Tactics and changes
Everton’s resilience had been evident last weekend in Manchester when, with a back five, they drew 1-1 with City. Lampard switched to a back four for the loss to Brighton & Hove Albion, so it was no surprise that he reverted to a formation that, in theory, offered greater solidity. The worst possible start ensued as Everton were sliced open. James Tarkowski and Amadou Onana, back after suspension, failed to stifle Anthony Martial at source, while the recalled Ben Godfrey could not stop Marcus Rashford’s centre. Confirmation that Everton were late to everything in those early skirmishes came when Antony slid in to convert. That Everton did not wilt, however, and threatened on the counter attack suggests that three centre-halves is the way forward when the focus returns to their Premier League dogfight and the home game with Southampton next weekend.
Touchline demeanour
Unlike Everton’s absentee owner, Farhad Moshiri, who has not been at Goodison Park since October 2021, Lampard remains a visible presence and patrolled his technical area from start to finish. He would spin on his heels at stray passes from players that left the visitors susceptible and frequently gestured with an outstretched hand, calling on his team to show calm and break upfield. For one of the finest midfielders in the Premier League era, the decision of when to play and when to gamble forward came naturally to Lampard. It must drive him to distraction that Everton can veer between the extremes within a minute let alone a match. At times, Everton threatened on the break only for the breakdown of the raid, essentially due to a lack of firepower, suddenly leaving them exposed. For their manager, this amounted to another night being put through the wringer.
Game management
It cannot always be about how the manager influences proceedings from the sidelines. Lampard sent on Dominic Calvert-Lewin and saw VAR scrub his “goal” for offside, but he does not possess Pep Guardiola’s riches sitting on the substitutes’ bench and has bemoaned he does not have those of Nottingham Forest and Wolverhampton Wanderers. Lampard had called for his players to show “big balls” in another moment of adversity and their response to the early concessions in each half was positive. They are playing for him. But concentration is an issue for this team. Abdoulaye Doucouré was not alive to the mismatch between Rashford and Seamus Coleman which resulted in a cross Coady diverted into his own net.
Fans’ reaction
Everton supporters crave a team they can be proud of, a team that is competitive and delivers moments of joy rather than unrelenting gloom. Around 9,500 of them travelled to Old Trafford and while there were chants before kick-off of “Sack the board,” during the game the backing for their team was as noisy as normal. Defeat means the long wait for a trophy since Everton beat United in the final of this competition in 1995 will stretch into another season. After the final whistle, the away fans chanted “We Love You Everton” and Lampard and his players acknowledged that backing before the familiar refrain of “Sack the board” filled the night air again. As Lampard walked down the tunnel, the remaining United fans taunted him that he would be “getting sacked in the morning.” On this showing, that should not be the case.
