Tosun unfazed by Allardyce criticism, confident of Everton return

If you thought Cenk Tosun was going to quietly disappear into the depths of Everton’s ‘massive’ squad after the latest round of criticism from Sam Allardyce, you will be sadly mistaken.

Speaking to website Turkish Football, Tosun was adamant that he was just putting his head down and continuing to put in the work to show that he was ready to play for the Blues.

“I am (playing) in a completely different league. I’m doing everything to settle in and bond with my new teammates.

“I did not play in the last game but it does not bother me. I am just focused on my game and training hard.

“I am going to be a lot fitter in a fortnight’s time and then return to the starting 11.”

Everton head off to Dubai to train in warmer climes for the next few days, where according to Sam Allardyce the players can play “on the grass in short sleeves and shorts and a pair of boots players don’t want to stop training”.

Tosun started in the first two games of his Everton career, against Tottenham Hotspur and West Bromwich Albion, before a token late substitution in the hiding at Arsenal, but failed to make much of an impression as he remained isolated up top.

So far he has been a consummate professional, keeping his head down and training despite whatever random thing his manager has been passive-aggressively saying about him.

“It will be important for him to train really, really hard particularly when you are walking out and it is chucking it down with rain. It is not that he is not used to it but it is freezing cold.”

Tosun played his last game for Besiktas on December 28th before being seen all over London before signing for the Blues and playing against Spurs just over a fortnight later. Exactly a month later, he should be rounding into his best fitness since he’s been at Everton.

With Oumar Niasse continuing to be in a good nick, it might take Tosun a bit longer to start again, but could possibly get some minutes the next time Everton are leading late into a game. Or watch as Morgan Schneiderlin goes on to a chorus of more boos.