Lampard insists there is 'a long way to go' as Everton look to salvage season

New manager plays down significance of Tuesday's trip to Newcastle

Everton's manager Frank Lampard after his team won the FA Cup fourth round match against Brentford at Goodison Park on February 5, 2022. AFP

Frank Lampard congratulates Everton's midfielder Jonjoe Kenny after the FA Cup fourth round win over Brentford at Goodison Park. AFP

Yerry Mina of Everton celebrates with team mate Mason Holgate after scoring the first goal against Brentford. Getty

Andros Townsend of Everton celebrates with team mates after scoring the fourth goal in the FA Cup fourth round against Brentford. Getty

LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - FEBRUARY 05: Frank Lampard, Manager of Everton reacts during his sides victory in the Emirates FA Cup Fourth Round match between Everton and Brentford at Goodison Park on February 05, 2022 in Liverpool, England. (Photo by Clive Brunskill / Getty Images)

Christine Lampard, wife of Frank Lampard, at Goodison Park. Getty

The last time Frank Lampard was in the relegation zone in the second half of a season, he was a teenager trying to break through at West Ham in the 1990s. If his first fortnight as Everton manager could end with them in the bottom three, Lampard tried to deflect suggestions Tuesday's trip to Newcastle and Saturday’s meeting with Leeds are six-pointers that could define their campaign.

“We have to stay calm,” he said. “There is a long way to go, 18 games. To put everything on these two games would be wrong.” Everton’s plight is not Lampard’s fault but he argued that as a newcomer, he is not worn down by a run of 10 defeats in 13 league games.

“We are 16th and there are reasons for that,” he said. “The good thing with being a new manager is you don’t feel the strain and pressure of it. The most important thing for me is to have a clean slate in my head. I understand the severity of the game that but also walking in fresh is hopefully something I can bring to the table.”

Lampard’s first game brought inklings of an immediate impact. He wants Everton to have more of the ball and a side who average 40 percent of possession in the Premier League had 55 percent in beating Brentford 4-1 in the FA Cup. It was the first time for almost a year Everton scored more than three goals, they were able to operate higher up the pitch and a side given a new 3-4-3 formation were receptive to his ideas.

Dele Alli and other notable January transfers

Dele Alli - Tottenham to Everton (No initial fee but up to £30m in potential add-ons). PA

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang - Arsenal to Barcelona (free). PA

Donny van de Beek - Manchester United to Everton (loan). PA

Jony - Lazio to Sporting Gijon (loan). Getty Images

Kevin Paredes - DC United to Wolfsburg (£5.2 million). Reuters

Billal Brahimi - Angers to Nice (£5.8 million). AFP

Neco Williams - Liverpool to Fulham (loan). Reuters

Jeff Hendrick - Newcastle United to QPR (loan). Getty Images

Mamadou Sylla - Alaves to Rayo Vallecano (loan). Getty Images

Ibrahima Kone - Sarpsborg to Lorient (£3.3 million). AFP

Dan Burn - Brighton & Hove Albion's to Newcastle United (£12.5 million). PA

Lucas Perez - Elche to Cadiz (undisclosed fee). Getty Images

Islam Slimani - Lyon to Sporting (free). Getty

Jean-Philippe Mateta - Mainz to Crystal Palace (£10 million). PA

Aaron Ramsey - Juventus to Rangers (loan). PA

Deniz Undav - Union St-Gilloise to Brighton (£6 million). Getty Images

Goran Pandev - Genoa to Parma (undisclosed fee). Getty Images

Giovani Lo Celso - Tottenham to Villarreal (loan). PA

Matt Targett - Aston Villa to Newcastle (loan). PA

Bryan Gil - Tottenham to Valencia (loan). PA

Rodrigo Bentancur - Juventus to Tottenham (£15.9 million). AFP

Dejan Kulusevski - Juventus to Tottenham (loan). AFP

Nat Phillips - Liverpool to Bournemouth (loan). Getty Images

Denis Zakaria - Borussia Moenchengladbach to Juventus (£4.2 million). Getty Images

Tanguy Ndombele - Tottenham to Lyon (loan). PA

Christian Eriksen - Brentford (free agent). PA

Julián Álvarez - River Plate to Manchester City (£14 million; loaned back to River Plate). Getty Images

Wout Weghorst - Wolfsburg to Burnley (£12 million). Getty Images

Martín Cáceres - Cagliari to Levante (free). Getty Images

Max Kruse - Union Berlin to Wolfsburg (undisclosed fee). Getty Images

Bruno Guimaraes - Lyon to Newcastle (£33.3 million). Getty Images

Luis Diaz - Porto to Liverpool (£33.3 million). Getty Images

Adama Traore - Wolverhampton Wanderers to Barcelona (loan). Getty Images

Felipe Caicedo - Genoa to Inter Milan (loan). Getty Images

Federico Fazio - Roma to Salernitana (free). Getty

Dusan Vlahovic - Fiorentina to Juventus (£62.5 million). AP

Ilaix Moriba - RB Leipzig to Valencia (loan). AFP

Daniel Wass - Valencia to Atletico Madrid (£2.1 million). EPA

Calum Chambers - Arsenal to Aston Villa (undisclosed fee). PA

Robin Gosens - Atalanta to Inter Milan (loan). Reuters

Amad Diallo - Manchester United to Rangers (loan). PA

Samuel Kalu - Bordeaux to Watford (£3 million). AFP

Anthony Martial - Manchester United to Sevilla (loan). EPA

Hatem Ben Arfa - joins Lille as a free agent. AFP

Jeremie Boga - Sassuolo to Atalanta (£18.5 million). AP

Dario Benedetto - Marseille to Boca Junior (£3 million). Getty Images

Wilson Isidor - Monaco to Lokomotiv Moscow (£2.5 million). AP Photo

Ivan Saponjic - Atletico Madrid to Slovan Bratislava (free). EPA

Patrick Roberts - Manchester City to Sunderland (undisclosed fee). Getty Images

Sardar Azmoun - Zenit to Bayer Leverkusen (free). EPA

Eliaquim Mangala - joins Saint-Etienne as a free agent. AP Photo

Oussama Idrissi Sevilla to Cadiz (loan). Getty Images

Sergio Rico - PSG to Real Mallorca (loan). Getty Images

Leonardo Campana - Wolves to Inter Miami (loan). AFP

Pablo Mari - Arsenal to Udinese (loan). PA

Tommy Doyle - Manchester City to Cardiff City (loan). PA

Sead Kolasinac - Arsenal to Marseille (free). Reuters

Nani - Orlando City to Venezia (free). Getty Images

Jordan Lukaku - Lazio to Vicenza (loan). PA

Sergio Oliveira - Porto to Roma (loan). Getty Images

Diego Godin - Cagliari to Atlético Mineiro (released). Getty Images

Borja Mayoral - Roma to Getafe (loan). EPA

Anwar El Ghazi - Aston Villa to Everton (loan). AFP

Luke Matheson - Wolves to Scunthorpe United (loan). Reuters

Jesus Manuel Corona - Porto to Sevilla (£2.9 million). Getty Images

Cristiano Piccini - Valencia to Red Star (free). EPA

Edon Zhegrova - Basel to Lille (£5.8 million). AP Photo

Patrik Gunnarsson - Brentford to Viking FK (undisclosed fee). AP photo

Chiquinho - Estoril to Wolves (£2.9 million). AFP

Robin Olsen - Roma to Aston Villa (loan). Reuters

Philippe Coutinho - Barcelona to Aston Villa (loan). AFP

Chris Wood - Burnley to Newcastle United (£25 million). AFP

Lucas Digne - Everton to Aston Villa (£25 million). EPA

Folarin Balogun - Arsenal to Middlesbrough (loan). PA

Jan Zamburek - Brentford to Viborg (undisclosed fee). PA

Taylor Harwood-Bellis - Manchester City to Stoke City (loan). Getty Images

Andrea Conti - AC Milan to Sampdoria (undisclosed fee). Getty Images

Krzysztof Piatek - Hertha Berlin to Fiorentina (loan). EPA

Axel Tuanzebe - Manchester United to Napoli (loan). AP Photo

Kieran Trippier - Atletico Madrid to Newcastle United (£12 million). PA

Ainsley Maitland-Niles - Arsenal to Roma (loan). Reuters

Jurgen Locadia - Brighton & Hove Albion to Bochum (released). PA

Samir - Udinese to Watford (undisclosed fee). AP

Nathan Patterson - Rangers to Everton (£12 million). PA

Teden Mengi - Manchester United to Birmingham City (loan). AP Photo

Hassane Kamara - Nice to Watford (£4 million). Reuters

Ferran Torres - Manchester City to Barcelona (£46.3 million). Getty Images

Aaron Connolly - Brighton & Hove Albion to Middlesbrough (loan). PA

Vitaliy Mykolenko - Dynamo Kiev to Everton (£17.6 million). Reuters

Rafinha - PSG to Real Sociedad (loan). AFP

“In terms of the style and the basics, that was a nice step in the right direction,” he said. “I have seen a hard-working, humble group. They were ready to listen, maybe lacking in confidence but that is natural. I can’t fault a player in the squad but we have big challenges ahead and it won’t always be an easy road.”

He has more players at his disposal now with Dominic Calvert-Lewin fit again. The striker tormented Lampard’s Chelsea when they lost at Goodison Park in 2019 and he said: “I love the talent and attributes he has. I am really excited to work with him.”

His loan signings Dele Alli and Donny van de Beek were cup-tied on Saturday and are eligible for debuts now. Former England manager Glenn Hoddle criticised Alli for his outfit in the crowd at the weekend, saying he looked “dragged off the street.” Lampard defended Alli as he argued two new attacking midfielders can play together.

“I don't care what car he drives and what clothes he wears, as long as players have the right behaviour when it comes to football, I have no worries,” he said. “Maybe Donny wears an overcoat that is longer than Dele wears, and he has a different type of jacket, but it doesn't bother me. As long as they produce on the pitch then I'm very happy. I wouldn’t bring them in if I didn’t think they could complement each other.”