Frank Lampard explains training, transfers and Dominic…

Frank Lampard explains training, transfers and Dominic Calvert-Lewin plan for more Everton goals

Frank Lampard said extensive work to make Everton more clinical is ongoing at Finch Farm.

The Blues have scored just 12 goals in 16 Premier League games so far this season. Lampard is hopeful the return of Dominic Calvert-Lewin, who is nearing full fitness, and the January transfer window could provide solutions to the struggle for goals.

But he added improvement from the players he already has is also key and that work to make them more ruthless is a priority.

Everton sit just a single place and point above the relegation zone after they returned from the World Cup break with a Boxing Day defeat at home to Wolverhampton Wanderers.

While creativity has been an issue at times during this campaign, against Wolves several guilt-edged opportunities were created only for Jose Sa to thwart the likes of Neal Maupay and Anthony Gordon.

While Calvert-Lewin is in the squad for the Manchester City game and Everton are treating forward targets as a priority in the January transfer window Lampard, one of the most prolific goalscoring midfielders of the Premier League era, is trying to instil greater ruthlessness in his attacking players.

He explained: “We work a lot on finishing. I think some coaches work to the last part of the pitch and leave it to players - at a high level I think you can do that sometimes and for the players at that point it is sometimes instinctive and they create things. We work a lot on the final third, in terms of the areas we want to get into and when we want to finish and you repeat and you hope it transfers into games.

"At this point it hasn't quite enough for us, the games are very fresh in my mind of where they would have looked different with finishing our chances, Wolves was a clear one for us. But you just have to keep working and sometimes with developing players you also have to give some leeway into the fact that people want to do the right thing, they want to get into the right position and they want to score goals, so there is the balance of that plus what do we need to do?

"We need to get Dominic fit because his record says that he scores goals regularly for this club and look at who else we can bring in to help the players, to encourage the competition. This is a pretty ruthless job we are working in and we need to score goals to get the results we want.”

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