Everton found a way to defeat Bournemouth 2-1 in the League during the weekend. For the majority of the game though, The Toffees were a pain to watch. Two goals from rarely used Oumar Niasse clinched the three points for the home side and saved it from more criticism.
Ronald Koeman was certainly one of the most relaxed men after the win. The Dutch specialist was forced to bring back Niasse into the squad after excluding the Senegalese striker last summer. He definitely earned credit for his passionate attitude after Koeman’s disrespectful treatment. Oumar could have even saved Koeman’s job in the club. The win proved even more that Koeman’s formation, implemented in recent games has failed miserably.
New signings should be benched
It is hard to see why Koeman keeps on starting the trio of Wayne Rooney, Davy Klaassen, Wayne Rooney and Sigurdsson supporting striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin. The youngster has received inconsistent service which could be blamed to the manager’s lineup.
Ronald Koeman needs to take out one of the trio as its definitely not working as they get too narrow when centrally positioned.
Youngsters should be played in the Europa League
Everton had a catastrophic Matchday 1 in the Europa League with a 3-0 defeat to Atalanta in Italy, however they face Apollon from Cyprus next at Goodison Park. It is a most important game for the Toffees to get on track their European campaign on the right track.
The Cypriot side managed an impressing 1-1 draw with Lyon, a clear sign that they are no walk-in-the-park opponent. A high-pace game is obvious, which requires starting players with energy and pace.
One such is Tom Davies. The youth system product was crucial for both of Everton’s recent wins. He contributed with an assist against Sunderland in the League Cup but then came up from the bench to influence both Niasse goals against Bournemouth.
He manages to give the team energy, drive and rhythm, some things which his more experienced teammates fail to do. Dominic Calvert-Lewin is one more obvious starter for Everton, as Niasse was not signed in Everton’s Europa League squad.
Right-back Jonjoe Kenny and winger Ademola Lookman will certainly deliver increased drive and energy to the team. Koeman should most definitely reconsider starting new signing Cuco Martina instead of Kenny.
Turnaround should happen quickly
The win against Bournemouth will mean nothing if Evertonians fail to win against Apollon and against Burnley. After all, the Dutchman spent a lot of money last summer in order to build up his squad after the transfer of big-name striker Romelu Lukaku.
The big budget has arose the pressure on Koeman to deliver results for Everton. As his team struggles, he has became the second favourite to lose his position as only West Ham boss Slaven Bilic has a higher chance. The dutch specialist needs to drop his stubbornness and come out with the most practical team to win games for Everton, not the one that costs the most.
If he fails to do that, his time on Merseyside will most likely be over soon, leaving himself all of the blame as he has failed to see the obvious faults in his team.
