I didn't know what to do going into Thursday's game with Crystal Palace, it was such a big match.
After the huge wins for Everton against Leicester City and Chelsea, but then the disappointment of the draw at Watford and the defeat to Brentford, I think a lot of the fans and maybe even the players and Frank Lampard were thinking 'this could be our last chance for safety'.
It wasn't the start we wanted at all. Not only did Everton concede the two goals, they just could not get close to them. But the fans turned up - again. They clearly thought they had to stay behind the players, they just kept the belief. You have got to give a lot of credit to the supporters.
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When Frank got them in at half-time he must have told them a few home truths and he changed things. His substitution surprised me, to be honest. I thought we were crying out for Allan, to get someone in close to their players in the centre of midfield and to try and win the ball back. He chose to put Dele Alli on and I thought 'has he got the physicality to get Everton back into that game?' Credit to Frank Lampard for that decision because Alli really performed, he just shone through.
His balance and his composure on the ball was brilliant. He has played in big games with Tottenham Hotspur, he is used to pressure games, and you could see that. He kept taking on the ball and picking the right pass at the right time - and that is what we have lacked since we lost James Rodriguez. His assists, his through balls, his ability on the ball - we have missed that a lot this year.
Alli showed in that performance against Crystal Palace why he was a top, top player. He gave the side a bit of belief and he showed that bit of quality. Even with the third goal, when Dominic Calvert-Lewin scored, what a lot of people haven't talked about is Alli's clever little block on the Crystal Palace defender who just about missed the ball. It's those fine margins - that little bit of football cleverness and intelligence that can make a big difference.
I saw enough in that second 45 minutes to suggest there is still a player there in Alli. There have been question marks - has he been doing enough at Finch Farm to get that shirt on, has he got the strength for a dogfight battle? But even in a dogfight you need a mixture of players, not just dogs of war. You need someone who can break down the opposition or find that special pass.
He came out for that second half and it was like he was playing a different game of football. The occasion didn't get to him and that is probably a result of his experience playing in high-profile football matches. It could so easily have flipped the other way and been a bad decision for Lampard and Alli. If he had come on and not had an impact then there would be a few question marks again about the signing of the player, but he made an important contribution and the decision to bring him on was spot on.
After Everton got the win, the scenes were just brilliant to see. It was just the sort of experience that at the start of the season you never thought you would witness. And the fans were brilliant, even at 2-0 down when people may have been fearing the worst, they got behind them. I would really like to thank the club's supporters for everything they have done in recent weeks. They refused to give up and their backing has been incredible. It really has been great to see.
