Frank Lampard vowed Everton will work collectively as a club to be stronger ahead of the new season after the Blues concluded their US tour with a friendly defeat to Minnesota United on Wednesday.

Lampard declared his players “must be better” following a performance at Allianz Field he said there were “no excuses for”.

Everton will contest two further warm-up matches – against Blackpool on Sunday and Dynamo Kyiv on Friday 29 July – before kicking off the Premier League campaign against Chelsea at Goodison Park on Saturday 6 August.

Lampard outlined the key priorities for the Club ahead of the opening game of the 2022/23 season.

Speaking to evertontv, Lampard said: “The players have to work and understand we were in a relegation battle for a big portion of last season. 

“We had an amazing night [against Crystal Palace] and an amazing run…but, as soon as that finished, I put it to bed very quickly, so the players have to put it to bed as well, because we were in that fight for a reason. And if we don’t want to be in that situation again, they have to better and I have to be better.

“As a club, it [the Minnesota game] reinforced the situation in terms of what we need to do with the squad, because it has to be stronger that what we saw tonight. 

“We’re all [as a club] very collectively joined up on that and it reinforces the thoughts we’ve all got. 

“It’s important to think in that way because you want to get better and personnel is key. 

“There is no doubt about it. When you think of where we were last year, we have lost a big player in Richarlison…we wish him well, but our club now continues. 

“We know there is a void in forward areas, we are short in numbers there. Also, through the team, there are things I want to strengthen, and I can be honest about that, because a club like Everton has to have a competitive squad.

“The players must be up for the fact they have to fight to play in the team. For me, that starts on day one of pre-season and ends at the end of the season. That’s the disappointing thing tonight for me – the lads have trained well and trained hard out here but that performance [against Minnesota] should give them a lot to think about on the plane home, because it’s certainly given me a lot to think about.”

Minnesota – managed by Everton Giant Adrian Heath – are in the thick of their league campaign, having played 21 games so far this term.

Lampard’s side were contesting their second match of their pre-season fixture programme, but the Blues boss admitted he expected much more from his players.

“We’ve been training for two weeks,” he said. “The lads have been training hard – physically really hard – especially in the last few days since the Arsenal game on Saturday. 

“We can’t come off that [hard work] because the season’s coming round so quickly, but it doesn’t give excuses for a performance like that.

“If there is to be good that comes out of this, then the players in the dressing room need to understand that they’ve put in a very poor performance individually and collectively, and got well beaten.”

Discussing the change in system he made for the Minnesota game, Lampard explained: “I switched the formation to a back four, and it was really interesting to see. At the back end of last season, we went to a back three and back five at times to find ways to get results. 

“For me, it was a different test for the players to go into a back-four, in terms of defensively, the organisation of the team, and the quality on the ball to move the ball through the lines.

“I got a lot of interesting answers in terms of how we handled the change of formation. There’s lots to think about, lots of work to do. What matters is where we’re at in two and a half weeks [when the Premier League season starts].”

Lampard said there were many positives to come out of Everton’s US tour, highlighting the passion and enthusiasm of the Club’s American supporters.

He admitted, however, addressing the issues he witnessed against Minnesota will be foremost in his thinking on the journey back to the UK.

He said: “During training, we’ve gone about our job and worked on elements of the team. 

“We have had some players back for just over a week…it’s always hard to be really structural at this early stage, so I can forgive some things against Minnesota, because there is work to be done over the coming weeks. 

“It’s been a good tour, everything has been fantastic, it’s been well put on by the Club and seeing our fans in America…that’s a great side of it. 

“Training has been good, but when you get a result like that at the end of it, it certainly gives you real pause for thought for the way home and what comes over the next period.”