A Lethal Goodison Goalscorer Has Finally Arrived in Romelu Lukaku
Over the years, Everton have always had an abundance of creativity embedded within their squad – with Leighton Baines creating the highest amount of chances in the league (116) and the second most in Europe last season for example – but the one thing missing has been a powerful striker who can put the ball in the back of the net with an apparent ease.
The only problem in finding that man is the extortionate price they cost to sign, with the finances at Everton meaning that is almost impossible to sanction, but whilst Romelu Lukaku’s importance to Chelsea was not suitably sewn up by José Mourinho – to the confusion of almost everybody – Everton quickly pounced and brought the powerful Belgian in on a season-long loan, with his impact already being noteworthy to say the least.
Lukaku, who scored 17 Premier League goals in a temporary spell with West Brom last season, has already netted four goals in MartÃnez’s system and his all-round game in terms of vision, speed, strength and awareness not only means he is destined for the top, but more importantly that Everton now have that much-needed world-class striker in the making – albeit only for the short term.
Kevin Mirallas, Lukaku’s team-mate in the highly promising Belgium international side, was the somewhat principal negotiator in striking the deal as he was with the 20-year-old forward at the time he heard of Everton’s interest in his long-term friend and helped convince him to make the move.
With Lukaku being primarily left-footed, despite just 25% (1) of his strikes coming with his stronger foot so far this season, both him and Mirallas – who tends to play on the right although he loves to switch into an inverted winger on the left – can strike up a frightening partnership in attack this campaign with Lukaku’s first goal for the Blues coming from a Mirallas cross against Newcastle.
100% (4) of his goals at the moment have come from inside the box, scoring 50% (2) of them with his right-foot alongside one brave header which set the away stand at West Ham bouncing, and he has overall been involved in an Everton goal this season every 51.4 minutes.
Lukaku slots into MartÃnez’s approach with no trouble because he plays the game facing the goal but for all his hard work and energy, when he starts to tire, the ball stops sticking up front with the same vigour shown in the first-half – such as against Newcastle and Manchester City – and that illustrates why Steve Clarke deployed him as a super sub at West Brom in order to impact games against knackered defenders.
However, whilst the creativity hasn’t faded away – with both Baines (11) and Seamus Coleman (10) creating 21 chances between themselves so far this season – Lukaku will undoubtedly reach double figures should Everton hit top gear this season due to that inventive service around him. His relationship with Ross Barkley, as well as Mirallas, through the middle of the pitch also looks to be a quality and fruitful combination in the making despite their tender ages.
Ross Barkley’s Superb Start is Evidence That Everton’s Academy Remains One of the Best in English Football
Whilst the likes of Wayne Rooney and Jack Rodwell have both emerged from the Everton academy and shook the famous Gwladys Street stand with important goals in recent times, the latest talented youngster to have been bedded into the first-team fold hasn’t just grabbed his chance to shine in the Premier League but has throttled it and his latest performances have seen him earn early recognition from England manager Roy Hodgson.
Ross Barkley, a player who would have easily walked into Moyes’ team setup had it not have been for a triple break sustained in 2010 halting his progress, is now learning his trade under a manager in MartÃnez who is categorically the right person to nurture his rare skills in the right way, whilst developing him in a simply gorgeous way of playing.
The 19-year-old has already been compared to top players such as, Rooney, Steven Gerrard, Paul Gascoigne and Michael Ballack for his well-rounded temperament as an attacking midfielder with a tough edge to his game. Vision, trickery, two-footed and composure are four obvious traits that have oozed out of Barkley’s displays and like Lukaku, he is another player – the elusive Number 8 that can cause havoc in the final third of the field – that has been severely missing at Everton over the years, especially after Mikel Arteta left for Arsenal in 2011, who has now come to the fore and lit up the first two months plus of the season.
In the first seven top-flight games, Barkley has completed 86.7% (282) of his 325 passes attempted, with 83% (105) being successful in the final third of the pitch and 22% overall going forwards. He creates opportunities for Everton by driving through the centre on either foot to confuse opponents and has conjured up 8 chances from open-play so far.
Supplementing his opening two goals against both Norwich and Newcastle, the Wavertree-born midfielder has won 80% (10) of his tackles, with a challenge coming every 63 minutes on average, whilst also making three interceptions.
MartÃnez’s signings of both James McCarthy and Gareth Barry not only give Everton shape, blend and balance in midfield but they also allow Barkley the platform to outline or pinpoint an attacking move and, in effect, have runners run off him as he carries the ball forward with perseverance and uniqueness.
 
Only Tottenham’s Andros Townsend (33) has completed more take-ons than Barkley (29) in the Premier League so far, which is particularly impressive considering he is operating in zones that include more opponents to try and weave past.
Not only has he now obtained an esteemed responsibility in the team, but whilst MartÃnez once dubbed Baines as an ‘icon’ due to the way he sets an example at the club, Barkley is fast becoming a role model to the wealth of youngsters in the Everton academy and is somebody reserve team boss Alan Stubbs can now point to and say “you can be the next one.”
Unheralded stars such as John Lundstram, Tyias Browning, Hallam Hope, Conor Grant, George Green and Chris Long are all just some of the names being talked about fanatically and Barkley’s surfacing should mark the future for where players are mainly going to come from Everton, with MartÃnez boasting a fabulous track record over the years of giving youth prospects a chance to flourish like Joe Allen (Liverpool) and Callum McManaman (Wigan).
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