Our Next 5 Games: Make or Break for Koeman?

[Deleted member 24970]

WWWWW
be positive ffs

NO.

 

[Kaiser Soysauce]

Quite possibly.

*bottom lip trembles as I find somewhere dark to have a little cry*

 

[al23883]

From what I hear Walsh has a number of targets lined up, he's had two priorities since the end of the summer window, improve his scouting team which he has made a very good start to, and prepare for up-coming windows.

Although January is difficult I'm expecting 4 or 5 incoming with a similar number departing.

I know for a fact there was a meeting last week with Walsh and all of the scouts. The higher up scouts were hammered and told things are not good enough.

 

[Mikey_Fitzgerald]

Draw the home games, win the aways, buy players in Jan

Just avoiding defeat for a 5 game stretch and not getting humped by Liverpool

It'll be "meh", but that's better than the worst case scenario, and at this point I'd take it

 

[St James the Less]

When you look at January's fixtures (Other than City) you would under normal circumstances think that would/should be a good month for us. But they way we've been playing of late I expect little from it. Although, I agree, RK will be here for his full term, January could be a telling month!

 

[Blue Cheese]

Give the bloke some time ffs.

We're 9th not 19th, some of you lot would have needed therapy if you lived through the early 90's.

I did and at least the 90's teams showed some heart and desire, I can't say the same for Koemans teams.

 

[Blue Cheese]

Everyone needs to relax, write this season off, he is giving the players that are here a chance and they are not interested.
We will be fine in the long run, Koeman is a top top manager.

What do you base that on mate, interested?

 

[Khalekan]

We were saying the same under the last fella at points in the last 2 seasons, I'm not worried - yet.

Never this early in the season, though.

The most worrisome thing about our current situation is that there is plenty of time for us to get really dragged deep into the mire.

That wasn't the case the last two seasons....we just drifted toward the fringes of the dogfight as games were running out.

 

[brieverton]

I think January is going to be very important for us mate. We need players in. If we repeat the fiasco of the summer and don't get the 3 (now with Bolasie injured 4?) players Koeman needs we need to be alarmed. This set of players have shown what they are capable of when they downed tools last season, we were just fortunate it came in March not October.

Lets put it this way, if we win 1 game in the next 10 we will be right in a dogfight. I'm sure you remember 1993/94 when we dropped from around 8/9th around this time of the season to very nearly going down. I'm not saying it will happen, and I hope we will get the 4 lads Koeman needs in January, but we really can't repeat the mistakes of the summer.

I think, as per usual, you offer a good encapsulation of the current situation mate.

As I see it, if a "bad run" was inevitable, then we have had it and the manager/team now have to find a way to get over it.

I expect we'll lose games from amongst the next 10, but our points total from them has to result in a marked improvement, whatever ends are used to justify those means doesn't particularly concern me.

A repeat of the last 10 games into the next 10 would, for me, be unacceptable, and obviously extremely concerning.

There is now widespread agreement that the squad is in need of an almost complete overhaul, Koeman has been left with much work to do on that front.

But as a punter/fan, whilst I can accept a bad run, and god knows this has been very poor, I think any continuation of it particularly with the derby coming up is not on. Whilst the squad is undoubtedly weak, they are better than this, and better than 1 win in 11, or 15. There are issues to be remedied now, not merely in January. Signing players will not be a cure-all for everything, at least not in the short-term when we badly need a few wins.

We need a few decent results very soon and then hope that they are ready to bring in 3 or 4 players as early as possible in January.

 

[Khalekan]

All we have to do is convince Koeman to get the team up for the next 8 games until the new players get here to save the day

Yay....I can hear the bugles blowing as Big John rides over the ridge at the head of his cavalry troop

 

[catcherintherye]

I think, as per usual, you offer a good encapsulation of the current situation mate.

As I see it, if a "bad run" was inevitable, then we have had it and the manager/team now have to find a way to get over it.

I expect we'll lose games from amongst the next 10, but our points total from them has to result in a marked improvement, whatever ends are used to justify those means doesn't particularly concern me.

A repeat of the last 10 games into the next 10 would, for me, be unacceptable, and obviously extremely concerning.

There is now widespread agreement that the squad is in need of an almost complete overhaul, Koeman has been left with much work to do on that front.

But as a punter/fan, whilst I can accept a bad run, and god knows this has been very poor, I think any continuation of it particularly with the derby coming up is not on. Whilst the squad is undoubtedly weak, they are better than this, and better than 1 win in 11, or 15. There are issues to be remedied now, not merely in January. Signing players will not be a cure-all for everything, at least not in the short-term when we badly need a few wins.

We need a few decent results very soon and then hope that they are ready to bring in 3 or 4 players as early as possible in January.

Thanks Bri, you too.

There are two issues here, 1) has Koeman been given the tools, and 2) should he be doing better with the tools at his disposal. I think the answers are no and yes.

The difficulty he has though, is perhaps doing the 2nd one might mean flying in the face of what he is expected and used to doing. He makes quick judgements on players, is forthright and frank and will move them on.

I do think there are some "easy wins" for Koeman though. He could have easily included on Saturday Davies, Valencia and Holgate in the team, who all merit places in their ahead of Deulofeu, McCarthy and to an extent Mirallas. You could play 3 at the back, 2 up top, have more creativity in the middle of midfield with Davies. I think those are easy wins to get fans back on board. All the time he makes controversial choices and doesn't win he will be criticised.

 

[tbone1970]

What do you base that on mate, interested?

I meant, they have been giving the chance to impress and sadly the majority of them are simply not good enough.....

 

[Blue Cheese]

I meant, they have been giving the chance to impress and sadly the majority of them are simply not good enough.....

No 'Koeman is a toptop manager' - what is this based on?

 

[tbone1970]

Here is the problem I have with that scenario.

"writing the season off" halfway through December and being "relaxed" about a slump which has already been running for three months with no sign of ending and which if it continues will see us in a relegation fight is not in my DNA.

Sorry, but I am too emotionally invested in Everton FC and the monkey I pay for a season ticket so I can have a ringside seat to witness this dross was too hard earned to just shrug my shoulders and be as blasé as your good self

But you gave me a good lol referring to Ronald as a "top, top manager".

Two "tops" is quite an accolade

I am sticking to my Double Top accolade, and I don't like paying money to watch this rubbish either, but is it Ron's fault that most of the team are either crap or old!!
He used to hug the touchline at the start of the season, now he just sits there thinking "What can I do with this shower!"
We will get players in in January who will make a huge difference, I'm pretty certain of that.

 

[tbone1970]

No 'Koeman is a toptop manager' - what is this based on?

Ask the majority of people in the game.