The Toffees slid into a 2-0 defeat away at Tottenham\u00a0yesterday with the hosts finding the net twice in the second half to secure all three points. This was Everton\u2019s second straight lackluster performance, one particularly obvious especially in the attacking department, managing only four shots and not hitting the target even once.<\/p>\n
Demarai Gray\u2019s missed opportunity midway through the first half to put the Blues ahead when he shot over from a counter attack was one definitely rued by Frank Lampard. Things only got worse from there as at about the hour mark Jordan Pickford fumbled over a shot and his vain attempt to recover the ball saw Harry Kane going over the back of the player for a penalty.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe feeling we would have had at half-time in the lead would have been different for us and the manner of the goals… of course every goal you concede is disappointing but Jordan\u2019s an amazing goalkeeper for us so the circumstances of the first goal is what it is and the second one is when we\u2019re pushing to get back into the game to an extent. We were very competitive in the game in the way we played and on another day we take our chances and I think it looks different.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a reality when you\u2019re one on one on goal but I\u2019m not going to stand here and criticise the players too much to go through and miss a chance. Sometimes the cool head of being there regularly and seeing and feeling it makes you more clinical in those moments, look at Harry Kane, he\u2019s been doing it for years.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou sometimes see the differences in these games, coming to a Champions League\u00a0club, when you miss them, they take theirs and sometimes that\u2019s the reality of where we\u2019re at and we want to get to that level where we are more clinical and sometimes on evenings it doesn\u2019t work that way.\u201d<\/p>\n
After witnessing the end of their six-game unbeaten streak last weekend, Lampard was questioned if all the progress they had been making earlier this season had gone entirely South as he contemplated how awful his side had been in the same fixture last season.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen you progress as a team, and certainly the way I am, it\u2019s still the feeling of a loss. In the cold light of day, we can say that we can come here and do a job and can change a formation and have players that can go through the game plan with more consistency. I think we\u2019re there so what\u2019s the next step, to maybe take those chances and start the second half better than what we did today?<\/p>\n
\u201cThat wasn\u2019t a nice night here last season but that\u2019s long gone and we\u2019ve still come away with no points out of the game. I think we can reflect a little bit but there are things we can tidy up and get better at, that will always be the case.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think in reality you can come to Tottenham and lose, it\u2019s a Champions League team who are really strong, but what\u2019s important is that we\u2019re training with consistency and momentum and pick up points going forward and win games that we should be stronger in and show that we\u2019re a stronger team.\u201d<\/p>\n
When further pressed for more detail, Lampard added:<\/p>\n
\u201cI haven\u2019t drawn the line between those two games to connect them because I know what [squad] we went into that game with. It was a tough moment for us with people that were ill that were playing and I didn\u2019t have the players to change the formation like I did today. It\u2019s when you can\u2019t play with a back five to match up away to stop Tottenham getting the spaces they want.. it was a really difficult night.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s so long gone that now we are in a better position that we can compete at that level. I don\u2019t want to think backwards, I want to think forwards and what today means for us and it\u2019s an opportunity that we could have come here and got something and we didn\u2019t.<\/p>\n
After having gone on a 4-3-3 formation for a number of games, Lampard switched to a 3-5-2 for Demarai Gray to come up alongside Neal Maupay upfront while Dwight McNeil stepped in for the suspended Anthony Gordon.<\/p>\n
\u201cDwight played mainly as a wing-back with the opportunity to go further forward. I thought the balance, with Seamus on the other side, felt good in the first half. I thought we did the job well, with good application.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf we take one of those chances, we probably don\u2019t lose tonight. I think if we score, that gives us the confidence at half-time to continue with the game plan\u2026then Tottenham have to open up and the fans can get agitated.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Blues may have been struggling on the road but Lampard was not amiss with confidence as he opened up on the scoring that would have done his side good.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe opportunities were a huge factor in the game, because other elements in the match between the sides were quite tight. We had two good chances, and you have to take those chances because they change the feeling of the game.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s no doubt we came out in the second half slightly off it and allowed them to have some momentum. The penalty is the difference in the game. I thought until then everything we were doing was good. Generally, throughout the team, I think there are small differences that make Tottenham where they are and us where we are.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey\u2019re in the Champions League and we\u2019re trying to move up the table. Maybe there are some signs for me as a coach and as a team for where we can improve. That\u2019s the work now [for us to do] \u2013 can we find consistency, be a little bit crisper and make better decisions?<\/p>\n
\u201cMaybe those things come with time, but we have to get ready for a game on Wednesday.\u201d<\/p>\n
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