Frank Lampard pleased with how Everton side came through tricky Blackpool test

The Toffees boss wanted to see a reaction after they fell to a heavy 4-0 defeat to Minnesota United during their final friendly of their recent tour of the USA.

That loss came on the back of a 2-0 reversal to fellow Premier League side Arsenal.

He managed to get that during the first-half where his top flight outfit controlled much of the game, while the Seasiders struggled defensively.

Michael Appleton’s men came out strong at the start of the second-half but the visitors scored at important stages of the game to finally emerge 4-2 winners.

“I wanted a reaction and we got it with our performance and result,” he told Everton’s official website.

“It’s a nice step forward but we’ve got a lot to do, even though the season is almost upon us.

“It was nice for Dele (Alli) to get a couple of goals. They will be great for his confidence but there are still improvements to make, whether it be an individual or the group collectively.

“Of course it’s great for him to get those goals because it’s something he has a natural talent for throughout his career. We’re used to seeing him score those types of goals since he came through at Tottenham. We want him to get the best out of him so we want him to keep that attribute, because there’s a real art to that.

“But he needs to help the team with his all-round game and I think he did that, so I liked the attitude and the feeling of the players.

“The fans came out in their numbers so I wanted the players to react for them, so I’m pleased with how the afternoon went.

“We made a couple of changes at half-time and you expected a bit of an uplift from them, because we had so much control in the first-half.

“They get the goal but I was pleased with our reaction to that. Championship teams are ready to start their season next week so it was a good test for us.”