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Everton boss Frank Lampard must mend World Cup wounds of Amadou Onana
Frank Lampard will have to mend Everton midfielder Amadou Onana’s World Cup wounds when he returns to Finch Farm after Belgium’s early exit from the competition.
Onana was a bright light in an otherwise ageing and dull Belgium setup, one that was named the “golden generation” with stars like Kevin De Bruyne, Eden Hazard and Thibaut Courtois being part of their ranks.
Be as that may, the Athletic journalist Greg O’Keeffe confessed that Everton will now take the brunt of the “psychological scars” left on Onana from a bruising World Cup.
“Everton’s coaching staff will already be planning how to ensure that Belgium’s disappointing tournament does not leave any physical or psychological scars (on Onana),” he said as quoted by the Athletic.
“Onana is, after all, integral to Everton’s hopes of reviving their season — a vital cog in the midfield in whatever shifting role he has occupied.”
Facts.
It certainly is up to Lampard now to use every inch of his notorious man-management skills to combat Onana’s World Cup wound.
The midfielder is still so young at 21 and the burden of a country’s disappointment lying on his shoulders will be tough to overcome alone.
But Onana needs to do this and quickly, there is simply no time to sulk around and feel sorry for one’s self, Everton are in Premier League survival mode, again.
Like O’Keeffe mentioned, he’s “integral” to Everton’s engine room and he’s the man who makes things tick for Alex Iwobi and Idrissa Gana Gueye.
It is probably one of the toughest elements of being a professional footballer in the modern game, picking yourself up after a defeat and being ready within days to go at it again.
And there is arguably no bigger tragedy than not living up to World Cup expectations for your country, Lampard can use his past experiences of this to help the young Belgian through this tough period.