Everton boss Ronald Koeman needs to be realistic about the pressure he's under as problems mount following £140m of summer investment

  • Ronald Koeman said it is unrealistic for Everton to be targeting a top four finish
  • He is under pressure after spending £140m and losing four games in a row
  • The Toffees boss needs to find a way to score goals with his looking short up top
  • The failure to land a replacement for Romelu Lukaku is looking like a big mistake 

The words hurt, maybe even more than the scoreline. It takes a lot for Ronald Koeman to let his guard slip but a sentence in Jose Mourinho's programme notes pushed a button.

Mourinho's observation that Everton were 'out to secure, at best, a top four position this season' was met with incredulity by Koeman, who spat out the response 'be realistic!' after his side were beaten 4-0 defeat at Manchester United.

It was his side's fourth successive defeat and now, rather than being the man who should be daring fans to dream after an ambitious transfer window, Koeman is under scrutiny like never before.

Everton manager Ronald Koeman is under pressure after overseeing four successive defeats

Everton manager Ronald Koeman is under pressure after overseeing four successive defeats

Wayne Rooney remains Everton's only goalscorer in the Premier League so far this season

Wayne Rooney remains Everton's only goalscorer in the Premier League so far this season

Romelu Lukaku's departure has created a big hole in the Toffees' goalscoring department

Romelu Lukaku's departure has created a big hole in the Toffees' goalscoring department

He was behind his desk at Finch Farm at 9am on Monday, to pour over the wreckage before turning his attentions to tomorrow's League Cup tie with Sunderland, but there is no quick fix to the issues that are holding Everton back.


The £140million spend, overseen by chairman Bill Kenwright, was supposed to be the catalyst for Everton to take impressive, confident steps forward.

In the early part of the summer, it had all been so serene. With Romelu Lukaku sold, Kenwright worked around the clock to ensure prime targets Davy Klaassen, Michael Keane, Sandro Ramirez, Jordan Pickford and Wayne Rooney were delivered before pre-season started.

The intention was also to have Gylfi Sigurdsson on board, too, but negotiations with Swansea proved to be complex, although Koeman was happy to wait. Here was the chance for him to put his stamp on Everton.

Gylfi Sigurdsson's big money arrival has so far not brought the goals Everton desperately need

Gylfi Sigurdsson's big money arrival has so far not brought the goals Everton desperately need

Season at a glance

  • Premier League
  • Premier League
  • Championship
  • League One
  • League Two
  • Scottish Premiership
  • Scottish Div 1
  • Scottish Div 2
  • Scottish Div 3
  • Ligue 1
  • Serie A
  • La Liga
  • Bundesliga

In the friendlies they played against Dutch side Twente Enschede and Genk of the Belgian League, it was clear to see Everton would be assured in possession but the one thing Koeman needed for the jigsaw to be complete was a replacement for Lukaku.

Olivier Giroud was the prime target. Everton pursued him for six weeks and spoke to Arsenal but they could not broker a deal and Giroud showed no real desire to leave London. Koeman would also have loved to have taken Diego Costa on loan but, again, there was no willingness on the player's behalf.

Other targets were explored. There was a passing interest in Christian Benteke. Josh King of Bournemouth was considered, Andre Gray could have been attainable but he was left under the impression he would not be a regular start and preferred to move to Watford instead.

Finally on transfer deadline day, Cardiff's Kenneth Zahore was linked with a move but the window closed without Everton recruiting a striker that Koeman wanted and now they find themselves being viewed as one of the most toothless teams in the division.

Olivier Giroud was pursued but, despite speaking to Arsenal, Everton could not broker a deal

Olivier Giroud was pursued but, despite speaking to Arsenal, Everton could not broker a deal

Only Rooney has scored for Everton in the Premier League and the stark indicator of where their problems lie is the fact they have had just 10 shots on target so far. They can keep the ball, as they showed at Old Trafford, but as things stand they do not know what to do with it.

And this is where things become problematic for Koeman. As they cannot score, every goal they concede is ripping the confidence out of players and the manner of each defeat they have suffered in the last month has put a strain on his relationship with supporters.

What Koeman must get right immediately is his relationship with the players. He held a meeting with six senior figures at Finch Farm last Friday in which he reminded them of their responsibilities to arrest the poor run but the ultimate onus is on him.

Farhad Moshiri, the majority shareholder, described him once as being a 'Hollywood manager' and the man to bring his vision to life. He spent £140m this year to get Everton involved in the big conversations. So if Koeman wants to be realistic about anything, it is this: he is under pressure.