Premier League Talking Points: Everton tactics harming Lampard's rep

Call it game management if you want but it is a desperately cynical tactic for a club that has wasted over half a billion pounds on players and it does Frank Lampard’s reputation no good

Everton manager Frank Lampard gestures from the sideline during the Premier League match at Goodison Park. Peter Byrne/PA Wire.

Liverpool: an easy win by a narrow margin.

It was only a 1-0 victory but there was a gulf between the sides and if the Reds had won by four or five it wouldn’t have been unjustified. They made changes with the Champions League game ahead in the week but their squad is so strong it made little difference to their overall quality. Liverpool bombarded the Magpies goal with 24 shots, ten on target whereas Newcastle managed just two. What had looked like a tricky game, given the home teams’ form, was in fact, an easy win, which Liverpool didn’t have to get out of second gear to achieve. James Milner, making a rare start, even at 36, was especially effective and tireless against one of his old clubs, earning special praise from his manager post-match. Newcastle looked very mid-table but Jurgen Klopp’s jubilant reaction at the final whistle reflected what an important win it was for the club.