This week, eight years ago, the Blues announced that Ronald Koeman, a legend of Barcelona and the Netherlands, would take over as manager.
For Everton, vacillating between two divisive approaches has been the standard under Farhad Moshiri.
After a disastrous third season in command, the Iranian decided to break ways with Roberto Martinez, setting the tone for his tenure at the football club in the early months. Under the former Wigan Athletic manager, the Toffees had underperformed, and his resignation appeared to herald the beginning of a merciless new chapter.
Ronald Koeman’s appointment added support to that opinion.
Martinez’s sentimental remarks and kind sentiments made Evertonians feel good about the team, but the Dutchman’s strategy was very different. Koeman would never refer to Everton as “we,” just as “Everton.” He was the important man, and everything else would revolve around him, so it spoke a lot that the Blues had to wait until he had returned from vacation to confirm the appointment.
Despite losing the commanding presence of John Stones to Manchester City in the summer transfer window, the inaugural season was nevertheless a success. Under Koeman, Everton won four and drew one of their first five games. Although a stretch of just one victory in ten games caused some worry, the club recovered admirably in the new year.
A thrilling victory over Arsenal set off a string of nine victories in 14 games, which included a decisive 4-0 triumph over Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City, propelling the Blues up the standings and into the running for a European finish. They ultimately concluded the season with 61 points, in seventh place, and Romelu Lukaku scored an incredible 25 goals in the Premier League.
Nevertheless, there were hints during the campaign that Koeman and Everton weren’t the greatest long-term fit, and some fans were understandably offended by the Dutchman’s blunt candour.
Prior to the start of the season, Koeman asserted that the team was just 70% fit. In November of 2016, the legendary Oranje man informed Lukaku that he would need to leave Everton in order to reach his full potential.
Additionally, Koeman got involved in acrimonious arguments with Roy Keane and Martin O’Neil because James McCarthy was chosen by the Republic of Ireland despite his medical problems.
“As a manager, I would feel immensely ashamed of myself for playing him and accusing someone else of doing so,” O’Neill remarked of Koeman, following the Everton manager’s assertion that the Irish midfielder was “massively overloaded.”
Keane was equally forthright about the circumstances. “We have had a problem previously with [Roberto] Martinez – I think he was slightly over the top,” he stated. “We always had the impression that the Everton players—and this is more a reflection of Everton and their staff than of the players themselves—were constantly carrying knocks when they showed up.
“I always felt the Everton players were going to turn up on crutches or crawling in the hotel door, and now it looks like we are probably going to have that issue again with Koeman.”
And the crimson Christmas tree came next. After receiving backlash on social media regarding his decorations, Koeman quickly underwent a makeover. “A big mistake of my wife, I’m a Blue but I do like a glass of red wine,” he remarked.
However, Koeman’s second season was when things really began to fall apart. Unquestionably, the club’s decision to forgo buying a natural center-forward to replace the prolific Belgian was made possible by the sale of Lukaku.
Instead, they signed young player Nikola Vlasic, the no. 10 combination of Wayne Rooney, Gylfi Sigurdsson, and Davy Klaassen, and picked up Sandro Ramirez from Barcelona, who finally floundered amid widespread excitement.
Koeman later asserted that the summer recruitment plan was bound to collapse since he had not finalised a deal for Olivier Giroud.
“I had Olivier Giroud in the building,” he stated. “It was difficult to accept. Although that would have been ideal, he made the decision to move to London. Could you please tell me where I can find a better striker?
In Koeman’s second season, Everton appeared to be a club without a strategy, and after just one victory in their opening five games, the manager made a significant U-turn. His main issue was not scoring goals, therefore he had to look to the exiled Oumar Niasse for inspiration.
Previously, Koeman had taken away the striker’s locker and squad number, informed him he had no future at Everton, and forced him to practice with the underage group.
Regarding his care at the time, Niasse remarked, “It’s sad, it’s really sad.” “To be honest, I don’t think I deserve this, but all I can do is struggle to make changes while maintaining my composure. I’m not going to get worked up over it. I simply handle it. I am aware it’s only for a short while.
But when Koeman realised he was about to get sacked, he swallowed his pride and poured himself into the fight.
Niasse’s League Cup goal against Sunderland provided some preview of his potential, and the Blues overcame the opposition 2-1 thanks to a crucial brace from the bench versus Bournemouth.
After the game, a reserved Koeman stated, “All credit must go to Oumar Niasse because he’s waited a long time for his chance.” “He took it on Wednesday of last week and did it once more today. The difference was made by him.”
However, Koeman was beyond the reach of even a revived Niasse. Everton had a disastrous Europa League season, losing badly to Lyon and Atalanta before being relegated. Following their victory against Bournemouth, Burnley, led by Sean Dyche, defeated them at home, and Arsenal defeated them 5-2 at Goodison Park.
Moshiri publicly said that Koeman had his “total support” just twenty days prior to that defeat at the hands of the Gunners. The Dutch legend was dismissed three days later.
A difficult stint on Merseyside hasn’t stopped them from taking advantage of possibilities elsewhere, like so many others who have departed Everton. Later, Koeman managed Barcelona, and he is currently in his second stint as the manager of the Netherlands.
The 61-year-old might become the second former Blues manager to win a major trophy this season, following Carlo Ancelotti’s triumph with Real Madrid in the Champions League, when he leads a promising Dutch team into the European Championships this summer.
But Martinez’s Portugal is only one of many powerful countries that stand in the way of the Dutch winning their second European championship.
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