Golden boy Lukaku gets Everton up and running

West Brom 0 Everton 2

Normal service was, however, restored this weekend.

One hundred seconds was all it took for the Toffees’ £28m record signing Romelu Lukaku to hand West Brom a painful reminder of what they are missing with a goal of the month contender before fellow Belgian Kevin Mirallas sealed a first Premier League win of the season after the break.

Roberto Martinez’s men are yet to fully click into gear, yet a big plus for the Spaniard, as his team prepare for the start of their Europa League expedition with Thursday’s visit of Wolfsburg, was surely Lukaku opening his account for the campaign.

Tim Howard even admits the ex-Chelsea man has “got to carry us at times” – yet the goalkeeper has backed his teammate, who starred on loan last season, to deliver as he is so hungry to go on and establish himself among the globe’s elite.

“He is hungry,” Howard said. “He cost a lot of money and without being arrogant in any way, he wants to be the best footballer in the world. With guys of his talent, the sky is the limit.”

Lukaku arrived a Hawthorns hero after scoring 17 goals in just 20 Premier League starts two seasons ago, yet this time they were on the receiving end.

Steven Naismith fed Leighton Baines, whose cross was calamitously cleared by Jonas Olsson straight to Lukaku. He still had much to do, yet his wonderfully whipped effort from the edge of the box was curled with pinpoint precision.

“That’s what £28m buys you,” Baggies goalkeeper Ben Foster said. “Everton have done really well to get him. I thought he was a banker to be going to one of the massive, monster clubs.”

The Toffees duly doubled their advantage after the break when Baines fed Mirallas and his bobbling shot squirmed underneath Foster.

For Alan Irvine it was a reunion to forget with the Merseyside club after leaving his position as academy manager at Goodison Park to become Baggies head coach.

The Scot was greeted with no shortage of scepticism this summer from supporters of the club — and the boos at the final whistle only added to the growing pressure on his shoulders.

His side’s wait for a first league win of the campaign continues and they provided few pointers here to suggest anything but another season of struggle awaits.

Foster hit back at the Baggies boo boys who vented their frustration at skipper Chris Brunt when he was substituted in the second half.

“It is ridiculous that somebody who has been an incredible servant to this club for such a long time gets that,” he added. “It is really silly. It doesn’t help at all. It’s pathetic. If you’re getting ridiculed and abused like that it affects you. There’s no need for it.”

Martinez, meanwhile, insists the Toffees will take the Europa League seriously – and admits the Champions League would have been a step too far for them this term after last season’s near miss.

He said: “We have seven games in three weeks. We are not a team who wants to moan about the number of games. We worked hard for 12 months to get in this position. The squad is ready. We’re going to be stretched, pushed to the limit, I do think that’s the only way we can fulfil our potential and learn a lot about ourselves. Everton has to be in Europe. I do feel maybe we were not ready for Champions League football. We need to see how well we can do in the Europa League first.”

WEST BROM (4-4-2): Foster 4; Wisdom 5, Dawson 5, Olsson 4, Pocognoli 5 (Gamboa 77); Dorrans 5, Morrison 5, Gardner 4, Brunt 5 (Blanco 70 5); Berahino 6, Ideye 4 (Samaras 70 5).

EVERTON (4-2-3-1): Howard 6; Coleman 6, Stones 7, Jagielka 7, Baines 7; McCarthy 7, Barry 7; McGeady 6 (Besic 88), Naismith 6, Mirallas 7; Lukaku 8 (Osman 68 7).

Referee: Anthony Taylor.