Amadou Onana has lifted the lid on what Frank Lampard told him shortly before his Goodison Park debut against Nottingham Forest on Saturday. The midfielder was introduced for his second Everton match in the second half at the weekend, having also been brought on from the bench the previous week away to Aston Villa. He was met with a raucous reception from the crowd upon his introduction before getting over half an hour to show his talents. And the 21-year-old has revealed the message that he was given before entering the fray by his manager. The new Blues man also highlighted the importance of his teammates in helping him settle on Merseyside as quickly as he has.
Amadou Onana said: “The manager tells me to go out there, bring the energy I can bring to the team, and just be myself – be Amadou. I want to play forward, boost my teammates and do whatever it takes to get the three points. My teammates welcomed me in the best possible way. I haven’t have to do much to adapt myself [in the squad]. It was very good to get some more minutes [against Forest] and get more used to playing in England. It’s a different football, different rhythm, so I have to get used to it. It will come day by day. The game is more physical. It is faster, so I have to adapt as quickly as possible. I must say, my teammates welcomed me in the best possible way. I haven’t have to do much to adjust myself in the squad.”
Onana was met with huge cheers and applause as he was introduced onto the pitch at his new home for the first time, and even received a similar reception when he was first sent to warm up by Lampard in the opening half. The midfielder thanked the fans for the way they welcomed him to the club, but maintained a disappointment that he couldn’t help his side to victory on his Goodison bow.
Amadou Onana added: “The reception was crazy! Hearing them shouting my name… It was very nice. I’m very happy about the warm welcome, the crowd was unbelievable. I’d like to say thank you for all the support. Perhaps we should have won the game. It was disappointing to concede but we did our very best towards the end. The atmosphere in the ground after we scored was unbelievable, too. I think we could have – in the end – got the win.”
Tom Davies has opened up on how his return from injury is going following his return to the fold for Everton. Davies spoke about how he felt fitness wise during the draw with Forest, which saw him play a little under an hour. The midfielder went on to explain the conversations he’s ad with manager Frank Lampard.
Tom Davies said: “I felt good in the game. It’s been a long time since I’ve been out playing at Goodison. I’m glad to get the minutes and I’m looking to build on it from there. Coming off the injury, it does take a bit of time just to get used to playing. I’m feeling good, feeling better every day, and I’m just looking to continue developing and getting stronger.”
Tom Davies added: “The manager and all the staff have been great since they’ve come in. They have really given the place a lot of life. The manager was a midfielder himself, so he’s got a lot of knowledge about the position Playing in a two in the middle, it’s about offering to support your back four, connecting the team, and just trying to be the brain for the team, really. I’m looking to develop and learn The manager has got a lot of wisdom to share.”
Demarai Gray has praised the character of the Everton squad after they came from behind to draw 1-1 at home to Nottingham Forest
Demarai Gray said: “We’re obviously disappointed to concede when we did. We switched off for a second, but we showed character to come back. I think last season, that wouldn’t be the case. It shows improvements – I believe we had 19 shots today – so if we keep having that many attempts on goal then surely the goals will keep coming. I think we controlled the game. We were good in possession, did well to get into areas in the final third. It was just the finishing touches today. It feels like a loss based on how we played in the game, but it’s positive. A point on the board and hopefully we can now get some momentum. It’s the character. At times last season, we may not have shown that. We’re showing it now and I’m sure we will at times over the course of this season and things will pay off. Against Chelsea, too, we were solid but in a split-second moment we give away a penalty. Against Villa, we switched off twice again, but I think we’re a lot more solid and compact this year. I think we’re difficult to play against. Teams will look at us and know that they’ll have to work for their results. It’s just about putting the formula together – doing the attacking and defending side all together.”
Gray was able to bring the Blues level when a penetrative out-to-in run caught the eye of Jordan Pickford whose pinpoint pass fell at the 26-year-old’s feet. With just Forest goalkeeper Dean Henderson to beat, the Everton winger held his nerve and slotted home – and after the game, he explained how the move had been pre-planned during the week.
Demarai Gray said: “It’s something we work on in training. I saw the space and Pickford shows why he’s been England’s number one for a while. There was real quality on the kick and it found me and fortunately I’ve put it in.”
Frank Lampard has made it clear to the Everton hierarchy he needs a striker before the end of the transfer window. Discussing the transfer window so far before the Forest game, Lampard said he was still hoping for more business to be done but expressed frustration at the extent to which the transfer window runs into the new season, which he believes has delayed some business.
Frank Lampard said: “We were were we where last season for a reason, I realise there is a lot of work to be done. Some of that starts with personnel. I’m happy with what we’ve done so far in the window for sure, in terms of some of the personnel, characters and quality that we brought in. We want to do some more. I don’t think we were going to take us from where we were last season to where we ultimately want to be in one window. If you try to attack it one window, maybe Forest are, it is not always that easy. We are trying to do it in a considered way. We have two more weeks to go. The most frustrating part for me is that it has run so long into the season, when you’re trying to prepare for games and there is all talk all the time about ins and outs and players, it can have an affect. That’s not just us, that’s everybody.”
Lampard has both stressed that several areas of Everton’s squad needed strengthening, hence the work on other areas including the introduction of three defenders, and that his side will receive some relief in the coming weeks when Calvert-Lewin returns to action. As Everton struggled to break through Forest on Saturday, Gordon fought hard to be the difference between the two sides but was repeatedly denied by Henderson. Asked about Gordon’s finishing, and how often the 21-year-old works on improving that area of his game,
Frank Lampard added: “Most days, because Anthony is a great professional. He has a great hunger as a young lad. He wants to work on his finishing. Some of it is just pure development, as a young player who gave us so much last year in his output in a general sense and the goals will just come but it takes a bit of time sometimes to get that in your game. For some of the greatest players to expect them to be plundering goals at 21-22 is not always the norm. There is the occasional exception, No 9s, [Erling] Haaland etc, it is their thing. Anthony has a lot of strings to his bow and the goalscoring one will come.”
Frank Lampard admits that Everton need either a swift resolution to the Anthony Gordon situation or the player to remain at Goodison Park – while revealing that Dele Alli’s exit is now at an advanced stage. The Blues boss was quizzed on Gordon’s future after the player was left on the bench for his side’s 1-0 win at Fleetwood Town in the second round of the Carabao Cup.
Frank Lampard said: “He’s our player, everyone knows there’s interest from Chelsea but he’s our player, it’s as simple as that.”
Questioned if Gordon had asked to leave,
Frank Lampard said: “I’m never going to go into conversations that me and Anthony have, we have a good relationship and I’m not going to go there.”
Pressed on whether Everton needed the issue to be resolved quickly,
Frank Lampard added: “Yes, ideally or we carry on and he’s our player, it is what it is.”
In terms of Gordon position of being left on the bench, the Blues boss revealed the 21-year-old had been nursing a problem with his heel and he’d been reluctant to play him against their League One opposition unless the game situation became desperate.
Lampard, who insisted Everton don’t need to sell Gordon to further bolster their squad this window,
Frank Lampard said: “He actually had a small injury on his heel. He didn’t train yesterday, he hasn’t trained since Forest. I wanted him involved because it’s important he’s involved but I’d have only brought him on if I thought it was absolutely necessary to do so. I know people will read into that, people will have probably have read into it if I’d have left him at home with his heel and he was fit tonight but we didn’t need him to.”
One player who Lampard is ready to let go is Dele Alli who only signed for the club on January 31, the same day he was appointed manager. The former Tottenham Hotspur man was left out of the squad at Fleetwood
Frank Lampard said: “He’s very advanced to moving to Besiktas. It’s not absolutely done yet but it’s very advanced.”
