Nobody is laughing at Niasse now
Much-maligned striker comes off bench to rescue Koeman
TO think there was a point, not long ago, when Everton’s two-goal matchwinner Oumar Niasse didn’t have a locker.
He has had to contend with derision, called the worst signing in Everton’s history, but now finds himself cast in the role of the new cult hero of Goodison Park after coming off the bench to fire the club out of the bottom three.
Niasse was training with Everton’s Under-23s this time last year before being farmed out on loan to Hull. Had it not been for a wrangle with agents on deadline day last month, the Senegal striker would have signed for Crystal Palace.
Until a couple of weeks ago, Niasse was a peripheral figure to Ronald Koeman, but now he could become a regular starter.
‘Oumar was incredible,’ said Koeman, who insisted that he had not been too dismissive of Niasse during his first year at Goodison. ‘It has not surprised me as I know him. We did not sign a striker (in August) and that gave him chance to be close to the first team.
‘The boy has that kind of quality. It is all about opportunities for the players and productivity for the strikers.’
It would take a hard heart to begrudge Niasse this moment and perhaps, more than a year and a half after his £13.5million arrival from Lokomotiv Moscow, he is ready to kick start his Everton career. He has certainly given his team much-needed momentum.
That was in short supply during a tedious first half that saw Wayne Rooney make his 400th Premier League start.
The biggest flashpoint was the elbow from Simon Francis that left Rooney (above) with a deep gash above his left eye, the blood flowing so profusely that he needed to change his shirt and shorts.
Rooney was furious with referee Martin Atkinson for not sending Francis off.
‘Simon had his eyes on the ball all the time,’ argued boss Eddie Howe. ‘He has caught Wayne accidentally.’
‘It is his arm,’ Koeman countered. ‘It is not really with intention but yes it is above his eye and it is totally open.’
While Howe’s side showed little adventure before the interval, the way they moved the ball left the impression they had a devastating break in them.
So it proved four minutes after the interval as Charlie Daniels darted in to win possession and instantly released Joshua King. Mason Holgate tried to keep up with the powerful Norway striker, but he swept a drive past Jordan Pickford that ripped into the net. After three straight league defeats, this was potentially a ruinous day for Koeman, and the wasteful visitors had the chances to kill Everton on the counterattack.
Everton were staring into the abyss and that they were able to extricate themselves from such a position owed much to events in the 51st minute.
Another quick break from Bournemouth looked like it would lead to a second but Jermain Defoe’s shot was superbly saved by Pickford.
Koeman, aware of the building opprobrium, threw the dice and took Rooney and Davy Klaassen out, replacing them with Niasse and Tom Davies.
Suddenly a spark was lit in the stadium and rather than growling at their team, Goodison Park became a bear pit with the vast majority of the 38,133 crowd roaring Everton on.
The pressure paid off when Niasse thrashed in a drive from his fellow sub in the 77th minute to end Everton’s barren run of 347 minutes without a Premier League goal.
The noise which greeted the strike was considerable but pandemonium followed in the 82nd minute when Niasse doubled up, bundling in at the second attempt after Davies had seen a shot blocked. A huge moment, personally and collectively.
‘This was important for me, for the players, for everyone,’ said Koeman. ‘Everyone knows the situation of managers,’ he added. ‘If you win, you are sure about your job. If you lose, you are not sure about your job. It is ridiculous. But we showed great character.’
And nobody showed it more than Niasse.