2022/23 Frank Lampard

[Goat]

I know its been said before, but I did kinda, not fall out of love, cos as we all know, Everton is forever, but lets say I cared less.

We had that stain in the dugout and honestly I felt no love for the majority of the players, sure I had my favs, like Dominator, a few I didnt mind, but for me personally it was an Everton low point for sure. Then Frank came in, the results didnt improve and we dropped and we dropped.

And then Palace.

Since then, we have signed some players I can get behind, the likes of Pickers, hell even Iwobi have shown their worth.

Today we got our first win of the season, its not champagne football and we sit firmly rooted in the bottom half still, but you can see a plan, an improvement and something to fully get behind and support. You start to dream again, you ignore that voice in your head that keeps telling you how it ends and you dream.

Life without hopes and dreams is no life at all.

 

[blulouie]

Do no underestimate the overnight ( or 45 mins cure) of staying in the PL....

Without it all of the positives you’ve touched on may well have been many many overnights away...

Grateful to be heading in the right direction and long may I continue?

Was thinking more the Newcastle ,Chelsea, Man utd & Leicester games tbh.

 

[roy vernon]

Hopefully January brings a couple more in.

I think it depends Dave, if we are comfortably sitting in mid table, I don't see us spending, if we are struggling, I think we will perhaps splash a bit of cash, or, perhaps utilise our remaining domestic loan space, to bring in a goal scorer. Having said that, I don't expect us to struggle and will be surprised if we see many ins in January.

 

[blulouie]

I know its been said before, but I did kinda, not fall out of love, cos as we all know, Everton is forever, but lets say I cared less.

We had that stain in the dugout and honestly I felt no love for the majority of the players, sure I had my favs, like Dominator, a few I didnt mind, but for me personally it was an Everton low point for sure. Then Frank came in, the results didnt improve and we dropped and we dropped.

And then Palace.

Since then, we have signed some players I can get behind, the likes of Pickers, hell even Iwobi have shown their worth.

Today we got our first win of the season, its not champagne football and we sit firmly rooted in the bottom half still, but you can see a plan, an improvement and something to fully get behind and support. You start to dream again, you ignore that voice in your head that keeps telling you how it ends and you dream.

Life without hopes and dreams is no life at all.

But it didn't all just change on the Palace game , that just pushed us over the line.
The grinding wins agst Newcastle , Chelsea , Man utd & Leicester where far more important , no points from these and we where buried irrespective of the Palace result.

The rest ....totally agree.

 

[davek]

I think it depends Dave, if we are comfortably sitting in mid table, I don't see us spending, if we are struggling, I think we will perhaps splash a bit of cash, or, perhaps utilise our remaining domestic loan space, to bring in a goal scorer. Having said that, I don't expect us to struggle and will be surprised if we see many ins in January.

Depends on DCL and his fitness.

If he;s in and out of the team then we have to buy. Simple as that. Maupay cant cary this load on his own.

 

[Saint Domingo]

A major positive for me is the type of goals we’re scoring. Working the ball through the lines and then slotting in Gordon, Gray or Maupay to finish. There’s been several times the final ball hasn’t quite been there but the opportunity has and then runs are being made.

In recent seasons (perhaps a few James through balls aside), we’ve always seemed to attack from crosses, set pieces, direct flick ons, counter attacks etc. with Richarlison and DCL being penalty box finishers. Actually seeing us probing for openings and crafting them is a more sophisticated level of attacking in my view, and shows the hard yards in coaching are being done and we’re finally not just taking the way way out of sticking with the same patterns of play that can get us results but ultimately had failed year after year.

 

[johnjoeefc]

Got to give Frank lots of credit because he has put us in a situation where we have a team with some potential. I genuinely thought we would just get players who would help us stay up. But now we have a lot of players who could take us up a level in the next few seasons. Patterson, onana, garner and Gordon all have good potential.

In that respect Frank has done really well. We are still very early on in this transition though and it will take time but I see us staying up this season and bright things for the future with the new stadium.

 

[Blueclouds]

He dropped Keane, that says alot. Keane was a massive issue

 

[deipnosophist]

He dropped Keane, that says alot. Keane was a massive issue

...his homesickness hobbled him

 

[deipnosophist]

A baptism of fire. He'll be an Everton legend.
Big call? Sure, a massive one...but my gut feeling rarely betrays me.

 

[GrandOldSte117]

Hello mate.

With you being one of the most vocal Lampard haters on here, can I ask on behalf of the forum, how`s the leaning is going at the mo ?

Good mate. Happy to see us win a game and hope Lampard can keep it going.

 

[ToffeeScot]

We are a likeable team again. Says a lot.

 

[davek]

A major positive for me is the type of goals we’re scoring. Working the ball through the lines and then slotting in Gordon, Gray or Maupay to finish. There’s been several times the final ball hasn’t quite been there but the opportunity has and then runs are being made.

In recent seasons (perhaps a few James through balls aside), we’ve always seemed to attack from crosses, set pieces, direct flick ons, counter attacks etc. with Richarlison and Dominic Calvert-Lewin being penalty box finishers. Actually seeing us probing for openings and crafting them is a more sophisticated level of attacking in my view, and shows the hard yards in coaching are being done and we’re finally not just taking the way way out of sticking with the same patterns of play that can get us results but ultimately had failed year after year.

Last season a lot of spectacular goals outside the box got us through. I dont see us being that desperate this season and we feel confident to play to feet and carry the threat into the area. We just dont have finishers apart from Maupay. That said, Gray had a glorious chance to get a shot off about 20 yards out and should have taken it, so it needs judgement when to go for a pass or have a dig. I have a feeling when Garner gets going we'll see a lot more efforts from range on goal...and if Townsend gets back also.

The major thing this season though is that tigerish defence.

 

[deipnosophist]

We are a likeable team again. Says a lot.

yes...'likeable' might sound a somewhat anodyne adjective...but, given the arduous travails of our recent, fractious and divisive relegation threatened traverses, it comports no little significance.
I like this team; I presage much better times ahead.

And God knows, we've all earned at least, that little shard of optimism...

 

[PhilM]

At the game, there's a feeling of unity, which I haven't personally felt in a long time. It's early days and we can't get carried away, but I think Lampard is a part of it.