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Liverpool Echo
Liverpool Echo
Sport
Connor O'Neill

Frank Lampard hits back at harsh Dominic Calvert-Lewin 'judgement' as Everton vision shared

Frank Lampard believes Saturday's win over Crystal Palace has provided his Everton side with the perfect 'template' to keep heading in the right direction.

After three straight defeats, the Blues returned to winning ways with a comprehensive 3-0 victory at Goodison Park. Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Anthony Gordon and Dwight McNeil were all on target.

And Lampard has been quick to point to the desire and energy his side showed during the 90 minutes, and believes the performance was 'what an Everton team must feel like' moving forward.

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"I think it was a good template," he told evertontv. "We want to continue in the right direction - there are improvements [to be made] always.

"But when you see the solid nature of the team, the good play, the variation of our game of playing through lines like the goals or going longer and winning second balls...This is what an Everton side has to feel like, there's no doubt about it for me.

"It's not simple but some of the basics of our game we did brilliantly [against Crystal Palace] and the crowd were engaged in it, so you get one of those special afternoons at Goodison."

He then added: "Saying getting on the front foot is one thing, but doing it in an organised manner - to not allow a good team to play through you and to do the right things, right movements that we talk about and work on in training - is another.

"We did both together and that's when you get the magic. We have to work hard, be aggressive, with a structure - the players did that and that brought us the first goal.”

Calvert-Lewin, who still hopes to make England's World Cup squad, did his chances no harm in front of the watching Gareth Southgate, opening the scoring with his first goal in five month to give the hosts the lead after just 11 minutes.

The forward has been hampered by a litany of injuries over the past 15 months but his goal was a timely reminder of the class he can bring to Lampard’s side.

"Obviously, I'm delighted for Dominic to get it. We know how important he is to us,” the Everton boss said. "You saw the celebration and the relationship he has with the fans - we're delighted on all fronts on that one.

"People on the outside can cast judgement or comment on Dominic, but I see him every day - trying to do the right things to get fit when he's not right, working in the right way, being a good teammate. Then you see the player he is when he's out on the pitch.

"I'm not going to get too excited with one performance, but I am excited because I know what it means to him. Now he just has to replicate that.

"It gives us such a weapon in our game to have a player of that presence that we can hit, that we can play off, that can run behind... He can do so many things for us and, obviously, score goals.

"It was really good from Dominic, then Neal [Maupay] comes on and, all of a sudden, when they're both firing you feel we have different options and we look different very quickly in a game, which is great for me."

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