Frank Lampard said he led the move to applaud Everton's travelling support for his players and not himself.
The Blues boss, under pressure with his side in the relegation zone and having lost their last three games at home, appeared to make a point of showing his appreciation to the away end after his side fought hard before being overcome 3-1 by Manchester United in a thrilling FA Cup match.
He later explained what felt like a poignant moment was him making sure the players were aware that the fans will respect them when they leave everything on the pitch - something he credited them with having done.
EFC RATINGS: Demarai Gray dangerous but one man poor vs Manchester United
READ MORE: Marcus Rashford sends classy message to Everton after Man United defeat
A late Marcus Rashford penalty gave the scoreline an undeserved gloss for the home side after an end-to-end game that was competitive to the final seconds. Conor Coady had cancelled out Antony's early goal before the centre back then prodded into his own net. Everton battled to find a second equaliser and thought they had done so before Dominic Calvert-Lewin's goal was ruled out through VAR.
While this meant his side suffered another defeat, Lampard said he felt they deserved more. Asked whether he thought the performance had won back some of the supporters after a difficult period, Lampard responded: "I don't know, I think the reaction at the end of the game probably speaks for how they saw the game because I think they saw the spirit of the team and the way we played. I think they saw that we deserved to get a result and that is good for the players to see because a lot of people want to focus on 'difficult nights' and 'what the crowd think' and I think today showed that fans will respect when you give everything for the club.
"We had a lot of that last season and in the early parts of this season. Recently, our form at Goodison has not been so good and the last two or three games have been tough but at the same time the players have to play through that."
Lampard later added, when asked whether he had 'lingered' in the moment: "[The applause] was more for the players than for me really, because I think a lot gets said of Goodison the other night and how it became a difficult environment to play in. But it is good for the players to understand that when they give everything even in defeat there is a certain respect from the fans and all of them appreciated the players' performance so it was good to stay there for a moment and what we need to do is give them that feeling with results."
READ NEXT
- Marcus Rashford sends classy message to Everton after Man United defeat
- Manchester United supporters' group condemn 'illegal' chants aimed at Everton boss Frank Lampard
- Frank Lampard won't forget 30 seconds that meant nothing for Everton but everything for him
- Everton face major question as fans prove their point at Old Trafford
- Everton player ratings as Demarai Gray dangerous but one man poor vs Manchester United
