Danny Murphy lauds Frank Lampard after what he did for Everton v Manchester City
Everton surprised many on New Year’s Eve as they held Manchester City to a 1-1 draw at The Etihad Stadium to end 2022 on a high.
Danny Murphy was particularly impressed by Toffees manager Frank Lampard who opted to change his trusted 4-3-3 formation to a 5-3-2 to combat the Citizens attacking prowess.
Murphy credited Lampard with the reason the draw came to be and also gave a nod to James Tarkowski in defence during his analysis of the game on Match of the Day.
“They showed a resilience and even a composure in the second half that I didn’t expect after losing to that last-minute goal against Wolves,” Murphy said. “I think Frank Lampard deserves great credit for the change in formation.
“The lads who came in, Coady and Godfrey, did tremendously well. We can see the way they set up with five at the back, three in midfield and two up top.
“The balance was right and they limited City to very few chances. Tarkowski was excellent. City came at them late in the game trying to win it but they stayed disciplined.”
Temporary
The very defensive back five may well have worked away at the reigning champions but that will not cut the mustard against the weaker sides in the division who need to be pushed back into their own half.
Everton need wins far more than draws right now and while this system works against the biggest sides it might not be good enough to turn draws into wins against some opposition.
Amadou Onana looked like a totally different player in a more reserved role alongside Idrissa Gana Gueye which could see Lampard try to play a 4-2-3-1 in the future to keep that solid foundation in play.
But Murphy is totally right for giving Lampard the credit he deserves for changing things up and getting a result out of a game that nobody expected the Toffees to achieve.
It is a point that the club can build on throughout January and the right additions could well see them climb away from the relegation zone for good.