Frank Lampard has opened up on a barbecue at Everton which has helped boost the unity across all squads at Finch Farm.
The Men's first team are preparing to take on Chelsea in their opening match of the 2022/23 campaign at Goodison Park on Saturday, with the hope that they can recreate the incredible atmosphere and result of a few months ago against the same opponent. Meanwhile, the Women's side are already gearing up for their WSL opener against Leicester City on 11th September.
With new faces arriving at Finch Farm over the course of the summer transfer window and with a tough season of football ahead for everyone at the club, the decision was made for everyone - from the Men's and Women's sides and their families right through to the Academy team - to come together for a barbecue as a strong reminder of the kind of club Everton are.
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Lampard explained: "We had a barbecue the other day at Finch Farm and everybody was there from academy to women's team to all the teams and partners and staff and it gave me a real sense of what this club is and can be. So I understand the responsibility and I feel like it is a good challenge and I am in a good place to do it.
"They are all words at the minute and I have to go out and do it, but I am definitely excited about the challenge and I can see it pretty clearly. Once the games start it throws you a million different things each week and that is where I am at I suppose.
"It was kids and families, bouncy castles. It was a thing I did at Chelsea a long time ago and when I had the idea here the great people who work behind the scenes here, it is a great community club, took it to new levels.
"I shouldn’t sit here and say I did this amazing barbecue, I didn’t organise the plates and the bouncy castles! But it was a nice exercise in showing everyone we are all together. It is really important as a club, I think it is one of our strengths that we took from the fan base last year and it is important that we take that forward.
"It doesn’t put points on the board but it is important that the wife or girlfriend or Ruben Vinagre who has just moved to this country, or Dwight McNeil who has just come to the club, feel part of a family. When I came in here last year I said it quite a few times - the priority was staying up and now there are things can we do some details and things behind the scenes that take the club forward.
"Little things like that are tiny, little wins [or things] in terms of bringing everyone together."
For Lampard's side, there is a certain amount of trepidation when heading into the new campaign. A narrow escape from relegation last season still lingers in the memory, and many outside the club are raising questions around whether enough has been done in the transfer market to ensure that doesn't happen again.
However, the manager isn't thinking about those concerns, although he does hear them. Instead, he has urged Everton fans to have patience, see where the team lies at the end of the transfer window, and be positive about what the 2022/23 term might be able to bring.
"I don't mind that [doubt], I'm not immune to hearing it. I know it's there in certain places," Lampard added.
"If you come off a relegation battle and you lose a player of high value to the team on the pitch, I think it's understandable. What we have done is bring in three players I'm very happy with, but I understand when I listen to the radio and people say we're probably going to be in a fight again, that's no problem.
"Other clubs are probably being told they're going to be in the European places, it means nothing at the minute. So I think any trepidation from the outside is fine, for Evertonians I would say let's see what we're going to do.
"We haven't kicked a ball in anger yet, let's see how well we compete against Chelsea. And, when the window shuts, let's see what it looks like.
"I can't sit here and say we don't want to bring in players to improve the squad because we were where we were for a reason. If we can improve the squad, it's our duty to in all windows.
"So we must be positive, my point was more about people from the outside thinking we might be in a relegation battle, that's fine. We need to be positive about where we can get to."
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