Lampard asks Everton crowd to “stick” with players after loss
Everton manager Frank Lampard insisted the Goodison Park crowd “stick” with the team after their 2-1 loss to Wolves last night in the Premier League.
The Merseyside club conceded in the 95th minute to hand Julen Lopetegui his first league win as manager of Wolverhampton.
“It was a poor goal and we had control on the halfway line,” Lampard said.
“You can feel the stadium getting edgy and that is not easy for the players at times. I played for nearly 20 years so I know how it can affect a player. Of course, the better players have confidence in themselves to do what they want to do.
“It [the fans’ reaction] was understandable after Bournemouth away, I didn’t like the performance. Today, I thought the lads played well and had the right intentions, so I would love the crowd to stick with them. We saw what a positive it could be last season, so let’s not come away from that.
“It is the Premier league and the reality is we don’t have Dominic [Calvert-Lewin] so the direct option is not there for us so much anyway.”
Around the grounds
Everton sit 17th in the Premier League table and are just one point clear of Wolves in the relegation places. Nottingham Forest could dump Everton into the bottom three with a win against Manchester United tonight as the league’s first round of fixtures after the World Cup continues.
Elsewhere last night: Arsenal went seven points clear at the summit of the table with a 3-1 win over West Ham while Liverpool closed the gap to the top four with a 3-1 win at Aston Villa.
Newcastle United went second in the league with a 3-1 over a sorry looking Leicester City while Crystal Palace fell to a 3-0 defeat at the hands of fellow London club Fulham.
In the early kick-off, Spurs came from 2-0 down to draw 2-2 with Brentford before Brighton beat Southampton 3-1 at St Mary’s.
The Premier League continues today with Chelsea’s trip to Bournemouth before Man United host Nottingham Forest – Man City travel to Leeds tomorrow evening.