordon under the bus. Gordon is now repaying him.

Just like Iwobi is paying him back for trusting him to play where he always wanted. Mykolenko repaying him for how we were understanding when the war broke out.

Man management is a massive part of the job now, we all know about egos of footballers. Him and Thelwell seem to be able to identify good characters which are helping to build the spirit we saw yesterday.

He's only going to get better tactically, IMO, with experience. Last season would've taught him and his staff an awful lot.

When I was 21, I was interviewed for a junior managers job along with 2 others at the same time. The interviewer asked: what's the best way to manage people? a) from the front, b) alongside or c) from behind? We all retired & came back with one of the 3.

His response: "You're all wrong! It depends on the individual and the circumstances. Some need an arm round their shoulder, some a kick up the arse. Others relish pressure and yet some will hide from it."

It's almost 40 years since that interview and I've never forgotten the message.

I think Lampard came into a proper shambles of a football club, which had a lot of players who he just didn't want. It's interesting that only Pickford, Gordon and Gray, played against Liverpool at Goodison last season, out of the 13 players used on Saturday, and this has meant that our manager has begun to get his own players into the team.

Is he a good coach? I'm not sure yet. Is he a good man-manager? It looks like he is. The man who he reminds me of the most is Howard Kendall, so I just hope he can have the same success as him! 🤞

He now needs to be referred to Matthew's excellent recent thread “Results aren't everything” and responses, which cover the same ground.

I think we are an in-form striker away from being a very good and fully competitive side. The team is counting on and dependent upon that being Calvert-Lewin or Maupay.

Another strange phenomenon is how many ‘learned pundits' are suddenly saying that Richarlison is a brilliant footballer.

We all know that, but where the fuck were they?

He (or his team) also seem to be able to improve players, which helps if you are not shopping in Harrods. And while it's hardly the School of Science re-invented, we are at least playing football whereas, a season or two ago, we weren't.

Above all, precarious though football management is, and how quickly things can change (and lest we forget, we still haven't won yet), the last thing we need if we can avoid it is changing manager. That never ever works in the end. Even Watford found that out.

So I hope Frank does enough at a minimum to keep the finger off the trigger which, in my eyes, for this season, would be avoiding a relegation dogfight and maybe a cheap thrill or two in one of the cups...

I only hope Gordon or Gray don't get injured because we will struggle without them, we don't have quality replacements.
Like the common view on here, I also think we are looking strong in midfield and defence, my worry though is scoring goals – especially if we get the usual injuries.