Mason Holgate shares private talk with Everton boss that inspired form lift
Everton ace Mason Holgate has insisted it is a “breath of fresh air” to have a manager who believes in him, like Frank Lampard.
The Blues boss successfully navigated the team to Premier League safety after taking over at Goodison Park in January.
In the early stages of last season, the Toffees defender struggled with form under Rafa Benitez but was able to transform his season under Lampard – who had a key role to play.
Holgate told evertonfc.com: “The manager openly says he has faith in the way we are as a group and how good we are as footballers.
“You want the confidence to know you can play – if you make a mistake, you know he won’t think, ‘That’s it, he’s not good enough to do this’.
“Mistakes happen. If you’re a footballer or a builder, you will make mistakes. If you make a mistake building, you are not a bad builder, you have made one mistake on one day.
“To have a manager who believes in you and, if you make a mistake, says, ’Keep going, keep going’, rather than, ‘Don’t do that’, is a breath of fresh air and gives us the confidence to try things.”
Jekyll & Hyde
What a job Lampard did last season. When he took over from Benitez, Everton was in a dire, dire state.
Not only were the performances on the pitch good enough only for relegation but the relationship between the entire club and fans was very toxic.
The club was in a mass – one that looked impossible to get out of at the time – but that is very different now.
Many questioned Lampard when he first came in because he hadn’t had his back up against the wall as he would with the Toffees but he passed that test with flying colours.
The former Chelsea boss had an extremely tough job of keeping the team up but he did it and that is all that matters.
Furthermore, Lampard united the fans and club at long last. For far too long has there been a horrible atmosphere at the club but the scenes at Goodison Park as the Blues avoided the drop were a clear sign that a healthy bond is growing.
Now all they need to do is build on this momentum next season.
In other Everton news, Yet another European giant who have enjoyed recent major success are eyeing a move for a key Everton man, according to a report.
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