Everton news: Nikola Vlasic blasts Sam Allardyce’s ‘awful’ football, says Toffees want to be ‘the new Tottenham’

Sam Allardyce has been criticised by Nikola Vlasic for forcing Everton to play a style of football that cannot even be called football.

Vlasic, the winger, endured a tough debut campaign at Goodison Park following his move in 2017, and he join CSKA Moscow on loan prior to the start of this season.

The 21-year-old has impressed in Russia, and he also caught the eye in the Champions League by scoring the winning goal in CSKA’s defeat of reigning champions Real Madrid.

Though Vlasic started last season in and around the Everton first-team, he rarely featured after Allardyce was named manager and ended the season with just seven Premier League appearances to his name.

And, given what Vlasic has said in an interview with Sportske Novosti in his homeland of Croatia, he is probably quite happy he didn’t have to play more often under the former England manager.

“Everything changed after [Ronald] Koeman left,” Vlasic said. “The football played under Big Sam was awful, if it could even be called football.

“In such football I do not have a place. The football team was terrified by everything – the fans mostly.”

Vlasic was shipped out on loan prior to the start of this season, leaving in the same summer as Richarlison, Lucas Digne and Yerry Mina arrived at Goodison Park for large transfer fees.

They were joined on Merseyside by Bernand, the Brazil winger signed on a free, as well as loanees Andre Gomes and Kurt Zouma, and Vlasic believes Everton have ambitions to break into the Premier League’s top six.

Tottenham were the most recent team to establish themselves among the top flight’s elite, and Everton want to replicate the north Londoners.

“Everton have spent $100 million last year on reinforcements,” Vlasic continued. “Only three players – Richarlison, Mina and Digne – cost about 90 million.

“Everton are looking for great names and players from big clubs, like Barcelona.

“Despite these immense investments, the team is currently in the 11th place. That means there will be new, big purchases (in the future).

“I know (Everton) have decided internally that they will try to be the new Tottenham and join the biggest league clubs.”