Micky Kicks
There was a new mascot patrolling the touchline for much of the pre-match warm ups for Everton's match against Dynamo Kyiv. "Micky Kicks", as was the name printed on the back of the shirt, could be seen interacting with supporters, sprinting down the line behind the official and mimicking the away side as they went through their stretching routine.
Normal mascot stuff, then. A little strange that he was introduced without much fanfare, but we'll get used to him throughout the season, right?
Well, unfortunately, this was a one-time thing. Because, in fact, it was part of the plot by comedian Michael McIntyre and his "Michael McIntyre's Big Show" team to spring a surprise for Blues fan Paul Stratton as he came off the bench at the end of the game to bag a penalty at the Gwladys Street.
RATINGS: Everton player ratings as Dwight McNeil great and James Tarkowski good vs Dynamo Kyiv
ANALYSIS: Nathan Patterson can give vital answer but formation question lingers
So if you were down in the family enclosure before kick-off and saw Micky Kicks going about his day on the side of the pitch, then you've been given a rather unique opportunity to see a one-off mascot. What an evening.
Back to normal
While the mascot situation might have been something very new for this pre-season game, soon things returned back to normality. In fact, they did so in a way in which we haven't seen since before the Covid-19 pandemic.
Since the return to action, whether behind-closed-doors or with fans in attendance, the away side at Goodison Park have been getting ready for matches in a temporary changing room situated in the Park End. That's led to them coming out on the pitch from the corner of the ground too, coincidentally right in front of the travelling supporters.
However, that's all changed again. The fan-zone made its long-awaited return to the Park End on Friday evening to bring the pre-match entertainment to supporters, with the temporary changing room nowhere to be seen.
And, sure enough, both sides emerged from the tunnel pre-match rather than from different parts of the ground. Who'd have thought that something so simple could bring back such welcoming feelings?
Pickford plan
It seemed obvious from the early stages of the game that Everton would look to use the width of the pitch as much as possible against Kyiv. The use of wing backs allowed both Vitalii Mykolenko and Nathan Patterson to push forwards into advanced positions to try and join the attack on various occasions.
The centre-backs and central midfielders had clearly been told to find these runs whenever they had been made, with long balls attempted either on the ground or in the air to try and find the pair. And, Jordan Pickford had seemingly also been given the same instructions.
When Alex Iwobi passed the ball back to the goalkeeper in the 24th minute, he made a distinct motion with both of his arms telling his teammates to stretch wide as it was rolling back to him. From there, the England No.1 picked out a pinpoint pass to the right flank where Patterson had found space to comfortably win an aerial duel to set up a potential attack for his side.
It will be interesting to see how much that will play into Lampard's thinking as the Premier League season is set to begin.
Cole's new role
As revealed earlier this month, Ashley Cole has been handed a new behind-the-scenes role at Everton before the start of the 2022/23 season. He's taking over from Paul Clement in helping to organise the side in terms of set pieces, both going forward and defensively.
That has long been an issue for the Blues and it continued throughout the majority of last season, with opposing sides being handed too many opportunities to score easy goals whenever getting corners and free kicks around the edge of the box. Dynamo Kyiv found themselves in similar scenarios throughout Friday evening's match and did create some chances, but didn't manage to find the back of the net.
Whenever they were attempting a set piece delivery into the area, though, Cole rose from the bench and took a position closer to the touchline to get a good look at the organisation of the side. Clement did similar during the second half of last season as he attempted to improve Everton's fortunes in that sense.
Lampard's appreciation
After the introduction of Dwight McNeil particularly, Everton quickly took hold of the match and eventually stretched their lead to 3-0. The mood inside the stadium was already a good one, but it hit another level after the hosts really took advantage.
Because of that, the usual chants started to emanate from the stands, including "Super Frankie Lampard". The manager almost instantly heard it, and made sure to applaud those in their seats to show his appreciation for their love.
Fingers crossed we will see similar scenes throughout the coming campaign, starting with that important match against Chelsea next weekend.
READ NEXT:
- Everton CEO makes transfer pledge to fans and addresses Farhad Moshiri sale rumours
- Leon Osman offers Everton pre-season insight and makes Frank Lampard claim
- Dwight McNeil's first words as an Everton player following Burnley transfer
- Kevin Thelwell makes major Dwight McNeil claim as Frank Lampard lauds Everton transfer
- Dwight McNeil shouldn't be judged by Richarlison standard ahead of Everton transfer
