MAUPAY HAILS BIG STEP UP
MULLOCK
NEAL MAUPAY may have swapped high-flying Brighton for an Everton team yet to win a game this season – but the Frenchman is in no doubt that he’s taken a step up.
The forward, a £15million signing from the Seagulls last month, understood the scale of the club he’s joined even before he agreed to make the move to Goodison Park.
The welcome Frank Lampard and his players were given as they arrived at the stadium ahead of Maupay’s debut in the Merseyside derby only confirmed it.
And now he has made it his mission to make the fans happy.
“This is definitely a step up,” said Maupay, 26, ahead of today’s clash with West Ham.
“Everton is one of the biggest clubs in England.
“The coach welcome was the best I’ve ever seen. It was just so great.
“It’s only when you actually see things like that you realise how much it means to the fans and the people here.
“I wouldn’t say it gave me more motivation – because I always do my best – but if you feel tired, or you are struggling during a game, that’s what you think about.
“I’m not talking about winning every game or scoring 30 goals a season.
“It’s about having the right mentality. If you fight for the shirt then the fans will love us.”
Graham Potter followed Maupay out of the Amex Stadium when he agreed to become Chelsea’s new manager – and the forward is backing his former boss to succeed at Stamford Bridge.
“Potter won’t change things overnight,” said Maupay. “He will need time and if he gets it then I think he will do well.
“The question is, will he get time at Chelsea?
“When you’re at clubs like that you’ve got to win straight away.”
Maupay, who arrived in England five years ago when he joined Brentford from Saint-etienne before moving to Brighton in
2019, feels Lampard can have the same effect at Goodison.
He added: “We’ve got everything at this club – the fans, the structure, the manager and the players.
“I’ve been in the process at Brighton where we had a new manager and new players.
“We had two tough seasons.the third one was the good one.
“Last season Lampard came in and had to save the club.
“Now is the time for him to work on a system. I see a lot of
positives.”