Davy Klaassen is Everton's latest scapegoat for car crash campaign... it's a case of wrong time, wrong place for the Dutchman at Goodison Park

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There have been plenty of scapegoats for Everton’s car crash season; from Farhad Moshiri and Ronald Koeman at the top of the club to new signings Ashley Williams, Gylfi Sigurdsson and Michael Keane.

Number one though is £26million Dutchman Davy Klaassen, signed to great acclaim by countryman Ronald Koeman and subbed at half-time against Lyon on Thursday night after another ineffectual performance.

Klaassen’s thinning hair make him look older than his 24 years. The fact he captained Ajax to the Europa League final against Manchester United last season also suggests a man of experience and stature.

Davy Klaassen produced another disappointing display and was brought off at the interval

But the truth is he currently looks inadequate to try and influence a team woefully short of confidence and results.

Klaassen is a tidy and decent player whose main strength is accurate and metronomic passing. Like Paul Scholes – an admittedly far superior midfielder - he needs a run of games to build a rhythm.

He came into a key Europa League tie undercooked having missed out on selection at Brighton on Sunday and after giving away possession cheaply for a third time in the opening 20 minutes, you could hear the groans of the Goodison faithful.

When in a hole, Klaassen doesn’t have the boundless energy of Tom Davies, the cunning of Kevin Mirallas or even the nastiness of Williams, whose own nightmare season was partly redeemed by a headed equaliser in the second half, just after he’d had an enormous dust-up with Lucas Tousart.

Ronald Koeman is under increasing pressure following another poor Everton performance

Klaassen has failed to deliver since arriving at Everton from Ajax for £26million this summer 

He was presented with a gift after 40 minutes when a stray pass found him unmarked from 25 yards. But his run lacked pace and conviction, his finish lacked power though well-placed and goalkeeper Anthony Lopes.

Klaassen saw more of the ball towards half-time but it wasn’t enough to persuade Koeman to send him out for the second half, though he was on the receiving end of a couple of strong challenges as well.

Worryingly for the longer-term, Klaassen struggled physically. He lost every 50-50 challenge he went in for and his attempts to run back and try and counter a break from Houssem Aouar were like light brushes on the back of the Lyon player who powered towards goal unimpeded.

Klaassen was a hero at Ajax. But for the moment, Goodison Park looks like a case of wrong time, wrong place.