Ronald Koeman discussion

[Baines' left foot]

I'm really starting to lose track of when you are baiting the easily antagonised hyperactive part of the fanbase or when you are making an actual point BLF!

Me too.

 

[GwladysBlue]

His approach to the next couple of games is going to be very telling.

Are we going for the 2 points, or all 6?

 

[Paul w]

His approach to the next couple of games is going to be very telling.

Are we going for the 2 points, or all 6?

4

 

[meagher94]

His approach to the next couple of games is going to be very telling.

Are we going for the 2 points, or all 6?

We should definitely be believing we can beat Spurs at home. They're not exactly firing on all cylinders at the moment. I fancy us tbh.

 

[orly]

His approach to the next couple of games is going to be very telling.

Are we going for the 2 points, or all 6?

Would settle for 5 at this stage

 

[Osamabindiesel]

There is recent precedence for this player purchase 'strategy' post a big sale: didn't Spurs (Bale) and RS (Suarez) employ similar "depth first then starting XI" prioritisation?

Both of those team took a while to recover after those sales too. You prioritize depth when you have champions league football.

That's a big ask of DCL though isn't it?

It is a massive task for a 20 year old. One thing that stands out to me about DCL though is his body language. He doesn't seem fazed by any of his mistakes and works his tail off the entire game. If he ever becomes a better finisher, he could become the next big thing.

 

[Hickson9]

We should definitely be believing we can beat Spurs at home. They're not exactly firing on all cylinders at the moment. I fancy us tbh.

I was at their match against Chelsea and Spurs played really well, certainly a fair way above any level we've shown.

It's Goodison so I want us to go toe to toe but I don't expect a victory by any means.

 

[Khalekan]

mate, he's on £6m a year

he won't walk away from it unless another club comes calling

And as the chances of another club coming calling with a better offer are pretty slim, we just have to face the fact Koeman will sit on this six million for the next year and ten months.

IMO there is already a whiff of fin de siecle and all round ennui about his tenure and we may already be in the long goodbye stage

Or running the contract down, as Ross Barkley is doing

 

[meagher94]

I was at their match against Chelsea and Spurs played really well, certainly a fair way above any level we've shown.

It's Goodison so I want us to go toe to toe but I don't expect a victory by any means.

They were at "home" in that match, so to speak. I expect us to beat any team at home.

 

[Khalekan]

They were at "home" in that match, so to speak. I expect us to beat any team at home.

Except the RS

 

[toffee matt]

And as the chances of another club coming calling with a better offer are pretty slim, we just have to face the fact Koeman will sit on this six million for the next year and ten months.

IMO there is already a whiff of fin de siecle and all round ennui about his tenure and we may already be in the long goodbye stage

Or running the contract down, as Ross Barkley is doing

Dutch Job could be available next summer.

 

[bignev23]

3 games into the season and look at this thread, full of bad Wools whinging about something they shouldn't care about anyway.

 

[Blue Roo]

Find it a tad strange that some think he may walk because the board haven't backed Koeman considering we made 9 signings.
This is Koeman's squad now, so there can't be any excuses.

Koeman did a poor job building the team. I like most of the players he brought in, but he really didn't prioritize as well as he should have. It's almost as if he went for depth first then starting XI

Lads, seriously, you cant blame Koeman for not getting a CF and Left defender. He made it clear that's what he wanted.
Its not his fault they didn't get them.
If its the case that he did prioritise (questionable, but would like to know) then he made the right decision in going for Pickford and Keane first.

If your building a side to medium to longer term (3 to 6 years), and to get them contending for top 4 position/title then you got to get your defence sorted first, including the link between defence and midfield. I'd say he'd be more pissed about not getting a left back than a striker, and not just for the defence, but for the pace and drive that the position gives.

The midfield is obviously critical in terms of how good the defence is. And with the midfield competition, the experience, the potential that's been brought in...well if you want to judge how good a coach he is judge him on this. Judge him on what he does with the defence-midfield link over the next couple of seasons (and how many goals are conceded). If its good (and low) then we can legitimately start thinking about the top 4/6 (not just 6th/7th or worse) for some time to come. The Blues will be where they should be. This club is much greater than just wanting to pick up the scraps, fighting for crumbs, hoping Arsenal or Spurs have a bad season (Liverpool always).

I'm impatient at the impatience. No, fuming! What do you want us to do. Go for the short term solution, put the finger in the dyke and hope we hold on. This mentality has to be broken. Giroud was not the answer.
Lukaku is symbolic of all this. While we had a striker banging in the goals (mostly against teams below us) there was always the nagging truth that it was covering up the weakness, the flaws, the faults. And then he left. Everton was the stepping stone.
Without the approach Koeman is taking we wouldn't be looking ahead, we'd be looking down, how much further are we going to drop. Maybe it'd be propped up by a signing here and there, but the nagging doubts would remain.

Personally, I'd rather be looking at Lookman...Calvin-Lewis, Vlasic, Davies (and Dowell) than Giroud or Wellbeck. Rather be looking at Rooney than Benteke. And looking to see who else steps up.

I'd rather be looking at the blood and guts than the band aid approach. COYB!

 

[BlueToff]

And as the chances of another club coming calling with a better offer are pretty slim, we just have to face the fact Koeman will sit on this six million for the next year and ten months.

IMO there is already a whiff of fin de siecle and all round ennui about his tenure and we may already be in the long goodbye stage

Or running the contract down, as Ross Barkley is doing

IMO the club is moving in the right direction. We've had a good transfer window with a frustrating end and Koeman has shown no signs of not being fully committed to the project.

He's not even half way into his three-year deal, so I don't get why people already seem to be worrying about that side of it either.

Of our seven competitive games so far this season, we've won four, drawn two and lost one. The football hasn't been the most fluent but we've got 8 new signings that are still settling into the squad and we're having - as a team - to adjust how we're playing.

Barkley made his decision. The injury has complicated things further as well.

I just don't understand the doom and gloom (not saying you're being doomy or gloomy my friend) that seems to be around the fanbase atm.

Yeh, we cocked up in not getting a CF. That was a priority and I can't understand why the board - having backed the manager all summer - picked now not to do so in regards to such a key area of the team. But we're still heading in the right direction.

 

[Khalekan]

IMO the club is moving in the right direction. We've had a good transfer window with a frustrating end and Koeman has shown no signs of not being fully committed to the project.

He's not even half way into his three-year deal, so I don't get why people already seem to be worrying about that side of it either.

Of our seven competitive games so far this season, we've won four, drawn two and lost one. The football hasn't been the most fluent but we've got 8 new signings that are still settling into the squad and we're having - as a team - to adjust how we're playing.

Barkley made his decision. The injury has complicated things further as well.

I just don't understand the doom and gloom (not saying you're being doomy or gloomy my friend) that seems to be around the fanbase atm.

Yeh, we cocked up in not getting a CF. That was a priority and I can't understand why the board - having backed the manager all summer - picked now not to do so in regards to such a key area of the team. But we're still heading in the right direction.

I don't disagree with you that the club is moving in the right direction, Toff.

But the team isn't.

The club is making giant strides off the field.

But on the field we are like the curate's egg.

And this manager does not appear to have either the skill sets nor the temperament to replicate on the field what is happening off it IMO.