Saturday 17 March 2018 19:35, UK
Sam Allardyce took aim at those who had criticised his decision to introduce Cenk Tosun slowly at Everton following the Turkish striker's double at Stoke.
Tosun scored both the Toffees' goals in their 2-1 win at the Bet365 Stadium, giving Everton just their second victory on the road in the Premier League this season.
He now has four goals from seven games, something which left Allardyce feeling bullish in response to early critics of how he had decided to bed in the 26-year-old.
He said: "I think his confidence is gained by us taking him out early doors when everyone was going: 'Why aren't you playing him?'
"You know, it's the usual rubbish you get from outside the football club. They say: "You pay all that money and don't play him, why not?" That's because they don't know. I do, they don't.
"We wanted to get him fitter, and more used to the players he was playing with. A lot of the training and extra training he's done, especially in Dubai, has paid dividends not only for us but for him and long may it continue."
Allardyce was understandably delighted for Everton to end their poor away run, having gone five games without even a point away from Goodison Park prior to the victory.
He added: "I think we deserved to win, with them being down to 10 men and us dominating possession, but they gave us a good fight.
"We had a goal scorer at one end who was clinical and turned the game in our favour with the first goal and when we sloppily gave a free-kick and gave a goal away he pops up with a second which was a wonderful finish and a wonderful cross."
