The fans have spoken and this afternoon Everton supporters will do what they do best: Give everything in support of the team they love.
Few weeks can have been as turbulent as this one and, unfortunately, at the moment it seems the drama surrounding this fine club simply will not stop. From a billionaire's spontaneous radio interview to a lack of activity in the transfer market to poignant resignations from fan bodies, Goodison Park is in the eye of one hell of a storm.
But despite this, despite the concern and despite the fear of another gruelling relegation fight, supporters will once again line the tight residential streets of L4 to welcome the players to the place many see as their true home. For this, Everton fans need to be applauded. Just like they deserve every plaudit for selling out 9,500 seats at Old Trafford just days after Christmas, during a cost of living crisis and with the form book against them. I was there at Manchester United earlier this month and the strength of support for those in Blue was astounding.
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Putting aside the reasons behind why another coach welcome is deemed necessary - particularly just halfway through the season - that Everton supporters want the best for their club is undeniable. The fans will come under heavy scrutiny against Southampton, with the scale of the final whistle protest against those at the top of the club having the potential to become the main story whatever the result. But for the 90 minutes of action before then, and during the build up, it is crucial they get behind the team on the pitch and commendable that that is clearly the ambition.
The game against Southampton is now as big as they come. It is the most important match of the season so far and the outcome will set the tone for the coming weeks. A win and Everton will jump up the table, have a platform to build on, and Lampard and those around him will feel an easing of the tension that is probably making their jobs feel so difficult at this moment. Where a defeat will leave Everton is difficult to comprehend, even if the comments of majority shareholder Farhad Moshiri suggest Lampard will remain in post heading into the next huge game with West Ham United.
Lampard has welcomed the plans for another coach welcome. Speaking on Friday he said it would be out of place for him to ask for anything from the fans - he understands both he and the players have a responsibility to create the conditions through which they should want to get behind the team. But he acknowledged the supporters can be nothing short of inspirational and right now, he and the players will take every ounce of additional help they can get.
Lampard told reporters, including myself, at Finch Farm this week: "It was a unique experience last season and quite rightly the fans were lauded for it because they took part in what happened. They deserve to be credited for that. The fact we get that is a huge bonus and the players have to latch onto it and use it as a source of energy and pride. You can’t help but get inspired by it. But they have to take that on the pitch. That’s where you want the players to show and the fans to stay with you because every Premier League game can give you tough moments. The players have to take responsibility from that point."
That Everton's incredible fanbase is willing to dig deep into its reserves of energy to back the players is as breathtaking as it is unsurprising. What happens after the game is the personal choice of every supporter who steps inside that hallowed arena - and that deserves to be acknowledged and respected. But what will be undeniable is that, whatever happens, every fan wants the best for the club. Everton is lucky to have the supporters it has. Whatever the matchday brings, and whatever the headlines are that follow, that will be the real story of another significant day in the club's modern history.
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