Nevin: Lampard has fallen in love with Everton

While the points on the board might not give the full picture of Everton’s continuing development, there has been enough to their performance to show that the evolution this season under Frank Lampard is trending in the right direction.

The Blues have picked up four draws of varying difficulty in their six league games so far this season, but with the transfer window finally closed, there is some stability now to the squad. The additions during the summer have certainly shown that Director of Football Kevin Thelwell and Lampard are not necessarily changing the DNA of the club, but are instead leveraging it to solidify the spine of the side and most importantly, tapping into what made the Blues good for long periods during the David Moyes era - making Everton a club that are difficult to play against.

Pat Nevin played for both Chelsea and Everton during the eighties and into the nineties, and certainly knows what it means to be a Toffee. Speaking to Grosvenor Sport recently, the pacey winger spoke about how Lampard has been influenced by the club and the revolution he is currently overseeing.

“Lampard is the right man to take Everton forward. The squad is looking better and they have more strength in depth than before. What they need is somebody who can motivate them when times are tough and Frank is the man for that. He cares and has fallen in love with the club.

“Lampard’s motivational skills are his strongest asset and everyone around the club needs to stick with him.”

For long periods of the last month it looked like Anthony Gordon would end the window as a Chelsea player, but the Toffees shut the door on a move for the youngster. Did Nevin agree with the decision not to sell him?

“I’m delighted that Anthony Gordon is staying with Everton. He’s a different player to Mason Mount and Kai Havertz and it would’ve been very difficult for him to muscle his way into the Chelsea team.

“His stats before the start of this season weren’t at the level of a top-four team. He is improving all the time and he’ll almost certainly get to that level, but I was worried about him leaving Everton.”

Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images

Nevin is an unabashed fan of Demarai Gray who has played his part early this season chipping in with a couple of crucial goals.

“When you add Gordon and Neal Maupay to Demarai Gray, who I think is one of the most skilful players in the Premier League, you start thinking they’ve got great quality going forward. They have great quality as well as fight and desire so I’m happy he [Anthony] stayed.”

How about his countryman Nathan Patterson who has made the Blues right back position his own.

“Add to that defensively with Nathan Patterson, he’s a cracker of a player and may well be as important as Seamus Coleman has been.”