Joleon Lescott says Everton v Leeds will be huge
Joleon Lescott says the next Premier League game for Everton will be huge when they face Leeds United at Goodison Park.
The Toffees suffered yet another defeat in the league as they lost 3-1 against Newcastle United on Tuesday at St James’ Park.
It was Frank Lampard’s first defeat as an Everton boss but Lescott is hopeful that things will gradually improve.
Lescott was doing his punditry for BT Sport yesterday (08 February) when he said that Lampard should think of gradual rebuilding rather than looking at fixtures.
Having said that, the next game against Leeds is absolutely vital as if they can pick up all three points, the confidence in the side will be restored.
“He needs to get some level of momentum,” said Lescott on BT Sport (transcript via The Liverpool Echo) “I don’t think that they are in a position to prioritise any fixture, but the Leeds game is huge.
“If they beat Leeds, they go level on points and then it brings confidence back, but I don’t think they need to prioritise any fixtures going forward, they just need to get points on the board, and build momentum that way.”
Spot on
Lampard must understand that Roma wasn’t built in a day and it will need a gradual structural development to make Everton a well-run club in the future.
The results are important. That should be Lampard’s first priority. Forget philosophy. Forget style. Get the three points on board.
The confidence in the side will gradually return once they start to win some games. The former Chelsea boss must find a way to get the best out of Donny van de Beek and Dele Alli – two talented players who haven’t played much in recent months.
He should also focus on how to stop conceding goals. In the absence of Ben Godfrey and Yerry Mina, the task becomes difficult.
Another important aspect Lampard must consider is how he can get the best out of Dominic Calvert-Lewin. He needs support to get back to scoring goals for fun again.
The Leeds fixture is crucial, given their league positions. It’s not a must-win game, but the result could bear huge ramifications for the rest of the season.
In other Everton news, Neil Lennon was furious with an incident that involved a Newcastle player against the Toffees.