The Everton captain has served the club admirably for the best part of a decade now, so to pose this question may seem somewhat blasphemous. Every game he goes in to you can see what it means to him. In almost every interview he has given he mentions how the fans yearn for silverware, so he is acutely aware of what the fans want from the team. Is he capable of producing that quality on the pitch after the horrendous injury he suffered playing for Ireland? It has been shown in spells but he is not bringing the consistent form which he was showing in previous years and even once carried him into a premier league team of the year alongside his teammate and opposite full back Leighton Baines. Baines was always seen as the classier operator but there was a steely determination about Coleman’s play that really resonated with the Everton faithful, which is why they will all be rooting for him to get back to his best, flying up and down that right hand side.
Towards the back end of last season Seamus seemed to have his mojo back, linking up on the right flank with Richarlison playing some of his best football in years, silencing some of the doubters in his own fan base. Memorably scoring a goal at home against Brighton and running with a finger on lip gesture to the Gwladys Street as if to say: “I am not finished yet!” and why should he be, despite his longevity it seems to be forgotten that he is still only 30 years old.
Everton do though have a replacement waiting in the wings though in the form of Jonjoe Kenny. The young full-back from Kirkdale is currently impressing on loan at Schalke; a move which turned a few heads on Merseyside but it is one that is looking like paying dividends. He has even scored his first senior goal there and the Schalke fans have taken to him with his gritty performances and willingness to fly into a tackle. Qualities which endear him to Everton fans alike. Hopefully he can bring the form back to Finch Farm and challenge Coleman for the spot for the coming years, as well as learning from the captain’s experiences. Kenny himself being a local lad it certainly will not be lost on him what it means to wear the blue shirt.
The challenge for Coleman in the more immediate future is the loan signing Everton acquired in the summer. Frenchman Djibril Sidibe from Monaco, this deal comes with an option to buy at the end of the season. One which if he carries on sitting on the bench will not be one Sidibe and indeed Everton will be keen to pursue. Sidibe has not had many games yet for the club, a few league cup appearances in which Everton have been victorious, albeit against lower league opposition. Sidibe is a seasoned professional though. A world cup winner with France and a part of the swashbuckling Monaco side that went all the way to the Champions League semi-finals back in 2017, before unfortunately being ripped apart by the big spenders across Europe. He may just be waiting for his chance, which he is likely to get this week at home to West Ham after Coleman was sent off against Burnley for two silly bookings. Something Seamus himself would probably admit was naïve for a player with so much experience.
So at the moment I would say calling for Coleman to be replaced would be a bit premature. He is part of a struggling team, but what can never be called into question is how much it means to him to pull on that blue shirt. That is why he wears the captain’s armband, I still believe he is the best full back we have at the club and even if his speed is diminishing I still think it counts for something to have a leader on the pitch, an area in which Everton seem to be sorely lacking at the moment.
Towards the back end of last season Seamus seemed to have his mojo back, linking up on the right flank with Richarlison playing some of his best football in years, silencing some of the doubters in his own fan base. Memorably scoring a goal at home against Brighton and running with a finger on lip gesture to the Gwladys Street as if to say: “I am not finished yet!” and why should he be, despite his longevity it seems to be forgotten that he is still only 30 years old.
Everton do though have a replacement waiting in the wings though in the form of Jonjoe Kenny. The young full-back from Kirkdale is currently impressing on loan at Schalke; a move which turned a few heads on Merseyside but it is one that is looking like paying dividends. He has even scored his first senior goal there and the Schalke fans have taken to him with his gritty performances and willingness to fly into a tackle. Qualities which endear him to Everton fans alike. Hopefully he can bring the form back to Finch Farm and challenge Coleman for the spot for the coming years, as well as learning from the captain’s experiences. Kenny himself being a local lad it certainly will not be lost on him what it means to wear the blue shirt.
The challenge for Coleman in the more immediate future is the loan signing Everton acquired in the summer. Frenchman Djibril Sidibe from Monaco, this deal comes with an option to buy at the end of the season. One which if he carries on sitting on the bench will not be one Sidibe and indeed Everton will be keen to pursue. Sidibe has not had many games yet for the club, a few league cup appearances in which Everton have been victorious, albeit against lower league opposition. Sidibe is a seasoned professional though. A world cup winner with France and a part of the swashbuckling Monaco side that went all the way to the Champions League semi-finals back in 2017, before unfortunately being ripped apart by the big spenders across Europe. He may just be waiting for his chance, which he is likely to get this week at home to West Ham after Coleman was sent off against Burnley for two silly bookings. Something Seamus himself would probably admit was naïve for a player with so much experience.
So at the moment I would say calling for Coleman to be replaced would be a bit premature. He is part of a struggling team, but what can never be called into question is how much it means to him to pull on that blue shirt. That is why he wears the captain’s armband, I still believe he is the best full back we have at the club and even if his speed is diminishing I still think it counts for something to have a leader on the pitch, an area in which Everton seem to be sorely lacking at the moment.
