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Stan Collymore vents frustration at Everton’s deployment of Romelu Lukaku

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Stan Collymore before the match (Reuters)
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The former Premier League striker believes Everton could get more from the Belgian.

Stan Collymore before the matchStan Collymore before the match

Former Premier League striker Stan Collymore has been highly critical of the way Everton utilised Romelu Lukaku in the recent game against Tottenham Hotspur.

Everton lost 3-2 against Spurs in a game they struggled to get a foothold in.

Near the end of the fixture Everton started to improve, as they went more direct to striker Romelu Lukaku, who finally got the better of international team-mate Jan Vertonghen to score for the Toffees.

But Collymore, who played for Merseyside rivals Liverpool in his striking career, wrote in his Boyle Sports blog that Everton had failed to use Lukaku properly for most of the game.

He stated:

“It took Everton 80 odd minutes before using the big man, getting him turning and facing the Spurs goal, getting him running into the channels, and frankly scaring the life out of the Spurs back four. 80 odd minutes too late.

“The right ball, whether you feel it’s backwards, dinosaur or old-fashioned was to do what Kasper Schmeichel did game in game out last season for Vardy and to drill the volleyed ball into the channel to get Rom on his toes, push back a Spurs side who love to press from the front (negating any threat they have in this department), keeping the big man in the game and being a pain in the arse for Verthonghen and co. It’s really that simple.”

Everton's Romelu Lukaku in action with Tottenham's Jan Vertonghen and Mousa DembeleEverton’s Romelu Lukaku in action with Tottenham’s Jan Vertonghen and Mousa Dembele

The opinionated former pro highlights a constant concern among the Everton support, how best to use Lukaku?

The Belgian has the pace and power to run the channels but is also deadly in the box if patient build-up is the platform for the tie.

Everton fans know that Lukaku is a potent goal threat, but is perhaps not always being presented with the regular chances of goal he needs to project Everton up the Premier League table.