Yannick Bolasie admits that Everton’s attacking play has deteriorated under Sam Allardyce but he is confident the team will improve in that department.
Everton are undefeated in seven matches since Allardyce was appointed as Ronald Koeman’s successor at the start of the month but in that time they have scored only 10 goals, and none in their two most recent fixtures – the goalless draws with Chelsea at Goodison Park and at West Bromwich Albion on Boxing Day.
Allardyce’s men only mustered three shots on goal across those games, with the manager admitting after the trip to The Hawthorns that his side are “not delivering anything like the performance in possession you would expect”.
Bolasie shares that sentiment but remains upbeat, pointing to Everton’s defensive improvement since Allardyce took over as proof he has already had a positive impact on a group of players who were facing the prospect of relegation prior to his arrival. Everton have conceded just twice under Allardyce’s control and sit ninth in the Premier League.
“He’s got us defending much better and he will probably say it’s now about the transition and how we want to play forwards,” said Bolasie, who made his first start in more than a year against West Bromwich having undergone two operations to recover from ruptured cruciate ligaments suffered against Manchester United last December.
“We were good going forwards before but not so good defending as a team. Now we’re defending really well but the transition hasn’t been as good as we want it to be. But he’s been great. I saw what he did at Crystal Palace and from my old team‑mates there I’ve had nothing but good reviews.”
Bolasie completed 61 minutes of Tuesday’s draw and described starting a first-team match again as “incredible”. Doing so also came as a surprise to the 28-year-old forward.
I had no clue [that he was going to be in Everton’s starting XI] and I didn’t know what to do with myself in the changing room when I had to get ready,” he said. “It still hasn’t hit me to be honest – I don’t know when I’m going to sit down and think to myself ‘you’re back, Yann’.
“There are times when you don’t know when the end of the road is coming or when you’re going to be back training and start playing. When I started seeing a little bit of light that was great. It’s a fresh start for myself.”
