But - Frank has something to answer for here.
For the nth time this season, we failed miserably with only two in midfield, and especially when one of those two was Andre Gomes. He should never play for this side again. He is done as a PL - level player. He lacks the pace, strength, and/or nous to win the ball, disrupt a pass, or mark an attacker in the middle of the park. He was neat and tidy on the ball and could thread a pass in his pre-injury heyday but he can't even do that anymore. He always, always, always commits stupid fouls in bad spots where no foul need be given, because he arrives to every situation a step and a half too slow. So it was for Palace's first goal - he gave away the foul that led to the free kick.
It seemed as if Palace had fifteen guys in the middle of the park, all big, pacy, rangy, and shoulder-barging every man in blue off every loose ball. For Palace's second goal, some dude dragged Coleman down the pitch like one of those parasite fish sucking on a baleen whale.
Finally Lampard moved Iwobi centrally and at halftime he put in Dele for Gomes. Dele has been a forgotten man since his acquisition but he was immense tonight. With a midfield three of Doucoure/Dele/Iwobi, and soon Demari Gray in for Gordon, we started to control the park, finally.
which begs the question - why go with Gomes and with this crap formation to begin with? Gomes was also dire in the loss to Brentford, as he has been for most of the season. 100 Everton fans out of 100 would have told you the same.
Lampard has really rallied the fans behind the club and pulled the players together. He'll be a fine manager in that respect. Tactically, he reminds me of what Churchill supposedly said about Americans - he will do the right thing, after he has exhausted the alternatives.