Wayne Rooney must keep proving he is still a match-winner after his first Everton hat-trick says boss Sam Allardyce
Big Sam gave Wazza a big thumbs–up after his midweek magic - but plans talks with every player over their Toffees' future
SAM ALLARDYCE has told Wayne Rooney to keep proving he is still a match winner.
Big Sam gave Wazza a big thumbs–up after his first ever Everton hat–trick in midweek — but he is demanding more big performances from him.
Allardyce, who takes charge for the first time against Huddersfield today, intends to sit down with every one of his players for a face-to-face over their futures.
Caretaker David Unsworth suggested some of them were shirkers before Wednesday’s 4–0 victory over West Ham.
But it has already been made clear to Rooney what will be expected of him.
Allardyce declared: “Wayne has set his standard again — now he has to live with it.
“Against West Ham it as like the old Wayne Rooney — the way he drifted into the box for his second goal, the way he took his third.
“It was a performance we needed to stop the run we were in and it got us a victory.”
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Rooney was brought back to his spiritual home after 13 years at Manchester United as Everton’s poster boy last summer.
The 32-year-old is Everton’s top scorer with eight goals but there have been matches in which he has made little or no impact.
Indeed, Unsworth dropped him to the bench for last weekend’s 4–1 drubbing at Southampton.
Allardyce, 63, is understood to be keen to work with Wazza and sees him as a key element in his bid to turn Everton around with his own ambition to stick around for longer than his 18-month £120,000-per-week deal.
The former England boss intends to get to the bottom of why the £200m squad put together by predecessor Ronald Koeman has failed so dismally this season. He added: “Down the line all the players who are here will sit down and have a one-on-one with me.
“I will find out where people lie in terms of their position at the club.”
Allardyce’s own position has been questioned by Everton fans who see him only as a quick–fix . . . and a long–ball merchant.
The former West Ham chief also came in midway through the season to save Sunderland and Crystal Palace.
But he says: “This time I want it to be much more than bringing stability.
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“I want to see the club grow and live along with the ambition they have.
“Contracts don’t mean a lot nowadays. If you do well the contract gets extended and if you don’t you get sacked.
“The average life of a Premier League manager is 14 months.
“This football club has an awful lot of ambition, so if we get the right recruitment and we can galvanise the players, keep them fit . . . ”
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