Forget Gordon: Frank must unleash “absolutely tireless” £48k-p/w EFC machine on NUFC - opinion

Everton will travel to the North East to face Newcastle United tonight in their first Premier League game under the guidance of new manager Frank Lampard, and he will be hoping he can emulate the energy and success from the FA Cup clash at the weekend.

The former Derby County manager made an outstanding first impression at Goodison Park as he led his team to their highest-scoring win of the season against Brentford, progressing into the last 16 of the domestic competition, which would have been a huge boost for fans who returned to the stands for the first time since they protested against the owners.

One player who didn’t start but made a great impact was Andros Townsend, with the 30-year-old scoring the fourth goal to seal the 4-1 victory in the last few minutes of the game.

Townsend is having an outstanding season for Everton compared to some of his peers, and when you consider that he was a free transfer for the Toffees, his impact and output has been worth its weight in gold during a season full of injury issues and poor form.

The right winger has managed 27 appearances, seven goals and three assists for the side this term, making him the Toffees’ top goal-scorer in 2021/22.

On top of that, he offers unrivalled experience in the challenges ahead of Everton, which is something Lampard must not overlook when making his team selection against the Magpies.

Everton have found themselves teetering on the edge of a relegation battle just four points off the drop zone currently in 16th, and this kind of must-win football in a scramble for points to climb back into safety is something Townsend is all too familiar with.

The £48k-per-week gem who was hailed “absolutely tireless” by football podcaster, Dan Cook, could be