As the memory of Ronald Koeman’s time at Everton begins its fade into the history books, the international break will probably see a new permanent manager installed at Goodison Park.
David Unsworth’s tenure as caretaker manager threatened to descend into something of a farce when Joey Barton accused him of being too out of shape to command the respect of the dressing room, whilst defeats on the pitch to Leicester City and Lyon left the side in a precarious position. Only a dramatic victory over Watford is what keeps the Toffees out of the Premier League relegation zone.
It’s a fairly unfamiliar position for Everton to be in after the arrival of David Moyes, and although you get the feeling that the Toffees’ squad – as unbalanced as it is – will be far too good to be involved in a relegation battle for most of the season, but they do need to pick up points.
The last time Everton were in actual relegation trouble, though, one name stands out above all others at Goodison Park as the man who almost single-handedly kept the club in the Premier League back in 1999. The former Arsenal striker Kevin Campbell arrived at Goodison Park on loan, playing eight games for the club at the end of the season before joining permanently – but his nine goals in that short period kept his side in the division.
Four wins in five games at the end of the season were to thank for safety going into the final game of the season, but in each of those games Campbell scored, and in all of them he scored at least twice. He knows a thing or two about turning Everton around, then, and this week he’s had his say on Ronald Koeman’s sacking and the state of the club at present.
“I’m not surprised to see Koeman leave Everton so early,” he said, speaking to Betsafe.com. “I’m not surprised solely because the performances weren’t up to speed. I’ve said this before, I would have given him until January, but those performances were getting worse. Fair play to Everton for pulling the trigger, but now they’ve got an even bigger decision, that next decision of who’s going to be manager.”
“Dave Unsworth is obviously in possession at the moment, but there’s a big picture to Everton, there’s a new owner, there’s money to spend and January is not too far around the corner. Somebody’s got to come in and pull this club forward. I don’t know who it’s going to be, loads of people have got different ideas but the hierarchy have to make the right decision because it’s going to be a very, very important decision.”
Koeman is an accomplished man who has played and managed some of the biggest clubs in the world, even finishing as top scorer in the 1991/92 European Cup when his side, Barcelona, won their first top tier European trophy. It’s sad, then, that it didn’t work out for him, but a new manager means a clean slate for everyone, and that could mean the chance for Ross Barkley to fight his way back into the team after his injury, potentially staying on at Everton past the end of the season, something that hasn’t seemed at all likely for the last year or so.
“Ross Barkley – it’s a saga now isn’t it,” Campbell told Betsafe. “It’s very difficult for people to even contemplate what’s happening. Ross Barkley’s got to do what’s right for Ross Barkley, his contract is up I think at the end of the season. Obviously he’s been offered a contract at Everton, everybody would love him to stay because he’s a homegrown boy. But Ross Barkley’s got to do what’s right for Ross Barkley, and Everton have got to do what’s right for Everton as well.”
“Under Ronald Koeman, I don’t think they saw eye to eye, I think there was a bit of a clash. Ross Barkley turned down a contract at the club he loves and wanted to take his talents elsewhere. I’m not sure who the new manager will be, whether he can swing Barkley round, again that’s probably going to be part of the bigger plan.”
“I’ll be honest I don’t know (who should be the new manager). Are there good managers out there? Of course there are good managers out there. Does Dave Unsworth probably deserve a crack at it, maybe it’s a bit too soon for him. But he wants the chance, results might prove he’s the right man.”
Read the Betsafe.com interview with Kevin Campbell, including how Joey Barton’s comments about Unsworth were uncalled for.
