‘We don’t want that’ - Frank Lampard addresses confrontations between Everton fans and players

Frank Lampard has called for Everton fans not to allow their passions to spill over after several players were confronted following last weekend's defeat to Southampton.

The Blues' woeful season continued as they slipped to 18th in the Premier League last Saturday courtesy of defeat to a relegation rival at Goodison Park.

Afterwards, footage emerged of supporters stopping the players' cars as they attempted to drive away from the ground in order to express their dissatisfaction over recent results.

But, while Lampard has sympathy over fans' frustrations, he does not want to see his squad treated in such a manner by what he described as 'a small minority'.

He said: "Firstly, this is not just an Everton situation, I've been in football a long time and I've been at teams where similar things have happened to, maybe myself to a degree, and other players. So let's not just try and make this an Everton conversation.

"This club has a huge passion that is pretty unique, I've said that in the good times so I can say it in the not-so-good times.

"Sometimes passion can overspill in a good way, we saw last year with the welcomes and all those things. And maybe [in a bad way], especially when it's minority cases and now everything gets videoed so it becomes viral like it happens every day, that's not necessarily the case.

"I know the majority of Evertonians just want this team to do well and they've got an absolute right to voice their opinion in a game, around a game, before a game, in the pub.

"Of course, we don't want fans going up to players. I think it's a small minority have spoken to the players and we don't want that and I'd love to not see that again.

"But I also understand the passion of fans and what they want and the players have to understand that when they're working in this industry and they're lucky to do a good job, sometimes they have to take some things. But with those things we hope that they don't happen again."

Lampard went on to explain that he will offer support to any player who feels they need it following their heated brush with the fans.

He added: "As a coach, you have to manage people and understand the situations. One part of it is that they have to be robust and go again and focus on their job and focus on delivering.

"But you also understand that with young lads sometimes it's not as simple as that. The players can all know that I'm there to help in those situations."