Ronald Koeman discussion

[LouReedwalkonthewildside]

I think it shows though Lou that anyone can beat anyone and all you need to do is string about 4-5 wins together and you can be right up there. It's a good job we beat the likes of Arsenal and Leicester otherwise the gap to the top 6 would be massive.

Imagine if we hadn't had that great start to the season.

 

[Eggsyblueskin]

Based on last night you can finally see what the issue is.

There isn't any chemistry in the team whatsoever. A bunch of individuals with no idea how to play together when asked to which is amazing considering how many of them have been together for years. Players just don't read each other, no one really trusts in each other and yet again too quick to make a decision on the pitch. The fact there is no instinct there, so many passes made hoping they reach their target with no knowledge of who will be where.

And that is the thing, you saw in flashes that when a player has confidence they can do things. Ross cross in the second half which was dangerous started from him making a good decision and pulling it off as well. The fact he ran outside rather than look for a shot suddenly made things happen.

Largely the team just isn't mobile and that kinda leads into the issue we have, the midfield covers for Barry ala slippy g except the one asked to do thst needs to be doing what Barry is doing, not doing it for him. Players do need to be moving about more and not waiting for the ball, all by instinct as well. If one has the ball, get into the space rather than wait for the pass.

Overall more signs that this squad needs to be overhauled and started again. So many players have regressed and offer very little now. Now is not the time to be sentimental anymore because this is what that gets us. Even players I have backed for years like baines and jags need to be moved on or relegated to the squad and replaced because fundamentally these are the same players who have won nothing in years, change the team change the mentality and stop hanging onto the same players because before we know it they will be retiring here and we have just hoped for the best.

This window no matter how little faith I have has to be good. We have to start rebuilding now, 3-4 players in with a couple out now or we will just he back here next season.

Bang on this. We haven't operated consistently as a team for at least 18 months. A good team is more than the sum of its parts and we ,at present, appear to be considerably less. It illustrates the truth behind Baines chemistry comment. Too many of the players in this team regardless of actual ability do not complement each other. Due to the poor recruitment of the previous regime it is clear if we are to seriously threaten the top 6 , a major rebuild is now required to build a fully functioning team.

 

[LouReedwalkonthewildside]

It's awful mate. Really bad league.

Seems to have lost that excitement, 100 miles an hour, blood and guts factor.

 

[Blue Cheese]

Is it just me, or is the prem not as good as we like to think it is? Just been looking at our form since the Norwich defeat, we've played 14, won 3, and only taken 14 pts from a possible 42 pts, that's 28 pts dropped in those 14 games, but we still lie in 7th place.

It's what happens when agents convince clubs players like Niasse are worldbeaters. The Prem is full of average imports in my opinion, which in turn stifles growth at clubs for the youngsters.

It's not that not a lot of young players aren't good enough, managers would rather appease fans by signing Carlos Kickaball instead of Carl Kick, only my opinion of course.

Bring back the 3 foreigner rule, not class Welsh as foreigners, like last time. Who knows.

 

[Ashtonian]

Good post Ash. I've mentioned the word time and time again that you've touched upon here, "chemistry". Without it, it doesn't matter if you have 11 of the world's best players on the pitch. If they don't have the right chemistry then you are screwed.

A Jagielka with a Lescott or a Distin
Baines with Pienaar
Carsley with Graveson

Partnerships on the pitch which gives the team chemistry. We have zilch. Lukaku and Barkley just doesn't work. Valencia a and Coleman nothing there. Jags and Williams too old. Gueye has to do the job of 2 players in the middle and so on and so on.

Yeah, it was apparent last night where the ball was just hit into areas where the receiving player just didn't have a clue what was happening. Easiest example of it being good is Barcelona just being in the right place and knowing where to put the ball. I'm not suggesting we play to that level whatsoever, but at the very least the basics of it. Lukaku coming deep for a reason, not so everyone else can watch and hope he does something. There is no clear defined roles in the final third which is the biggest issue hence lack of shots we have most weeks. It is almost like koeman doesn't expect much and plans to overhaul them anyway.

 

[ijjysmith]

I fully appreciate the standard of football isn't great at the minute. That's obvious. (I don't think it's quite as bad as a lot say either but that's a different story).

But I do wonder what people's expectations were and why they were higher than where we sit now?

6 months he's had. 6 months.

 

[maccavennie]

Imagine if we hadn't had that great start to the season.

Be in the bottom 3. If we hadn't had such a crap run between game 6 and 14 we would be top 4 now as well lol

 

[Blue Cheese]

I fully appreciate the standard of football isn't great at the minute. That's obvious. (I don't think it's quite as bad as a lot say either but that's a different story).

But I do wonder what people's expectations were and why they were higher than where we sit now?

6 months he's had. 6 months.

The Summer mate, expectation was built up beyond realistic expectation, now we are seeing the fallout. I've been as bad as any but I've calmed down a bit now.

 

[Ashtonian]

I fully appreciate the standard of football isn't great at the minute. That's obvious. (I don't think it's quite as bad as a lot say either but that's a different story).

But I do wonder what people's expectations were and why they were higher than where we sit now?

6 months he's had. 6 months.

Hence why I'm personally not fuming. I am under no false pretence that sitting 7th us exactly what koeman was hired to do and is an improvement on his predecessor.

Think it is very apparent to anyone not asking for a change as well just how much the squad now needs an overhaul and to judge the manager and club on that rather than fume why a bunch of players who have never won anything in their life on the whole of it are not suddenly bucking that.

But as always it rests on transfer windows to change it. One down and it was a massive failure, 2 days time we get to have another run at it.

 

[maccavennie]

I fully appreciate the standard of football isn't great at the minute. That's obvious. (I don't think it's quite as bad as a lot say either but that's a different story).

But I do wonder what people's expectations were and why they were higher than where we sit now?

6 months he's had. 6 months.

I thought 5th or 6th tbh ijjy but that was based on us signing the likes of Mata/Witsel etc proper top end signings.

7th is where we should be this season so he's delivering on that though I believe he's underperformed as a manager and hasn't got the best out of the squad during the period we were losing. The last few games I think he's started to change it round and bit and I've been happy to see the likes of Davies come on instead of the usual suspects like Cleverley

I'd give him a 6 out of 10 so far mate, a few weeks ago that would have been a 4. I think he's actually now just starting to wake up and realise we are actually a massive club desperate for success. I'm hopeful he can bring that to us.

 

[longers]

I fully appreciate the standard of football isn't great at the minute. That's obvious. (I don't think it's quite as bad as a lot say either but that's a different story).

But I do wonder what people's expectations were and why they were higher than where we sit now?

6 months he's had. 6 months.

Mate, this "he's only been here 6 months" thing is so weak. He needs more than 6 months to get this team beating dregs like Hull, Bournouth, Norwich and Watford ?

Cmon. He's done a bad job in multiple matches against opposition with worse teams who we should be able to beat.... That's just a fact.

We will give him more time but he should be beating teams like that and using excuses like "6 months' is just a cop out for bad management.

Whatever happened to getting the best out of what you got ?

 

[ijjysmith]

I've liked 3 sensible posts there. And one of them was @Ashtonian 's.

Happy new year.

 

[ijjysmith]

Mate, this "he's only been here 6 months" thing is weak. He needs more than 6 months to get this team beating dregs like Hull, Bournouth, Norwich and Watford ?

Cmon. He's done a bad job in multiple matches against opposition with worse teams who we should be able to beat.... That's just a fact.

We will give him more time but he should be beating teams like that and using 6 mo this as en excuse is weak.

It's not weak. It's fact. Actual fact.

You can't remove the previous (2) reigns of woeful in 6 months. It's impossible.

I've said before I don't think any manager could get this team performing. And I stand by that. They are the weak ones.

I'm so fed up of them.

And I have to repeat that I'm not saying Koeman is faultless. That would be stupid. It's just not clearly all down to him.

Yes we should be beating the Hull's and the Bournemouth's. But we've lost to these types for years and years now. It's not a new thing.

I'm glad you'll give him more time. That's sensible.

 

[brieverton]

I'm not fuming either. I almost didn't dare hope for a win last night, such is the seemingly monumental task of winning 2 games running to this squad.

But, if we have little or nothing to lose between now and May, surely we should expect more game time for Holgate and Davies at the very least, and perhaps DCL and Kenny too.

I'm scratching my head as to why Barry was given an extension, as much as I think he has been very decent for us in the main. It's still indicative of the mentality that exists at Everton I feel. Give him another year whilst his performance levels and ability to cope with the rigours of the game at his age have tailed off significantly.

We are where I expected us to be more of less, but in such a poor league, the position in the table only tells half the story. Beginning in January, we have to start to finally and urgently address the glaring issues in the squad, most particularly the creaking age and apparent lack of fitness to sustain 90 minutes.

We have no real characters in the squad either, a lot of greyness personality wise and in ability. We need a stand out leader and even a bad smell character, to rile opponents. We are bereft of talkers and leaders, and most certainly very weak mentally both on an individual level and as a group.

 

[GwladysBlue]

Obviously anything above 7th isn't happening, but we absolutely must improve during the second half of the campaign.

I don't understand a lot of what Koeman does, but I think we'll just have to stay with him until next season to give him two windows to gut this spineless squad of players.

I genuinely think Martinez would have relegated us with this squad.