Joe Thomas has claimed on the Royal Blue podcast that Frank Lampard is keen to change Everton’s style of play.
It has certainly been a slog of a season for Evertonians thus far with it mirroring much of last campaign as they are once again fighting against relegation and sit just one point and place above the drop zone.
It also hasn’t been very pleasant football on the eye with Everton boasting the fifth-lowest average percentage of possession in the Premier League this season and have also managed the fourth fewest shots on target.
Therefore, it should come as no surprise that Lampard is keen on changing the way Everton play going forward, something Thomas has spoken about:
(30:55) “I think there are just a few growing pains and teething problems and Frank Lampard is very keen to change the style of Everton into a far more progressive style, Amadou Onana will be crucial to that but I think they are just learning at the minute.
Do Everton need to change their style of play?
Yes!
No!
“They have no choice but to figure it out on the job with him and I think there’s an acceptance that they’re still in that learning curve.”
TIF Thoughts on Everton’s style of play…
It really isn’t a surprise that Lampard wishes to change the club’s style of play as it must be dire to watch from both the touchline and in the stands as they are simply not getting the ball forward enough.
Everton currently sit inside the bottom three of the Premier league when it comes to progressive passes made (FBRef), with only Bournemouth and Nottingham Forest making fewer than them.
Therefore, getting more out of his players, such as Amadou Onana who set the club back £33 million over the summer, is obviously going to be one of Lampard’s tasks in the second half of the season.