Everton secured their second point of the Premier League season against Brentford on Saturday afternoon in a match that, in other circumstances, could so easily have seen wins for either side.
The visitors took the lead in the first half and had a great chance to extend their advantage after the break when Amadou Onana's fantastic through-ball found Demarai Gray, but in the end they conceded the equaliser from a set piece which saw too many players switch off. Thomas Frank's side, on the other hand, had numerous chances to be back in the game before that.
One particular area of concern, especially in the first half, was the Blues being caught too easily on the counter attack. on one particular occasion, it was only strong work from Nathan Patterson which stopped three or four Brentford players being in on goal as they rapidly broke up the pitch from an Everton set piece.
READ MORE: Frank Lampard gives Neal Maupay squad update as second big Everton decision looms
READ MORE: Frank Lampard has two big questions to answer ahead of trip to Leeds United
Fans watching the game were rightly concerned about conceding opportunities in the transition, and with tough matches against Leeds United and Liverpool this week it's certainly something that needs addressing. Which is why it's promising to hear Lampard say as much in the build-up to his side's trip to Elland Road.
He said: "We reviewed Aston Villa and the issue with the first goal - and this is football, you turn the ball over in the middle of the pitch and you can't attack with 11 men behind the ball. It doesn't work that way but you have to try to make the best to have good coverage of the pitch at all times in case you turn it over. I think the Villa goals were pretty specific and, other than that in that game, we were pretty solid.
"I thought against Brentford there were moments where we got it wrong in the first half and I didn't like it. We were short.
"Defending a counter-attack is not about standing on the halfway line, it's about stopping things at source and at times we didn't do that well enough. So it's about work on the training ground and personnel."
Teams with quick players and effective transitions are finding it a little too easy to break through Everton's lines right now, which could well be down to the system the Blues are playing. While having five defenders on the pitch should provide them with a solid base to build from, if the wing-backs are caught up the pitch then it could leave them exposed.
This is why many supporters will believe that three midfielders is the way for Lampard's side to go in the future, although whether the club currently has the right profile of player available for a formation such as a 4-3-3 is still debatable. The manager, however, does seem to agree - and particularly sees Onana and Alex Iwobi's pairing in the centre of the pitch as a real positive for his side.
"I think when you have the energy of Amadou and Alex in midfield - and if we do add to that, that obviously helps that," he added. "Maybe it was something we were short on last year but we're trying to build energy in the team and that certainly helps nullifying counter-attacks but, of course, it's something you continually have to work on."
In the long term, you would hope that a new transfer would be able to step in and help the side in that sense - whether that be adding depth in the current system or stepping straight into the side in a new formation.
Links to Idrissa Gueye are continuing as the window enters its final few days and hearing Lampard talk about the importance of energy in the midfield certainly adds credence to that move. Evertonians know all about the qualities he can bring to the side both on and off the ball, and he could go a long way to making this system more effective.
Abdoulaye Doucoure, who played very well on the opening day of the campaign despite giving away a penalty against Chelsea, is also an option for the future when he returns from injury. Add in Tom Davies, who is versatile in a three-man midfield particularly and has also got some strong performances under his belt this term, and the Blues are starting to look much more strong in that area.
But it's not just about the midfield. As Lampard says, defending the counter-attack starts right from the front of the pitch.
Not giving the ball away easily in the final third, closing down defenders quicker and more effectively, not being dragged out of position too easily. These are all qualities that Everton will quickly need to learn over the coming days and weeks, regardless of which new players come to the club.
In the next two matches coming up this week, those training methods will be severely tested. Both Leeds and Liverpool play with a lot of tempo and energy, looking to close sides down all over the pitch. Their speed in the transition and on the counter-attack are key components to their game.
How will Lampard cope with that? It will be very intriguing to see. But, it should be very promising for Evertonians to see that their concerns are being addressed.
READ NEXT
- Brentford vs Everton goals, highlights and reaction
- Everton player ratings as Anthony Gordon and Amadou Onana good but two stars poor at Brentford
- Frank Lampard may be forced into big Everton u-turn to kickstart season
- Frank Lampard explains why Everton signed Neal Maupay and gives training update
- Graham Potter reveals why Brighton sanctioned Neal Maupay transfer to Everton
