Everton manager Ronald Koeman has urged Gerard Deulofeu and Kevin Mirallas to work harder if they want to stay within his first-team plans.
The duo both started Saturday’s 1-1 draw with Tottenham but were eventually substituted by the former Southampton coach.
Playmaker Ross Barkley opened the scoring for the Toffees before Erik Lamela scored a stunning header in the 59th minute to grab a point for Spurs.
Koeman’s men looked in fine form during the first half but their intensity dropped in the second 45 minutes and the Dutchman admits several players need to pull their weight more.
“You see with Gerard, it is still not for 90 minutes,” he told the Liverpool Echo. “With Gerard, with Kevin… I like the players, but they need to run more.
They need to do more, they need to press more. “It’s all about the work rate of the player.
Sometimes it’s difficult because for that creative player, sometimes you’re a little bit more sloppy in that aspect of football.
“But we will work on it, and you saw Ross in the second half working hard for the team. It is not a question of how good his technique is or how good his first touch is, it’s about him needing to take more responsibility for the team and to do a job defending also.
That makes the team stronger. “We will learn that, no problem.”
Everton are next in action against West Bromwich Albion and the Toffees can be backed at odds of 2.50, with the draw at 3.20, while the Baggies are priced at 2.88 at home.
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