Everton will face Burnley this evening in a relegation six-pointer that the Blues dare-not lose. While we wait for the match to arrive, here's your Everton morning headlines for Wednesday, April 6.
'Everyone is quick to tell me' - Frank Lampard sends message to Everton fans over relegation battle
Frank Lampard insists he understands the emotions that fearful Evertonians are going through as they fret over the threat of relegation ahead of tonight’s trip to Burnley and maintains that such passions are what makes the club “beautiful” in his eyes.
Lying 17 th in the Premier League table, Everton have taken just 25 points from their 28 matches so far this season – their worst-ever tally at this stage of a campaign – and supporters are concerned over the prospect of dropping out of the top flight for the first time since 1951.
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Asked if he feels the fans’ apprehensions, Lampard said: “Sure. It is natural. It is human nature. At Everton, we have a great history and tradition of being in the Premier League for so long and having huge success along the way.
“I know there have been seasons relatively recently where we have been in similar situations to this and going into the final day of the season at times. It is something that has been there before. Of course, there will be apprehension from the fans, I get that. That’s normal.
“My job is to keep working and I have found nothing but positivity from my interaction with the fans, particularly at Goodison, and they have a right to have strong emotions either way for this club. That is part of what makes this club beautiful in my opinion. I can completely understand the feeling but they need to know we are giving everything, I certainly am, to keep us in this league. That is the job ahead of us.”
Read the full story HERE.
Frank Lampard speaks out on Dele Alli situation and Everton fixture 'disadvantage'
Frank Lampard has explained what Dele Alli needs to do to get into his side as the Everton manager hit out over the “disadvantage” from the fixture scheduling for what could be a pivotal week in their season. The Blues go to Burnley on Wednesday night without a plethora of central midfield options with Donny van de Beek, Andre Gomes and Tom Davies all injured, Fabian Delph still a doubt as he returns to fitness and Allan suspended.
However, there’s still no guarantee that Alli, who has made six substitute appearances since his transfer deadline day move from Tottenham Hotspur, will make his first start at Turf Moor. The 25-year-old joined Everton in a highly-structured deal which meant that he arrived on a free, he could ultimately cost them up to £40million depending on what he achieves on the pitch.
At present there has been little indication that the England international is close to rediscovering the form that prompted the famous CIES Football Observatory in Switzerland to calculate that he was the most-valuable midfielder in the world back in 2018. Asked what Alli needs to do to play a bigger part in his plans, Lampard said: “Train well, stay focused and show me in training – as all the players have to – that he is ready to play. And I know that is not always easy as a player because players like to play games but we are in a position now where every game is crucial and how we prepare and how we go into games is what I see and what I select of. So he just has to do that.”
Read the full story, including Lampard's concerns about fixture scheduling, HERE.
