Keown challenges Everton boss Allardyce, discusses Walcott

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Everton have confirmed the signing of Theo Walcott, Sam Allardyce’s second recruit at Goodison Park.

Arsenal legend Martin Keown has challenged Everton manager Sam Allardyce in his Daily Mail ‘Tackle Keown’ column to take the Toffees way past a relegation dogfight, after signing Theo Walcott from Arsenal.

Everton were embroiled in a potential fight to the death earlier in the season, but Allardyce’s arrival sparked a mini revival that took the Toffees back to more familiar surroundings in the top half of the Premier League table.

The Toffees now sit in ninth place, but are a huge 12 points behind sixth-placed Arsenal with pre-season expectations suggesting that they could challenge the top four of the Premier League.

Following the signing of 28-year-old Walcott, Keown challenged Allardyce to take Everton further than just safeguarding Premier League status, urging him to “let the team play a bit” as well as hinting Walcott’s move could signal a change.

“He is now at a big club in Everton,” Keown said. “I would like to see him open up and let the team play a bit. Theo Walcott is the kind of player his teams of the past would have wanted to kick.

“Does this signing indicate Allardyce is prepared to change the way his team plays?

“Simply achieving survival will not be enough at Everton. It will be very interesting to see how he embraces the challenge and the financial muscle afforded him.”

Allardyce is set to take charge of his 1000th game in professional football as a manager against West Bromwich Albion at Goodison Park on Saturday, after spells with the likes of Bolton, Blackburn, Newcastle, Sunderland and Crystal Palace.

The Toffees held on to a 0-0 draw against Alan Pardew’s Baggies on Boxing Day with the Midlands club the much better side, but the new signings of Walcott and Cenk Tosun could see Everton claim all three points.

Allardyce will be desperate to earn a win on what is a landmark match in his career, but more importantly to win his first match in seven games – a run that has seen Everton lose their last four matches, scoring just twice.