‘We’ve got to prove to ourselves’ – Mason Holgate demands more from Everton players
Everton started life under Frank Lampard with a stunning 4-1 win over Brentford in the FA Cup on Saturday (5 February) but it is only the beginning.
Yerry Mina, Richarlison, Mason Holgate and Andros Townsend scored the goals as Goodison Park returned to its loud and unified self for the first time this season.
Northern football correspondent for the Daily Mail Dominic King revealed the conversation he had with goalscorer Holgate after the game and the message was clear.
Speaking to talkSPORT Breakfast on Tuesday (8 February – 7 am) King publicised the English defender’s comments who said: “Never mind us proving to people that we are good players, we’ve got to prove to ourselves now because there’s no point us saying ‘oh yeah we have got talent in here’, we’ve got to go and back it up with regular results.”
The exact mindset
Holgate’s comments will be like music to the ears of Lampard and it will surely be a moral that is being instilled into every player at the club.
Tuesday’s big game at St. James’ Park against Newcastle could already be a defining game for the club with the Magpies moving to within one point of the Toffees if they win.
The FA Cup triumph won’t look so good if Everton find themselves teetering on the edge of the relegation zone after the huge six-pointer.
This is the biggest and most important “don’t lose” game of the whole season for the Toffees, even more so than the Merseyside derby and Lampard will leave his players in no doubt over his demands.
Victory in the northeast and fans can relax knowing they have a handy buffer to the Magpies below them but defeat and it becomes a bottom-clenching scenario.
In other Everton news, Lampard has hit back at critics towards one of his players after a standout moment on Saturday.