Everton boss Frank Lampard says Amadou Onana and Demarai Gray have reacted well to the missed opportunities that fell their way against Tottenham Hotspur.
Both players blasted over Hugo Lloris’ crossbar after running through on goal in the first half of Saturday’s match. The score was goalless until Harry Kane’s penalty just before the hour provided the foundation for a 2-0 Spurs win.
Both players have publicly taken responsibility for misses that could have helped Everton avoid defeat in north London. Lampard said they had reacted well behind closed doors, too, adding his was not a dressing room in which fingers were pointed over mistakes.
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Lampard believes the outcome of the evening kick-off would have been different had either chance been converted. While disappointed by the defeat, he pointed to the opportunities as evidence his game plan, which saw the Blues largely repel their opponents but create two golden chances in reply, had essentially worked until his side went behind. Those misses proved pivotal, however, and Everton struggled to create further chances as they chased an equaliser.
Speaking after the match, Gray said: “I have the opportunity in the first half to put that in and maybe it changes the game.” Onana also gave an honest assessment of his chance: “I think I have got to do better, I have got to at least bring it on target. But if you see the video when I wanted to shoot the ball just jumps a bit so I put it over but I have got to definitely do better on that."
The players were backed by Neal Maupay, who immediately after the game told the ECHO: “It is football. Sometimes you score sometimes you don't. They were both great chances and I back Dimi and Ama to score the next one, 100%. You can't blame them. Dimi's was a great run, Ama's the same, and we have just been a bit unlucky. Obviously if we would have scored and it was 1-0 at half-time it maybe would have been a different game. But that is football I guess… The problem is when you don't have chances and when you don't create chances to score - that is a problem. We do have chances so the next game they will score, we will score and we will get some points."
The positive response has continued in the days since. Speaking ahead of the trip to Newcastle United on Wednesday, Lampard said: “I haven't [had to pick them up]. A bit like what I said about Jordan [Pickford, who was adjudged to have brought down Kane for the penalty that broke the deadlock], if people run through on goal they don't mean to miss. Both chances were good chances and I think if we take one we don't lose, if we take two we win the game, but at the same time it is very, very simplistic to say Harry Kane would have scored that, I don't think that is exactly the rule.
“But we also understand where we are at and when I talk about practice and repetitive practice I think in the end it gets you to the position where you get better in those situations and I think that is part of the process. I certainly don't point fingers at the players, I would look at how we can make that better the next time and for me again it is about repeating and just being more confident generally.
“Amadou is running through at pace, he is being chased by people, it's on his weaker foot, it's bouncing around a little bit, they are chances that are not so easy as they may look, so I have not got a problem with those.”
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