You've taken your team up 51 places in 26 months with two back to back promotions. You've brought through some top youth team players and are on a run of 2 losses in 12 games...with the clubs highest win % in post war history...
Your reward? Sacked for a manager who failed at Espanyol...Mauricio Pochettino.
Southampton sacked Nigel Adkins as they had a long term vision for the club. They have a "philosophy", strategy and plans not only for the club to grow but the style of play they want to project and the recruitment and development of players to fit into this system...
Les Reed, the Director of football at Southampton has been very vocal in articles about how they go into meticulous detail when analysing and researching players who not only need to fit the mould of playing style and type but also mentality...they are chosen by the Director of football and the Head scout with some input from the manager.
Pochettino hadnt done well at Espanyol and yet was seen as a step forward from Adkins as he fitted the mould of manager they were seeking to manage the first team squad. He openly admitted that he had limited input on signings and was a first team coach.
He was a huge success and then as he joined Spurs, the media and fans dreaded the next replacement. However Koeman was brought in as he, once again fit the mould for the type of first team coach needed to suit their system. Again, like Pochettino he stated that he had limited input into signings (though one or two names were put forward by him) and focused only on the first team squad.
Koeman joined us and Claude Puel was appointed as once again he fit their system and we see now that again the "Southampton Way" (as they call it) works with alot of responsibility resting on Les Reed their Director of football....
Reed reminds me alot of Monchi at Sevilla who is credited more than their managers at improving their club.
For us, we have Steve Walsh who has a strong pedigree in pinpointing players to fit into clubs requirements. Perhaps we shouldnt be scoffing at the Zola and Drogba scouting "achievements" and looking at it from the point of view that hes highlighted players like them and the Kante, Mahrez, Vardy's (and other unheralded players) to fit into his clubs system...clearly a superior approach than signing a "Benteke" and not suiting your system!
I think alot rests on the shoulders of Walsh to understand the "Everton Way" dating back to "The school of science" and bringing in players to fit this system and also helping to ensure Unsworth can develop players in this mould.
As for Koeman and his current turgid brand of "football" I think that with Feyenoord and Southampton he fit in well with their system, strategy and vision and so the players he had at his disposal and those that were brought in were his "type" and the clubs type. Hes already commented that he doesnt have much input into signing players (he seemed to favour Bolasie but Gana was more Walsh's pick) so alot is out of his hands.
To me, it appears that our players dont suit his desired style of play and as such he is choosing to play negatively until Walsh brings in players who he prefers to work with and utilise. Perhaps as seen at Valencia, Benfica and AZ he needs a particular squad type to work with.
The hope is that Walsh can succeed and have as much relative success as Monchi and Reed. He has our history as well as hopefully a new stadium on the way, not to mention the Koeman "big name" to attract players.
With Koeman being such a "short term" manager I do hope that the players brought in not only suit Koeman but also a long term strategy from the club in the same mould as Southampton and Sevilla.
A lot depends on whether Moshiri has full faith in Walsh and whether he is up to the task. Also whether Koeman is seen as a stopgap before we appoint someone more in line with a longer term strategy...I think this could be the first club hes joined which is going through a transitional period where the players dont seem to suit him.
Hopefully we get it right!
