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Liverpool Echo
Liverpool Echo
Sport
Michael Ball

The crucial change that can spark sleepwalking Everton into life this season

I had mixed feelings after the Brentford game, and not for the first time this season. Obviously we went ahead with a fantastic goal, it was a great ball by Conor Coady and Anthony Gordon does what he does best - it was a great touch and he found the back of the net.

But we rode our luck at times, as you're watching the game I was thinking it was about time we had a bit of luck. Last year it seemed any mistake or lack of concentration would get punished, and I was just hoping we could hold on for the 1-0.

Brentford will be disappointed they didn't get maximum points, just as we're disappointed. I would have been happy with a point going into the game with no striker, but it does feel a little down-heartening that we've only come away with a point when we're still looking for our first league win of the season.

READ MORE: Frank Lampard gives Neal Maupay squad update as second big Everton decision looms

READ MORE: Frank Lampard has two big questions to answer ahead of trip to Leeds United

There were a lot of signs there, it was so different than going away to Brentford last season. The atmosphere, the fans - it was quiet and dour last time, the morale around the club was low. But it was a total contrast this time around.

It shows that, since Frank Lampard has come in, the club has united - and the fans are trying to get behind the boys to get maximum points. I think for 25 or 30 minutes we played some good football and you can certainly see what the manager is trying to do.

In patches since the start of the season we have played some decent football, created a lot of chances in front of goal, but unfortunately until Frank gets his personnel then we won't be able to achieve what we want. We rode our luck at times on Saturday but we still had our moments to kill the game, and that lack of a striker has cost us a lot.

We're not the only club struggling to bring in targets, the window is what it is. No-one likes it running this far into the season, so it's frustrating.

We've got to trust the process and hopefully the club can get the guys in we desperately need. There's been a lot of changes, ten players have left the club and six have come in. We've got to assess at the end of the window whether we're a stronger starting 11 or squad from last year, only time will tell.

But also we've got to consider other teams around us are also improving, and there's still a gap for us to close. While there's been no wins so far, I've seen glimpses of a style of play that I'm proud of.

As the match went on, that lack of quality in depth showed. We needed to make changes, we were forced to make the Amadou Onana substitution due to lack of fitness, and that's really what cost us. The strength in depth to either win us football games or ride things out, we haven't really got.

The injury list once again is hampering us, we're missing a spine of the team and now Mason Holgate has tweaked his knee as well. So it must be really frustrating for Frank Lampard.

Fingers crossed, we've got a few days left of the window with big games coming up, but it could be a way to kick-start our season. We've got a tough match against Leeds United on Tuesday but if we can carry on our style we can get something.

Our two goals have essentially been long balls. When we didn't have a striker on the pitch and we got our goal, we sat back a bit deeper and we were too aware of not giving Ivan Toney space in behind. That's the negative of the performances, teams have opened us up far too often.

Maybe that's because we've only got two players in the midfield. Alex Iwobi, I can't give him enough praise and I thought he was everywhere again on Saturday, but at the end of the day he's not defensive-minded.

He will react, he will chase lost causes, he will close the ball down. But as soon as you get reinforcements in, an out-and-out defensive midfielder to protect the defence, then he can play further forward and get the opportunity to win the ball further up the pitch.

It's frustrating we haven't had a win, and we've got a difficult run coming up. But fingers crossed we get a few players in before the deadline who are fit and ready to come straight into the team.

Unfortunately we're not the only club, other teams will be chasing reinforcements too. Fans want to see new faces, but it is what it is.

It's not ideal, but the squad right now is doing a job for us. You can't help but be disappointed on Saturday, but there's parts of the game I'm happy to see.

We didn't seem to have that focal point up front which you do need, but we didn't have the personnel. You want to have more points on the board at the start of the season, but unfortunately a lot of issues have gone against us.

We've been sleep-walking into the season so far, four games in and no wins. That's probably down to not bringing a striker in.

Yes it was unfortunate to have Dominic Calvert-Lewin injured right before the start of the season, but we knew we'd lost Richarlison and I thought a striker should have been coming in before a ball was kicked. The next five or six games are very difficult, so we need quality players here to get points on the board.

Maupay arrives

Our striker situation always needed the right man. It's got to be someone who can potentially play alongside Dominic Calvert-Lewin when he's back fit, but we can't rely on Calvert-Lewin being fit for every game until the end of the season because of the problems he's had over the last 12 months.

We need a focal point, and Neal Maupay has what I call a "nice, nasty streak" to him. He wants to win football games, he's got the sort of edge to him that fans will love.

We've seen world class players come to the football club and not be able to perform in the blue shirt. He's got a great opportunity to get the fans on board, and the best way for him to do that will undoubtedly be putting the ball in the back of the net.

If he can be our focal point, we've got so many wingers and midfielders and wing-backs waiting for the opportunity to create chances. They're dying to see someone in that penalty area to target.

As a full-back myself when I get forward and get that half a yard, I'm looking to put that ball into the box to the one or two bodies who should be in there to try and score. I had Kevin Campbell or Duncan Ferguson in there wanting me to hit a certain area, but unfortunately in the last four games we haven't had anybody there to hit.

He's the type of guy who will ruffle a few feathers, he makes the opposition worry about him. At the start of this season we haven't had a striker who makes defenders think, 'What if he gets this?'.

He's the right age, he's got a determined character to him. But, sticking the ball in the net is what the Evertonians crave so let's hope he can hit the ground running.

We haven't had that killer instinct in the final third, let's hope he can be the right answer. I still think we need another body to come in up front and ask questions of the opposition, we don't want to be one-dimensional.

Quality wins you football games, you can have the desire and will but if you haven't got that little bit extra quality you're going to struggle. That's what Frank is desperate to bring to the football club.

He's had a very difficult time since he walked in but he's united that. The fans are behind him, they can sense what he's trying to do, and now it's up to the board to see if they can get these deals over the line to bring the right players in.

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