THE GHOST of Christmas past flitted around Goodison and if Frank Lampard didn’t feel the hairs rise on the back of his neck he should have done.
He got the perfect start with Yerry Mina claiming his first Premier League goal in exactly 105 weeks.
But it was not enough for his nerve–wracked side to hold onto.
Or disguise the very real fear of relegation stalking the old place – with the Blues boss now under ever–increasing pressure.
For Daniel Podence grabbed an equaliser and in the fifth minute of time added as the seconds ticked down at the end Rayan Ait-Nouri plundered a precious winner for new Wolves boss Julen Lopetegui.
Blues boos thundered across the pitch – not for the first time – as Lampard shook his head in near–despair.
For if ever there was a game that Lampard needed to win with the odds of him being the next Premier League boss to be dumped, it was this one.
This time last year was when it all began unravelling for the former Derby County and Chelsea boss’ despised predecessor Rafa Benitez.
By January 18th he was gone following a 2–1 defeat at Norwich.
Lampard’s 40th game in charge will be on New Year’s Eve at the Etihad.
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After this stumbling performance, good luck with that one, Frank after five defeats on the bounce.
Meanwhile, Lopetegui also looked stunned before pumping the air with his fists as the reality of victory dawned on him.
He had even become the first Molineux manager to win his first top-flight game since John Barnwell.
He saw his new charges live through a succession of mistakes and grow stronger.
And he led by example on the touchline, too, seemingly immune to the bitter wind, wearing only a black jersey.
Lampard is very much feeling the chill of his situation and he, like his players, is running on empty.
That had become evident even before the half-time sound system blasted out that we were simply having a wonderful Christmas time.
But neither Lampard nor Lopetegui experienced anything like Paul McCartney’s festive sentiments for this was a clash that ensured the pantomime season was in full swing.
Lampard especially will have heard a different sort of mood music at the end of a 45 minutes that was simply a catalogue of errors – his team being booed off.
Travelling Wolves fans might have done the same but they reserved that sentiment for they knew their team had already dodged several bullets.
The mistakes began in the 7th minute, the diminutive Hugo Bueno charged with marking Mina.
No contest. Dwight McNeil swung in a corner from the right and central defender Mina, only in because of Connor Coady’s enforced absence as he is on loan from Wolves, shrugged off Bueno to head home from a dozen yards.
By then England goalkeeper Jordan Pickford had contributed to the tension that gripped Goodison and the home support especially with two terrible clearances.
Diego Costa reverted to type with a signature charge on Mina before falling all over him WWE–style.
That typically over–aggressive challenge by the former Chelsea warlord did, however, rev up his team-mates once the handbags had been put away again.
Cue another unforced error this time from Nathan Patterson in the 22nd minute who stopped, claiming offside against Daniel Podence.
The Portuguese frontman was definitely onside at the back post to flick home the kind of gentle lob from Joao Moutinho that should have easily been swept away.
Joe Hodge then took centre stage as the villain.
His centre line attempt at a long pass back to Jose Sa was, frankly, laughable.
But Neal Maupay, again deputising for No1 Toffees striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin who, again after months of injury trouble was deemed unfit with knee problems, reacted sloppily.
His charge forward lacked pace and conviction and goalkeeper Sa charged far quicker off his line to scythe to safety.
It only got worse for Lampard.
Nathan Collins deflected Idrissa Gueye’s pass straight into the path of Anthony Gordon.
But for a homegrown winger who is about to sign a thumping new contract, who was a £45million summer target of Chelsea the finish was bang average.
Sa threw himself low and left and the majority within Goodison groaned.
Likewise, after another limp attempt from Maupay after Collins once more took a walk in blunder land.
But the Frenchman brought in by Lampard for £15m from Brighton at the start of the season completely fluffed his lines, Sa easily collecting the weak shot.
Ait–Nouri found it much easier to put away his last–gasp opportunity after fellow sub Adama Traore had moved forward to despatch the crucial pass.
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And the tick of the clock that may well be sounding out the last days of Lampard in charge only got louder.
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Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
