Pickford outlines positive Lampard changes; reveals biggest fault Everton must fix to beat drop

Jordan Pickford had hailed the impact Frank Lampard has made at Everton and is confident of Premier League survival if they can solve one particular issue.

Lampard, 43, replaced Rafa Benitez in the Goodison Park dugout after the Spaniard paid the price for a dreadful run of results. The former Liverpool chief was a controversial choice and it was an experiment doomed to failure. Toffees chiefs turned to the former Chelsea midfielder and manager.

He had been out of work since being sacked by the Blues in January 2021. And he inherited a side devoid of confidence and fighting to stave off relegation.

Everton have picked up only three points since Lampard’s arrival, with victory over Leeds United. They have lost to Newcastle, Southampton and Manchester City.

But Pickford is adamant that there is already a different mindset among the playing staff.

“I feel the spark is there,” he told Sky Sports. “The new manager has come in and we’ve started off well.

“We’ve been in games a lot more and now it’s just about getting the results. We’ve had a couple of tough fixtures but every game in the Premier League is tough so it’s about being on your A game every time.”

And the England shot-stopper revealed the alterations that Lampard has made to the way the team operates.

“We’re trying to play out from the back a lot more now. We’re having a lot more possession in games,” he added.

“I know we didn’t against Manchester City as you’re never going to have more possession than them because they’re that good of a side, but we are now more of a possession-based team, and I feel like we’re being more aggressive now without the ball.”

Everton are just one place and one point above the drop zone. They do have games in hand on all the clubs