Leon Osman urges Everton players to ‘step up’ for Frank Lampard
Leon Osman has urged the Everton players to ‘step up’ to help Frank Lampard turn the club’s fortune around.
The former Chelsea player has made a positive impact on the atmosphere at the club but there is still a long way to go following the Blues defeat to fellow relegation strugglers, Newcastle.
Writing in his BBC column, Osman slammed the squad for its lack of leaders.
“The onus is on new manager Frank Lampard to sort out their problems and stop their slide down the table, and in less than two weeks at the club he has already brought so much positivity back for the fans,
“Now it is time for the players to step up too.
“When I look through this Everton team, I think they lack leaders – that’s what they miss when the going gets tough in games, because who does the team turn to?
“Seamus Coleman has been that guy for a long time, and he is still there and still captain of course, but every good team has got three or four leaders on the pitch – and the very best have 11 of them.
“At the moment, there is only one voice you are hearing during Everton games and, in the situation they are in, they need to find more characters.”
New era
The former Blue hit the nail on the head.
Not only have there not been enough leaders within the squad but there has also been a serious lack of the bare minimum.
For far too long have players been able to come to Everton on huge wages whilst not carrying their weight at the club with James Rodriguez the most recent example.
The trouble is most of these players have all been sold different dreams by several different managers which haven’t exactly worked out well.
We now find a mismatched squad all heading in different directions, with no identity.
Bringing in Lampard will solve this problem, but it is essential he is here for the long run.
The club needs to be patient and give the former Chelsea midfielder the chance to create a squad based on his playing philosophy, otherwise, the Blues will be back to square one.
The players that survive this storm will naturally come forward as the groups’ leaders and with the direction of Lampard, hopefully, more positive times will return to Goodison Park.
In other Toffees news, View: Everton fans must change the atmosphere at Goodison Park.