The song they sang effortlessly captured the tone of the night. Up in the East Stand, and in large part of its middle tier, 9000 Evertonians continued to shout about ‘The Spirit of the Blues‘.
It’s been part of the Everton lexicon since the 1980s but it’s had a huge surge in popularity in recent times, becoming a soundtrack to last season’s successful fight against relegation. The words are passionate and describe the pride this group of fans have in their team.
Things have been challenging for Frank Lampard, so it seems a case of when rather than losing his job as manager, but nothing will happen other than good will towards him at Old Trafford from Evertonians, with the back teeth of off-field affairs.
It was even worse for Frank Lampard whose Everton side were beaten by Man United 3-1
The win means Erik ten Hag’s United side progress to the next round of the FA Cup
So they roared hoarse, refusing to lie down and accept their fate in Manchester, even when Antony, a winger whose approach could comfortably be described as flamboyant, put United ahead inside three minutes.
Lampard and his players need all the help possible right now, as they face yet another inevitable scrap for survival, and for a large part of the night they were tough and determined and desperate not to go down.
A must for Evertonians is to see running and hard work, a desire to win tackles and chase lost goals. Those in the stands give their all, no matter what, so what they don’t expect to see is the same kind of commitment over 90 minutes.
The defeat is worrying for Lampard whose tenure at Everton is coming to an end
Brazilian forward Antony put the hosts 1-0 up after a quick start caught Everton napping
Conor Coady soon equalized for the Blues pulling them back into the cup tie at 1-1
They also want to see it in other areas of the club but that is not happening watching Farhad Moshiri, where bluster and blunder are never far away. He’s been living in a bubble, seemingly oblivious to the depth of feeling and frustration that’s building up, but now he should pay attention.
On the eve of this tie, Moshiri received an open letter from a group of fan organizations and websites to make it clear that enough is enough.
‘For too long, despite your investment, we have seen dwindling profits, which now threaten our existence as a Premier League club,’ they wrote. ‘Act while we still have the chance. Change the culture of the club.’
Despite a 1-1 draw against Man City, the results have not been good for Everton who have not won since November
Things were taken a step further, with the Liverpool Echo carrying a strong commentary alongside a front page containing a screaming headline, which declared: “Silence is not an option.”
The demand for answers from Moshiri could not have been more intense.
Everton are crying out for energy and reinvigoration and this must happen before the proposed move to the new stadium on the waterfront in 2024-25.
The idea that Moshiri has that chopping and changing managers will unlock the key to success is utter spin.
Given the way Everton were beaten by Brighton, it would have been easy for them to fall apart but, like the traveling fans, they showed too much spirit and let United down.
It’s not always pretty but it’s effective and it allows you to draw a solid conclusion.
It was a disappointing second half for the away side with Coady’s own goal putting United ahead
The misery continues for Lampard as Alex Iwobi is taken off the field with a serious injury
Lampard has had just one transfer window in his 12-month tenure at Goodison Park
The players are with Lampard, many of whom think he is top class and, with the right help, he can be a very good manager.
He made mistakes, of course, his tactics didn’t always work, but he had a transfer window and lost his best player last summer.
He needs help, not showing the door. Supporters, evidently, have no desire for more chaos.
If Moshiri had anything about him, he would listen and understand what was needed. The worry is that old habits die hard. If that is the case, no problem can be solved.
Majority shareholder Farhad Moshiri (left) may now look to remove Lampard from his position
