Here are your Everton evening headlines for Tuesday, December 27.
Farhad Moshiri can't continue toxic cycle but Frank Lampard and Everton players must know stark truth
Oh for the ‘good old’ days when the biggest problem for Everton managers over the festive season was facing flak from the fans for having some red decorations on their Christmas Tree. Back in 2016, Farhad Moshiri’s first Christmas as Everton owner, then Blues boss Ronald Koeman incurred the wrath of some Evertonians because of the hue of some of his baubles matched the colours of local rivals Liverpool.
Like many football managers when coming under fire, the Dutchman looked for someone else to deflect the blame upon and pointed the finger at his wife Bartina! To outsiders it seemed a trivial matter, but it was a detail that demonstrated that Koeman, for all his football knowledge, didn’t fully understand the Everton psyche and never made it his business to learn it.
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Moshiri’s first managerial appointment, Koeman represented the kind of box office big name Everton’s owner craved to try and shine among the galaxy of stars (Pep Guardiola, Jurgen Klopp and Jose Mourinho at the time) that inhabited the touchlines of North West England, a region he subsequently dubbed as “The new Hollywood of football.” Although in an interview with Sky Sports this autumn, Koeman conveniently ‘misremembered’ where he finished in what proved to be his only full season in charge at Goodison Park (bumping himself up a place to sixth rather than the seventh spot they really occupied) and even suggested it was “maybe the best record in the last 15 years” (predecessor Roberto Martinez had come fifth in 2014), the lamentable truth is that nobody in charge of Everton has bettered him since.
In this respect, the days of excess under Koeman, who would oversee a transfer window of record spending in the summer of 2017 when millions were largely squandered on misguided squad rebuilding represent ‘The Ghost of Christmas Past’ that is haunting Everton. Frank Lampard’s ‘Ghost of Christmas Present’ is the raw realisation that the team have yet another stomach-churning relegation battle ahead of them and it’s to be hoped that ‘The Ghost of Christmas Future’ does not include a grave inscribed with ‘Everton… top flight football 1954-2023.’
Read the rest of Chris Beesley's Everton talking point here.
Amadou Onana gets new Everton role as Yerry Mina gesture for Frank Lampard spotted
Everton returned to Premier League action in far-from-encouraging fashion after yesterday's late 2-1 defeat to Wolves.
Despite taking the lead inside seven minutes, the Toffees were unable capitalise on a number of chances and eventually saw Rayan Ait-Nouri scramble home a 95th-minute winner. The result lifted Julen Lopetegui's side off the bottom of the Premier League table and further condemned Frank Lampard to a season battling the threat of relegation.
Evertonians would be forgiven for trying to erase the two hour period between 3pm and 5pm on Monday for good, but a look back at the meeting saw plenty of important moments that may have been missed.
From Amadou Onana's influence in a deeper role, to the return of Yerry Mina and his telling reaction after scoring the opener, below is a look back at some of the moments you might have missed from the Blues’ Boxing Day encounter at Goodison Park.
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'Lampard looked physically ill' - National media make same blunt Everton point after Wolves defeat
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Everton have huge problem and biggest cheer of second half against Wolves shows it
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'We have got no right' - Frank Lampard makes Everton admission after Wolves defeat
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Everton player ratings as Yerry Mina makes impact but three stars poor vs Wolves
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James Tarkowski addresses Everton fan boos after last-minute Wolves defeat
