Apostolos Vellios is harming his own Everton chances

Apostolos Vellios is harming his own chances at Everton despite many fans on Everton forums thinking the player has a divine right to walk into the first team after a few decent substitute appearances.

Vellios has all the makings to become a decent player.  He is a tall powerful number 9, but he also has a turn of pace and decent control.  He certainly knows where the net is and at only 21 years of age he could yet go on to have a brilliant career………….But he is doing himself no favours.

Vellios did well as an impact sub

There were loads of rumours amongst Evertonians that Vellios had turned down the opportunity to go out on loan a number of times and I know for a fact that he turned down Sheffield Wednesday at the same time that Ross Barkley went on loan there.  I’ve also been told that other teams have enquired and the comments by Roberto Martinez today seem to confirm this in today’s Liverpool Echo.

The manager has confirmed that he believes in the Greek forward and stressed that he performed well in pre-season but has re-emphasised that he needs games under his belt and needs to learn how to perform for 90 minutes and not just 10 minutes off the bench.  This means only one thing.  The manager wants the player to go on loan.

Vellios seems to be one of those players who has a high reputation because he isn’t playing.  He has been dogged by rumours of a poor attitude in training and has also been accused of being poorly advised by his father.  Whether these rumours are true or not I don’t think most Everton fans would care, what they would like is for a line to be drawn in the sand and the player to put in 100% from this day forward and prove that he is worthy of the shirt.

Vellios need only look to another Premier League team and view the impact of a certain Ravel Morrison at West Ham to show that a change in behaviour can affect a change on the pitch.  Ravel was cast out of Manchester United by Sir Alex Ferguson after the Scot became tired of Morrisons on and off field antics.

Morrison concentrated on playing football and reaped the rewards

During his time at Manchester United Morrison was charged with Witness intimidation and numerous arrests for beating up his girlfriend.  Sam Allardyce picked the highly rated Morrison up and almost immediately he was charged by the FA for homophobic tweets and was then loaned out to Birmingham.  Towards the end of last season and this season it has been highlighted in the press that there has been a definite change in his behaviour and Morrison has been knuckling down on the training pitch and has forced himself into the England Under 21’s squad and is an outside bet of making the full England World Cup Squad.  He has been a brilliant performer.

Now I’m not saying that Vellios’s behaviour is as bad as Morrisons, it’s clear that it’s noway near as bad and I’m also not saying he is as good a player – we haven’t seen enough of him to judge.  BUT if he could follow in Ravels footsteps and do his talking on the pitch, he could go on to be the Number 9 target man that Everton have lacked since Duncan Ferguson.

For now Vellios, knuckle down, go out on loan to a Championship club.  Score a hatful and come back to lead the Everton line.

As an Evertonian, I hope he can do it.  Do you think he can? Have your say at www.theevertonforum.com