Frank Lampard said he understands the anger and frustration displayed by some Everton fans after the defeat at Bournemouth.
Every player, and the Blues boss, went over to the travelling supporters on the final whistle after a disastrous 3-0 defeat on the south coast. It was the club's third loss in seven days and the second hammering at the Vitality Stadium this week.
Footage of the aftermath of the match showed sections of the away end expressing their unhappiness at the performance and Lampard later said: "The players just have to accept the fans have a right to voice their opinions and again they were right today."
MATCH RECAP: Look back on how Bournemouth vs Everton unfolded here
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Everton enter the World Cup break just one point and one place above the relegation zone after a season that started with such promise unravelled over the past week. Bournemouth leapfrogged Everton in the Premier League just days after knocking them out of the Carabao Cup across two games won by an aggregate of 7-1.
Speaking after going over to the away supporters, Lampard said: "The fans have a right to be disappointed. They have come down here twice this week and seen poor performances. And before that we had been going OK and then they see performances they don't like. So when we are pleased they are happy after [Crystal] Palace, when we are pleased that they give us a welcome, we have to understand that they can voice their opinions and their opinions are right today. I think there was a bit of a misunderstanding, Alex [Iwobi] had some friends that he was concerned about that were sort of at the front of the fans, there was nothing in that, and the players just have to accept the fans have a right to voice their opinions and again they were right today."
Lampard insisted the display was not good enough and acknowledged the strength of feeling among those in the away end. But he said it was important the players faced up to that and went over to the supporters.
He said: "It's not a nice moment but sometimes you have to suck it up in terms of being humble about the fact the performance was not good enough. So you have to go over and it is not a moment to clap and cheer, we get that. We have those moments at other times. It is a moment to go over and [acknowledge] the fact they are there and it wasn't good enough. Every footballer has been through those moments, I have been there many a time and it is just important that the players went over and I think the rest was just pure emotion which I think is understandable."
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