Despite finishing seventh last season and qualifying for the Europa League as well as giving Manchester City's Pep Guardiola his heaviest career beating 4-0 , the former Ajax manager has lost his three group stage Europa League games this season as well as winning just two league games thus far. So where did it all go wrong for the Dutchman?
With Everton sitting 18th in the league (relegation) having the third worst defensive record (conceded 18 goals already in nine League games ), it is not difficult to pin-point Koeman's failure on his inability to sign a proven goalscorer to adequately replace Belgian Romelu Lukaku who scored 25 goals under the Dutchman's reign (one-year). Having amassed over £75 million from Lukaku's sale to Manchester United, Koeman decided to plan for the future completing ignoring the present placing his faith on aging Wayne Rooney to shoulder goalscoring responsibilities as well as signing an unknown Henry Onyekuru from Eupen (sent on loan to Anderlecht where he has scored six goals in nine league games this season) as in addition to the signing of Sandro Ramires (Malaga), two players who have never managed double figures in their careers. With that in mind , the Dutchman as well bizzarely signed three familiar players who play in the same position in excess of £55million (Gylfi Sigurdsson, Wayne Rooney and Davvy Klaassen) call it anything you like. In total More than eight new players arrived Goodison Park this season with over £145 million spent on their signings yet all with the exception of Jordan Pickford have been abysmal to say the least.
Since his appointment, the Dutchman has done little to warm himself to the hearts of the Merseyside blues rather treating his job as a stepping stone to his Barcelona dream job at one point decorating his Christmas tree with red rather than the traditional Everton blue colour and never dismissing rumours linking him to the Catalan club.
This is not to say that the Dutchman performed badly in Merseyside having helped shape a youthful side with the promotion of the likes of Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Tom Davies, Hankow Kenny all becoming senior team regulars as well as the signings of the likes of Ademola Lukeman and Nikola Vlasic with the future looking bright yet it is on record that havjng spend such sum on player signings this season, Everton deserve better than the present results which justifies his sacking to an extent.
With more than 28 league games to go, Everton will be hoping the incoming manager which will soon be announced will banish the ghosts of Ronald Koeman by constantly challenging for a top four a well as ending thier 25 years wait for silverware. For now , Ronald Koeman will look backwards to the last summer and realise how he lost the season before it even started.
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