I’ve never seen a Big Sam team like it — where is his fire?

WHEN Everton played Manchester United at home on New Year’s Day, I thought two things were strange.

Sam Allardyce was booed by Everton fans for making a substitution — Wayne Rooney was the player replaced — and the performance of his team was very flat as they lost 2-0.

It was strange because at that time Allardyce’s record as Everton manager was good. He had done what he is good at doing. He had tightened Everton up and made them hard to beat.

But it was a poor performance that day and if early signs of strain between the manager and some supporters of his latest club were noticeable then, what must Everton fans be thinking now?

Saturday at the Emirates was dreadful from an Everton point of view, just as their last game in London had been.

That one ended in a 4-0 Wembley defeat by Tottenham. Allardyce’s players looked low on energy, appetite and organisation in both games. I cannot remember saying that about an Allardyce team before.

When Allardyce took the job at Goodison Park in late November at the age of 63, I was unsure about the appointment. Not necessarily from Everton’s point of view, but from his.

He has always operated at his best when fuelled by a sense of purpose and when he has felt he had something to prove. I wonder now just how fiercely that old fire is burning. Simply put, there is no longer anything to prove.

As such, I also wonder just how long this union with Everton will last.