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Lampard On Connection With Evertonians

Frank Lampard says the responsibility for strengthening the connection between Everton’s players and army of travelling fans falls squarely on the shoulders of his team.

Manager Lampard has galvanised the Club since his appointment three months ago, generating a notable lift in mood and atmosphere.

The change has been most pronounced at Goodison Park where supporters and players united for a stirring effort to overcome Chelsea last Sunday.

Everton claimed 10 points from their past four home matches and have won six and drawn one of nine Goodison fixtures under Lampard.

It is a different story away from home, with Everton’s issues on their travels throughout the campaign the primary reason for a position in the bottom three.

Lampard’s team are long on incentives ahead of forthcoming visits to Leicester City and Watford. The dream outcome of six points would inch Everton above the drop zone.

“The connection [between Everton players and away fans] is up to us,” said Lampard.

“Our fans travel in great numbers and support the team.

“The fact we have lost too many away games is absolutely on the players.

“We have to make that connection through our away form.


“There was a nice bounce and feeling for everybody after beating Chelsea, but reality kicks in a day later.

“The next games are the most important and they are away games, where we haven’t performed as well as we want all season.

“We showed fantastic spirit and work ethic and gave a fantastic performance last week.

“There was a really good collective feeling of players and fans and the stadium all being together.

“In our position, we need everyone to work in the same direction, it makes you so much stronger, and we felt that.

“The fans showed their passion and desire and the players have to reflect that on the pitch.

"We did that – and it is important we sustain it.”

Lampard insists history will determine how Everton performed under the pressure of a battle to preserve the Club’s unbroken 68-year top-flight status.

“You are judged on how you fought back and moved towards success,” said Lampard.

“We want short-term results to stay in the league, which is crucial – then we can look at what success is and work towards it.”

Frank Lampard
In our position, we need everyone to work in the same direction, it makes you so much stronger, and we felt that.


Lampard has confessed to “prodding the players”, to enhance Everton’s chances of completing the first leg of that objective; namely, winning the survival fight.

The manager's tactic paid off handsomely against Chelsea, when a combination of energy, industry and individual ability helped Everton prevail.

“They are long weeks before the games, some days you come away from players…  on other days they have to really focus on what is at hand,” said Lampard.

“It was very important [before Chelsea] that the players understood our position and what they could do individually to help us out of it.

“It is a different challenge now, against a fantastic team away from home, where we’ve struggled for results, then we face Watford. I have to try to get us in the best possible shape for those games.

“We always work towards being compact and against teams like Liverpool and Chelsea, the message can be clearer in terms of not giving away spaces.

Frank Lampard
We have a group of players who are hungry and fighting and that has to stay and get better.


“The players have to retain that nature that makes us difficult to play and score against.

“We have a group of players who are hungry and fighting and that has to stay and get better.

“Then you add the talent, seeing performances like Jordan Pickford’s last week is the added bonus, and those are the things we need to come together.”

For the second straight week Everton must watch on powerless as Burnley get first dibs on shaping the survival contest.

The Lancashire side won at Watford last week to get a jump on Lampard’s side, who summoned a consummate response 24 hours later.

Regardless of what Burnley manage at home to Aston Villa on Saturday – Leeds United, also two points in front of Everton, play at Arsenal while Lampard’s team are in action against Leicester – the former Chelsea manager is vowing his team’s “preparation and approach and performance” will not alter.

Equally, he isn’t anticipating Leicester’s Europa Conference League semi-final defeat in Rome on Thursday to have any bearing on events this weekend.

“They have fantastic players and a fantastic coach in Brendan Rodgers,” said Lampard, who insisted he will continue to publicly fight his team’s corner because “my first job is to protect Everton Football Club and the players and the fans”.

Lampard added: “Brendan will have enough in his squad to put out a strong team that plays in a very good way.

"We have to be at our best to get a result there.

“We are still in the battle.

“It is a challenge for me and the players and we can flip it into a positive: if we get where we want, it could be a huge thing for this club.”