Apologies I posted earlier but wanted to post my more considered view
I can see why some people wanted Emery based on a very good European record but I would like to put forward the case for why Koeman was an overwhelming first choice.
What have Everton fans said we wanted in a new manager?
1. An individual with a world class reputation that can attract players based on his standing in the game, something recent Everyon managers didn't possess.
Just look at his playing record
- 4 x Spanish League titles, Copa del Rey a European Cup and Super Cup with Barcelona
- 4 x Dutch League titles, multiple domestic cups and a European Cup at PSV and Ajax
- He was a key member of the European Championship winning Holland team, being seen as one of the teams key players alongside Gullit and Van Basten
He truly was a pick in any World XI team of the time. You heard the name Koeman and it meant class, a tough defender with a brilliant goalscoring record.
Add in as Manager
3 x League titles in Holland
1 x Copa del Rey in Spain
A clear winning mentality if ever there was one.
If you contrast this with a Klopp, no playing honours, two league titles as manager and 3 domestic cups.
As a player looking to sign for a club using the mangers standing in the game to help make a decision it is clear that Koeman can more than compete with the media darling and saviour of the game Klopp in every concievable way.
2. A tough self assured character who very much can be a disciplinarian when he needs to be. He has not accepted poor performances from key players like Tadic and Mane and has made a point of hauling them off and dropping them when their performances didn't meet his expectations. Much to the disgust of Tadic. However as Morgan Schneiderlin said in an interview, Koeman very much treats players as human beings and can most definitely do the arm around the shoulder when needed. An essential to develop a Barkley like character, that clearly lacks self confidence or to deal with the more temperamental characters. Could a manager that speaks Spanish do this anywhere near as effectively? If you were recruiting a manager for any company in England would you recruit one that doesn't speak a word of English and therefore can't directly communicate with his employees. Pochettino despite the myth could speak English fairly well with his players, he just chose to avoid using English with the media until he felt confident enough that any errors he made would not be turned against him. Emery by all accounts can't speak English with any degree of fluency.
3. He develops players within the squad. To quote Sean Long this week. “He’s been brilliant for me, you can see how much my game has come on and I hope he does stay” He is now linked with Liverpool and Spurs, previously he had been seen as a half decent Premier League player plying his trade at lower ranking Premier league sides like Hull and West Brom.
4. He is tactically astute in the Premier league and has a proven track record against top Premiership teams. His sides are known to be defensively sound, possess a high tempo pressing style, can be direct when needed, yet are attractive on the eye. Tactics that work in Europe don't necessarily translate to Premier League success, so evidence of a managers tactical prowess in the Premier League is a huge plus. Just look at the fat Spanish Waiter, good in Europe but not in the Premier League. Add in other once hugely exciting young European managers, like Ramos and Villas-Boas, who failed to succeed in the Premier league then you start to see why an appointment of an Emery is a huge gamble.
5. Flexible enough to work with a Director of Football but can very much act as a traditional English manager. If the right candidate for DoF can be sourced e.g. Monchi or Overmars then he will happily function with them. Can Emery exist without a high profile DoF (many Seville fans attribute Monchi to be more responsible for their success than Emery)?
6. Prioritises fitness - He will place a greater emphasis on fitness, an issue we've all seen with the current squad. As Leicester proved fitness is essential to succeed in the Premier league. With Martinez there was an obsession with dedicating the vast majority of training to technical aspects, this emphasis on technical training is common practice amongst many Southern european teams, less so in Germany where fitness is seen as being extremely important as well. Add in the lack of emphasis on set play situations, something that is far more significant in Premier League matches than in some European leagues is essential. Many of us felt Martinez in trying to copy Barcelona believed totally in short corners and free kicks rather than planning routines at Finch farm.
7. Media savvy, a good communicator with an excellent grasp of the English language. As far as I'm aware he has never used the word "Phenomenal". As much as we all tired of Martinez and his media appearances, would we really welcome hearing our manager speak through an interpreter as would be the case with Emery. His dressing room team talks would face the same issues.
