It was the blue smoke clubs that broadcast the game. As the Everton team bus drove slowly down Goodison Road, the crowd reluctantly parted to let it pass. Children without a shirt. Women with blue soot on their faces.
Men squeezing in one hand four packages of “San Miguel” and in the other with their fists. An inflatable, flying, undulating wall of noise filled the narrow terraced streets like a fever. An Everton resident crashed into a “Road Closed” sign due to the red color.
Where does such ardor and longing come from and where do they go? It doesn’t just disappear between Monday and Friday. Instead, he accumulates and rots, dissatisfied and often unresponsive. The clocks pass slowly and the years pass quickly.
Five seasons without a trophy in the blink of an eye turned into 25. And yet, they keep coming and they keep crowding despite the rain, the snow and Rafa Benitez, a love that does not depend on silverware, net expenses or non-exchangeable chips. In a sense, Everton Football Club’s enduring appeal is its own little wonder. Not everyone gets it. Frank Lampard, to his credit, does.
So, for this exciting and exhausting 241st Merseyside Derby: not so much a stalemate as a draw for eternal check. There were moments at both ends, a tense and slightly epic game that looked more like a Cup semi-final than a league match at the beginning of September.
Naturally, Everton were the happiest in regulation time: high fives, cheers on the backs and serenades from the crowd as the Liverpool players dragged hard into the tunnel.
But it was no great salvation: Everton’s tense 90-plus minutes were further proof that the much-maligned Lampard might finally be starting to do his thing.
Of course, with all the necessary caveats: although it was another watery performance from Liverpool, they still managed to get into the frame of the goal three times, increase the pressure at the end of the match and force Jordan Pickford to make some outstanding saves. But largely Everton earned their occasional luck by confusing Liverpool, moving the game to more boggy ground, pressing and counter-attacking and threatening to take all three points thanks to Neil Mopi, Conor Cody or Tom Davis.
Perhaps there was a significant difference between this and the pale surrender at Anfield in April, when two goals were scored, 614 assists were given and there was an impressive gulf of ambition between these teams. That day, Everton midfielders Allan, Abdoulaye Dukour and Alex Iwobi made 42 assists between them.
Here, by contrast, Iwobi did almost as much alone, an indication of how much Lampard improved his ability in midfield. In the last two seasons, Everton often looked like a team petrified by the ball. Now they crave control.
Has the player been better than iwobi in recent months? Everton fans had fun chanting his name and were rewarded with a masterful display of cunning, bravery and bite, as well as a delicious skill that allowed Mohammed Salah to drink a milkshake late at night.
Davis may also have claims: a midfielder who at times seemed completely lost last season, a Championship player in the process of formation. He pressed vigorously, passed on purpose and, unfortunately, hit the bar in the first half. MAPEI was an unpleasant and noisy player on the field, although his blatant mistake in the second half suggests that goals will still be a problem.
Nathan Patterson played a wonderful villain in a pantomime, infuriating Luis Diaz and bringing Darwin Nunez to his knees. On the other flank, Vitaly mikolenko pressed Salah and only occasionally allowed him to go into the air. Demaray Gray looked like a transformed player on the right flank.
The bottom line is this: when so many players improve at the same time, something has to happen correctly on the part of the coach. Lampard can often cause ridicule due to his weak foray into corruption, the arrogance of an older child, a carefully chosen public person. But there is clearly a talented coach there.
Obviously, Lampard’s high opinion of himself is part of the appeal. Perhaps the reason Everton fans have become so excited about him is because they see him as a part of the relaxed self-esteem they crave for themselves.
Winning a fan base like this is not easy: Roberto Martinez lost them quickly, Marco Silva might never have won them, Benitez certainly never. But slowly and in small steps, Lampard gives them a weekend command worthy of their weekday longing. Ridicule and bullying won’t be going away anytime soon. But at the moment, Everton fans are busy. And, frankly, your opinion matters more.