David Unsworth left wondering what he’s got himself into as Everton caretaker

David Unsworth spent the majority of this match standing on the edge of his technical area. Occasionally he instructed his players to do something, while there were other moments when he could be seen encouraging those in white and grey with a firm clap. But more often than not he simply stood there, staring forward and perhaps wondering what on earth he has got himself into.

It is now two defeats from two games for Everton’s caretaker manager and, while he was able to leave Stamford Bridge last Wednesday broadly satisfied with his team’s display in their Carabao Cup defeat by Chelsea, there were scant positives to be taken here. Everton were ripped apart in the opening 30 minutes by a Leicester team that played with the vibrancy of title-winning old in their first match under Claude Puel and, while the visitors were able to stop the bleeding and largely dominate proceedings in the second half, they rarely looked like getting back into the contest. The sight of the away end emptying long before the end told its own story.

It is now nine defeats in 13 games for Everton and, as autumn moves towards winter, they find themselves stuck in 18th and showing little sign of having the belief and talent to get out of relegation trouble. The club’s legendary goalkeeper Neville Southall accurately caught the mood with his tweet after the final whistle. “This November and December may be most important time in Everton’s history” wrote the Welshman in a rare break from slagging off the Conservatives or praising skeletons.

Other statistics damn Everton. They have scored only seven times in 10 league games, with only two players – Wayne Rooney and Oumar Niasse – contributing. It is also 20 goals conceded, the joint-second worst tally in the top-flight. The situation is critical, leaving the club’s their majority shareholder, Farhad Moshiri, and chairman, Bill Kenwright, with a huge decision over who succeeds Ronald Koeman.

Unsworth has stated his desire to make the step up from Everton’s Under-23s to the first-team a long-term one and that remains the case, despite this result. The 44-year-old spoke here about how the manager’s job is not bigger than he expected and how with more time on the training pitch and back-to-back wins, everything could change. But the former defender also accepted Everton are in a relegation battle.

There is no denying Unsworth’s potential, given his success in leading Everton’s youngsters to the Premier League 2 title last season, but that is a world away from navigating a team through England’s top flight and particularly one with Everton’s problems – not only a lack of confidence and form but a squad lacking balance.

And what if Everton do thrive under Unsworth? Then, as Leicester are an example, the pressure grows for those in charge to give the caretaker the job on a long-term basis. Yet given the arrival of Moshiri and the investment of close to £150m on new players in the summer, surely the objective for Everton is to show ambition in their recruitment of a manager. That was certainly the case when they agreed to pay Koeman £6m a year to take charge and, while that decision did not work out, it can be argued that hiring the Dutchman was a case of right idea, wrong man. In that regard Everton find themselves in a tricky situation, contemplating approaching a high-calibre long-term appointment but, given their situation, having also to consider hiring a survival specialist. One end of the spectrum is Carlo Ancelotti, the other Sam Allardyce.

Whatever the board’s thinking, it is believed Unsworth will remain in situ for Everton’s next two games at least – Thursday’s Europa League trip to Lyon and Sunday’s visit of Watford. He undeniably has the goodwill of the supporters and, if this match is anything to go by, the backing of the players. Their commitment was total and Unsworth was not the only one left reflecting on what might have been had the visitors been given the penalty they deserved after Aaron Lennon was hauled down by Christian Fuchs on 30 minutes.

But along with a sluggish start and severe lack of creativity Everton also displayed naivety here, particularly in the buildup to Leicester’s first goal as Demarai Gray launched a scintillating counterattack that resulted in Jamie Vardy scoring his sixth goal of the season on 18 minutes. Gray made it 2-0 shortly after via a delivery that was sliced beyond Jordan Pickford by Jonjoe Kenny.

Unsworth alluded to Everton’s lack of awareness yet he could also be criticised for setting up the team in a 4-4-1-1 formation that contained only one defensive midfielder in Idrissa Gueye and thus exposed a creaking defence to Leicester’s rapier attackers.

As he and Everton are discovering, practically every mistake and failing is seized on in the Premier League. A turnaround is desperately required and that means focusing, yet again, on the man in charge. Unsworth may be the sentimental choice but that does not necessarily make him the right one.