The Everton midfielder could not inspire his side to victory this weekend.
Summer signing Nikola Vlasic has been speaking to Everton TV following the Toffees’ 1-0 defeat to Burnley on Sunday.
Ronald Koeman’s side headed into the clash knowing nothing less than a victory would do. But it was not to be, with Jeff Hendrick’s goal enough to give all three points to Sean Dyche’s side and heap yet more misery on the hosts.
When asked if he was happy with his performance, Vlasic told Everton TV, “In the first half, yes, but the goal, I was part of that mistake.
“I am very sad about that, but I have it my all and I wanted us to score the goal to earn a point.”
That is a refreshingly honest assessment from the 19-year-old, who was making his first start in the Premier League and only his fifth appearance for Everton in all competitions.
Vlasic is a fine young talent who is expected to develop into a key player for Everton in the years to come. The problem is, he cannot be relied upon to pull them out of their current predicament and any undue pressure could be detrimental to his short-term progress.
He will learn plenty from Everton’s struggles, and he will get the chance to make up for his mistake directly after the international break.
The problem for Everton lies not in the mistakes of raw talents, it is in the poor performances of their experienced heads, their lack of pace and their failure to replace the goals of one of Europe’s best strikers.
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