'Natural' – BBC pundit drools over Everton fringe star, says Allardyce must build team round him
Garth Crooks has heaped praise on Everton striker Cenk Tosun, who scored both goals in the 2-1 win against Stoke on Saturday, and has said Sam Allardyce must build his Everton side around him.
The striker, signed for £27million from Besiktas, has struggled to assert himself in the first team since his January move, starting just five league games.
He came in for some criticism from Allardyce, who said he was struggling to adapt to the physicality of the Premier League, and was an unused sub in two games.
However, he seems to have found his feet – much to the delight of Everton fans – with four goals in his last three games.
Crooks put Tosun in his Team of the Week in his BBC column,saying, "I haven't been totally convinced by Tosun's performances since he arrived at Goodison Park and I rather suspect neither has Sam Allardyce.
"His two goals against Stoke, in appalling conditions, smacked of a natural striker's instincts.
"Allardyce now suggests 40 points allows Everton the luxury of building for next season. I suggest those building blocks centre on Tosun scoring 20 goals otherwise both manager and striker could end up on Everton's cutting-room floor."
Football Insider verdict:
It's tough being a big-money striker if you don't net straight away. Tosun came with a great record, including 64 goals in 142 games for Besiktas, and has scored that sort of ratio at every club he's played for. Suddenly he's in the Premier League and he's being criticised and dropped after a couple of blank games. Tosun will fire Everton to safety this year and Crooks is right – Allardyce must build his team around Tosun next season and let the striker repay the huge transfer fee in style.