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Post by Everton News. on Aug 12, 2022 12:01:15 GMT
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Post by Everton News. on Aug 12, 2022 12:11:34 GMT
Frank Lampard has revealed how new signings Conor Coady and Amadou Onana have already shown their “personality and quality” at Finch Farm since completing moves to Everton earlier this week.
The Blues boss was speaking at his pre-match press conference ahead of Saturday’s lunchtime kick-off at Aston Villa and confirmed the Club are working hard behind-the-scenes to further strengthen the squad.
Everton head into the Villa Park clash buoyed by the arrivals of England international centre-back Coady and highly-rated Belgium midfielder Onana, who was described by Lampard as a player with “with many great attributes and massive potential”.
The pair are available to make their Everton debuts at Villa.
Asked about the importance of bringing strong characters to the Club, Lampard said: “Leadership is a big deal in any dressing room.
“When you are managing, you rely on people who can relay the message and drive it home. You can’t do everything yourself.
“Normally, you have to do a lot of reference checks on players on what type of people they are.
“It took me about five minutes to speak to Conor and understand the type of person he is. The moment he came up as a possibility [to sign], it was a huge deal for us as a club.
“Amadou, as a young man, has also shown personality straight away. He has got a real positive, infectious attitude.
“A big part of what we’re trying to do is bring the right people to the Club to drive it forward.
“James Tarkowski has been here since the start of pre-season and has shown his personality as well as his on-field abilities.
“We’re happy with the business we’ve done so far on that point.”
In his first interview as an Everton player, Coady, who has joined Everton on a season-long loan from Wolverhampton Wanderers, revealed how his first phone call with Lampard after hearing of Everton’s interest was “one of the best conversations I’ve ever had”.
“Hopefully, that was because it was pretty genuine,” Lampard said. “I spoke about him as a player and what I’m trying to do at Everton.
“From the outside, you can understand the type of lad he is. He’s a lad you just want to work with.
“I remember going against him as Chelsea manager, when there were no fans in the stadium [due to COVID-19], and his voice on the pitch struck me as well as how much he drove his team.
“He’s also a quality player, a regular in the England squad. I’m delighted he’s here.”
Everton will aim to get their first 2022/23 Premier League points on the board in Saturday’s clash at Villa Park, with the Blues unfortunate to have no tangible reward for a positive opening-day display against Chelsea last weekend.
Lampard highlighted Alex Iwobi’s central-midfield performance as one of several encouraging signs from the game – and says the Nigerian is receiving the recognition his exemplary professionalism deserves.
Lampard added: “He’s gaining so much respect and backing…from the fans, particularly.
“The benefits of Alex were very clear early in my days of getting here. He’s versatile because of his qualities, and he’s also versatile because of his humility.
“Anything you ask of him, he does it, and he does it really well. He’s an intelligent footballer.
“When I considered moving him into central midfield, I asked him about the positions he’s played throughout his career. He literally named pretty much every position on the pitch! He’s done it all.
“He’s never said to me, ‘I need to settle into this position in the end’, which some modern players can.
“I think he’ll always be a player who can play at a high level in a number of roles.”
Everton FC
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Post by rugbytoffee on Aug 12, 2022 19:21:32 GMT
Key Stats Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard will meet for the first time as opposing managers. Everton have failed to win 16 of their last 17 away matches in the Premier League. Aston Villa have kept a clean sheet in their last three home games against Everton in all competitions. Aston Villa are unbeaten in their last six matches against Everton in all competitions. Aston Villa have failed to win their last five matches in the Premier League.
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Post by rugbytoffee on Aug 13, 2022 8:30:58 GMT
Two teams looking to get their Premier League campaign up and running will lock horns on Saturday as Aston Villa welcome Everton to Villa Park.
Villa suffered a shock 2-0 defeat at newly promoted Bournemouth on the opening weekend of the season, with manager Steven Gerrard stating that his team lacked quality, spark and incentive and were “miles off” the pace.
Gerrard’s side have now failed to win their last five league games, a streak they will be hoping to break when they take on Everton.
Frank Lampard’s men gave a decent account of themselves in their opener against Chelsea, but fell to a 1-0 defeat. In the absence of Dominic Calvert-Lewin, who is set to miss over a month due to injury, Everton lacked a spark up front and failed to test the Blues’ defence.
Lampard and Gerrard faced off on 34 occasions during their playing careers, but this will be the first meeting between the two as managers.
Villa hold the edge in this fixture, having won three of the last four meetings between the two teams.
Aston Villa vs Everton – Team News
Aston Villa
Danny Ings failed to impact the game against Bournemouth and could drop down to the bench, with Ollie Watkins taking his place.
Emiliano Buendia was named on the bench for Villa’s opener, but he could return to the side in place of Leon Bailey on the right flank.
yrone Mings has been passed fit, but might have to settle for a spot on the bench once again. Douglas Luiz is also pushing for a start.
Everton
Everton will be without star striker Calvert-Lewin for around six weeks. Salomon Rondon is available after serving his suspension, but is unlikely to get the nod, meaning Anthony Gordon could lead the line once again.
New signing Conor Coady is set to make his debut for the club, having arrived on a season-long loan from Wolverhampton Wanderers.
Yerry Mina damaged ankle ligaments in the game against Chelsea and has been ruled out, as has Ben Godfrey, who underwent surgery on a fractured fibula.
Amadou Onana, who arrived from Lille in a £35 million move, could slot straight into the lineup in place of Dwight McNeil, while Seamus Coleman is expected to replace Nathan Patterson.
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Post by Everton News. on Aug 13, 2022 10:27:50 GMT
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