Alex Iwobi question
What to do with Alex Iwobi?
Making his first Everton appearance since December against Leeds United - owing to a mixture of AFCON and non-selection - the opening stages were about as Alex Iwobi as it gets.
He found himself in good positions, made clever runs, but failed to deliver an end product.
It is the story of his career at Everton since joining from Arsenal for £28m in 2019.
But Frank Lampard showed faith in the Nigerian - recording 90 minutes in the Premier League for just the third time this season - and by the end of the game there were supporters championing his name for man-of-the-match.
It would have been an award given for pure grit and determination. Iwobi left everything on the field at Goodison Park to ensure three vital points were won. Defeat was not an option and he epitomised that.
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So what comes next? Lampard might have arrived at the perfect moment for Iwobi.
He was in desperate need of a fresh start after a difficult opening to the campaign under Rafa Benitez - he registered just two goals and two assists under the Spaniard - but Lampard will have his own ideas of how to best utilise the 25-year-old.
The former Chelsea and England midfielder gushed about the impact of Iwobi after the win against Leeds, saying he has 'demanded' his place with his performance.
Iwobi needed this. With Dele Alli and Anwar El Ghazi arriving in January, plus the stunning progress of Anthony Gordon, he finds himself fighting for a place in the starting line-up.
But he sent an instant message to Lampard that he is willing to do the hard-yards. And the manager likes what he has witnessed.
Lampard has assembled an eye-catching backroom team including Paul Clement and Ashley Cole and they will be hopeful of tapping into the potential Iwobi undoubtedly has.
This was the just the start, hopefully. If Iwobi can add consistency and a final product to his output - as Gordon has this term - Everton have a player capable of making a difference.
Lampard might be the man to unleash him as a secret weapon with his willingness to work for the team.
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Mason Holgate change
Mason Holgate is another who has endured a ponderous spell.
After being named Young Player of the Season in 2020, his form dipped towards the end of the Carlo Ancelotti era and never truly recovered. There were even rumours in January of potential moves to Newcastle United or Brighton and Hove Albion.
But he remained, and has suddenly become a player Lampard will have to rely on as Everton look to climb the table.
Injuries suffered by Ben Godfrey and Yerry Mina - likely to keep the Colombian out for up to 10 weeks - mean Holgate is one of only three senior centre-backs available to Lampard alongside Michael Keane and the teenage Jarrad Branthwaite.
Holgate has played every minute of the Lampard era but there may have been some concern when seeing him named in a back-four against Leeds United.
He responded impressively.
There were no lapses in concentration, no loose passes, no mistakes. It was no-nonsense, but it was alert and confident.
Alongside the goalscorer Keane, the defensive duo headed everything and tackled everyone. It was a partnership that filled the rest of the team with confidence, building foundations from the back.
Like Iwobi, one game does not change too much. But it was an early marker from Holgate. This is the standard he has set and the level he is capable of playing at.
Although there are more difficult tests to come, both Holgate and Keane feed off confidence.
And they had it by the bucket-load on Saturday. They were unbeatable.
Long may it continue for Everton and Lampard.
Missing midfielder
This was not what Jean-Philippe Gbamin would have imagined when shaking hands with Marcel Brands on a £25m move to Everton in 2019.
The 26-year-old midfielder was reduced to an under-23 appearance on Friday night - a 2-1 defeat at Burnley - as Frank Lampard omitted him from his senior squad the following day.
It would be assumed Gbamin played to build match fitness, but he remains out of the first-team fold at Goodison Park.
What comes next for the Ivorian? After two years of injury woe and four separate managers, he has taken to the field just eight times.
It has been a difficult spell.
But with Donny van de Beek shining against Leeds United, the chances of a revival under Lampard appear slim for Gbamin.
You could argue Van de Beek, Allan, Doucoure, Gomes and a fully-fit Tom Davies and Fabian Delph are all ahead of him in the pecking order. He may well be last choice in the midfield department.
A parting of the ways during the summer almost feels inevitable.
Gbamin has endured wretched luck, but Everton must rebuild an already fragile and inconsistent midfield as soon as possible.
It may well be the biggest transfer task Lampard faces.
