Everton hope Australia trip can provide a reset
Everton’s coaching staff are hoping that the current mid-season tour to Sydney will have provided the players with a chance to build fitness and get back to some of the fundamentals as they look to improve their form when the Premier League season resumes after the World Cup.
The Blues went into the six-week international break at a low ebb following three successive defeats in all competitions, two of them at Bournemouth where they shipped seven goals in total, but Frank Lampard says that part of the trip to Australia is to allow the players to bond and refocus.
We have to relax a little bit and bond,” the manager said prior to Sunday’s goalless draw with Celtic that Everton won on penalties to claim the Sydney Super Cup. “We have to work hard. We have to play well in these games – people are always watching when you're playing for Everton.
“It was always going to be a tough year for us from where we were last year [with] the experience of fighting against relegation. We're there again and that's what it is but we're trying to build. Sometimes the building process takes time.”
That sentiment has been echoed by first-team coach, Ashley Cole, who told the Liverpool Echo that he believes the break for Qatar 2022 came at the right time for Everton.
“It wasn't something that was gonna just, you know, be a click of the fingers overnight and ‘we're going to be fine’,” the former England international left-back said. “But I think we added, we tried to work on focus points where we thought we needed as a group to work on.
“And we started the season well. We were unlucky against Chelsea, then got some momentum — you know, beating West Ham United — and then we were a little bit disappointed against Leicester.
“I think we were on the right path, and then you lose three games and football is fickle. It changes opinions and, in terms of focus, this break for us probably came at a good time. And now we've got to refocus on hopefully getting our players back from the World Cup nice and healthy and really working on some key details that focus on us again
“[T]he players are really confident and feel that we are a group that should be pushing. But again, it's going to take time.
“[I]t was important that we came here and worked on a few bits, but as a group tried to get some fundamentals back to where we feel they should be. And again, it's just to get some fitness. We didn't want to spend one month at home without doing any work. So we've been able to come here, enjoy the weather, enjoy a beautiful city, but also work hard.
“[The squad includes] players that need to top up with fitness because they've not got that many minutes in the Premier League but it is also an opportunity to, you know, prove you should be in the team.
“I think every day you're with the group of players or training in front of us as staff, you're always trying to prove that you're ready and good enough to get back into the team. As a big exercise of coming here I think it has worked really, really well.”
Reader Comments (30)
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3 Posted 22/11/2022 at 19:23:36
4 Posted 22/11/2022 at 19:36:05
5 Posted 22/11/2022 at 19:38:06
Enjoy the game and hope they put a show on for you.
6 Posted 22/11/2022 at 20:18:15
And what do you expect from Everton?
Enjoy!
7 Posted 22/11/2022 at 21:18:43
8 Posted 22/11/2022 at 21:24:33
The club have managed to get them away from everything but it might have been better to put them in with the paras on the Brecon Beacons.
9 Posted 22/11/2022 at 21:59:27
10 Posted 22/11/2022 at 22:05:08
It'll be down to the fans again to keep us up, but I'm not sure we've got the stomach for it this time around. We've been beaten into the ground too many times over the past few years.
11 Posted 22/11/2022 at 22:17:20
12 Posted 22/11/2022 at 22:51:36
13 Posted 22/11/2022 at 23:24:00
Everton training program seems to result in a reasonable start to the season and a alarming fall off in effective in October, which last year extended into January.They they struggled to the end of the season.
The whole training program needs to be totally changed, rather than reset.
14 Posted 22/11/2022 at 23:53:15
15 Posted 23/11/2022 at 00:51:26
But, they' were terrible.
It appeared they were clueless? Incoherent, no iota of a plan. Like a Sunday league or even a pub team but fitter.
That has to be down to coaching. I'm a Lampard fan. I believe he should be given a chance? His remit at he start of the season was to be better than three other teams.
Its a very long journey to that position.
Terrified !
16 Posted 23/11/2022 at 01:02:34
I hear Southgate might be retiring from international coaching and Ronaldo is a free agent.
Actually Renaldo's 7 goals in half a season might just keep us up. The price tag might be a bit steep and the dressing room atmosphere, phew !
17 Posted 23/11/2022 at 06:29:00
18 Posted 23/11/2022 at 06:48:45
Defence is sound but fark me everything in front of Tark needs selling.
19 Posted 23/11/2022 at 07:15:51
20 Posted 23/11/2022 at 07:19:09
21 Posted 23/11/2022 at 07:55:09
It's not good for me.
On a general point, I think the emotional impact of last season has taken it's effect on the fans and I can't see Goodison conjuring up such an escape this time round.
I do think Frank and his crew are not up to the job and hearing him lower expectations over his last few interviews makes me worried that he is preparing the ground for the inevitable.
He has started laying blame on the players which doesn't seem to make them pull their socks up.
The team need to put a few goals in against Sydney and then we might just discover some confidence.
22 Posted 23/11/2022 at 08:03:19
23 Posted 23/11/2022 at 08:09:57
24 Posted 23/11/2022 at 09:01:05
I think they're damned if they do, damned if they don't. We complain about a lack of marketing and global visibility both to existing supporters and potentially attacking new ones.
But then we'd rather they were locked behind the gates of Finch Farm.
Good to hear the Down Under Blues. Very vocal.
25 Posted 23/11/2022 at 09:24:54
I mean it would be very much appreciated by fans if they came back from Australia being able to pass the ball to one another,retain possession for more than two passes,get the ball forward at pace,run into space,put in a decent cross,get back and defend,oh,and put the ball into the opponent's net occasionally! Aren't these the fundamentals?
But it would be even more beneficial if the coaching staff came back with an idea of what their best formation is,what game plans give us the best chance of winning and playing attractive football,how to read the game and make the most effective changes,the willingness to drop under performing players and give younger players an opportunity etc,etc.
Not going to happen I know,but it's nice to dream.
At least they'll all come back with good tans,and have saved a packet on their heating bills so the trip won't be a complete loss!
26 Posted 23/11/2022 at 10:39:00
27 Posted 23/11/2022 at 10:42:01
Great support and well done to all.
28 Posted 23/11/2022 at 13:51:09
29 Posted 23/11/2022 at 16:06:50
30 Posted 24/11/2022 at 17:10:03
Apart from the Man City game, they will be expected to plck up some points; otherwise, we will be in shit street and it could be Sayonara Frank.
I don't see any big-name additions in January because many quality players won't fancy joining a team in relegation trouble.
That next game against Wolves is a must-win situation.
31 Posted 29/11/2022 at 01:31:30
Our club just doesn't turn up for away days anymore...unless we play down under against a faded club on the slide and some Sheep Shearer's.
Utd...3-0 easy win...ta ra Frankie!
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1 Posted 22/11/2022 at 18:53:34
We can't hide the fact that this trip is a waste of time. What is more important is that we get in a striker or two in January. Oh for another Kevin Campbell or the like!!!! Fingers crossed.