RONALD KOEMAN KNEW he was in danger of being sacked by Everton, with the club’s failure to adequately replace star striker Romelu Lukaku among the reasons for his dismissal.
Koeman departed Goodison Park on Monday, the day after a 5-2 thumping at home to Arsenal left his side in the relegation zone, having recorded just two wins from their first nine Premier League games.
Although Everton spent heavily on the likes of Jordan Pickford, Michael Keane, Gylfi Sigurdsson and Davy Klaassen during the transfer window, attacking arrivals Wayne Rooney and Sandro Ramirez could not fill Lukaku’s boots.
Koeman had tried to persuade Arsenal forward Olivier Giroud to join Everton, while winger Nikola Vlasic confirmed he could not choose his preferred number 19 shirt as the club was holding it in the hope Diego Costa would sign.
Ultimately it was substandard results that cost Koeman his job and the Dutchman accepted his days were numbered after a home loss to Lyon in the Europa League, when tempers ran high among the Everton fans.
“Last Thursday, after our defeat to Lyon in the Europa League, I knew it was crisis time,” Koeman told Dutch football magazine VI . “I am not daft, I know how the football world operates.
I could figure out how things could go. I was sure I would be on the bench against Arsenal on Sunday. But another defeat against Arsenal and I could see that anything would happen.
“And if things did not improve in those last games, I had worked out what would happen.
“Maybe there was a chance to coach against Chelsea in the EFL Cup and maybe I would be able to do Leicester City away and Watford just before the international break.”
Giroud has not started any Premier League games for Arsenal this season and Koeman cited the Frenchman’s decision to reject a move to Everton as key in his side’s failure this term.
“I had Olivier Giroud in the building,” Koeman added. “He would have fitted perfectly, but at the very last moment he decided that he’d rather live in London and stay at Arsenal.
That was really hard to swallow. You tell me, where you can get a better striker? Lukaku was so important for us, not just because of his goals. He had a certain way of playing as a striker — strong.
“He could hold the ball, he always had an eye for the goal, he was fast. If things were not going well in a game, if we could not play the way we were used to, there was always the option to use the long ball towards him.
All of a sudden [after Giroud's decision], we were missing such a player. With Nikola Vlasic and Wayne Rooney, we had attackers who want the ball at their feet.
“When you are struggling as a team with the build-up from the back, and we no longer had the option to kick it long, you know you have a problem.”
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COME ON UNITED. #GGMU
@Gavin Mitchell: can’t beat long ball game !
@James Brown: Don’t be sour
@Gavin MitchellGood win, tactics spot on and second secured…
Hated adored!!!!
Cmon UTD, go to town on them now, they’re certainly there for the taking today.
Absolutely clueless from Klopp.
Too nervous to say anything other than c’mon the Pool!!
As I said Yesterday ,Dejan Lovren …. funniest stand up act around
Game over I’m afraid.
@Robert Clifford: Really!!??
@Jack Jackson: Yes. I hope I’m proved wrong.
@Jack Jackson: Yep really.
This is great fun
United to park the bus and get an offside handball goal that went out for a throw in seconds earlier in the 97th minute of injury time.
@Gabe: or score a nicely finished goal & lead within 15mins. One or the other!
From a neutral perspective – Jose is a proven winner, Jurgen is not, having said that , I would go for a tight 1-1 draw.
@George Costanza: 2 German league titles??
@Mark Noonan: Cork or Dundalk would finish top 6 in that league get a grip
@Anthony Whelan: so it’s easy to finish above Bayern is it? Tool
King Salah 3-0 LFC YNWA 2019 IS OUR YEAR!
@Football nut99: so much for that anyway haha 2020 it is!
@Sledro: every year is your year!!!
Why wasn’t Rashford booked for celebrating with the crowd after scoring his first? He should be off after that yellow for the challenge on Milner.
@Stephen Keane:
Don’t be talking rubbish. Milner is well able to look after himself and leave the boot in more often than not.
@David Sinclair: he got a yellow for the challenge. I’m saying it should have been a second yellow.
@Stephen Keane: And if a Liverpool player got sent off for that you’d have a different story.
The question you should be asking is why your utter clown of a manager keeps picking the comedy gold that is Dejan Lovren . I’ve seen Sunday league defenders with a smell of liquor off them that have a better command of the penalty box.
@Stephen Keane: he should have been off. Any neutral can see that. Two penalties too.
Didn’t see the match did Salah play
Mata starting hardly calls for parking it, hopefully in as a No.10 rather than out wide. Great to see Bailly back, big loss all season hasn’t played since Nov.. still worth a punt over lindelof. Prefer Shaw over Young but understand going for experience. Big game for VVD, Lovern will need to be covered for
Wow… Rashford on fire…I’ll gloat after 90 minutes.
Looking at the teams, it should be a stroll in the park for Liverpool today. 2-0 to the reds #YNWA
@Seàn Mc: You were saying?
#GGMU
@Seàn Mc: Good luck with that !
@Seàn Mc: LOL
@James Reardon: Its turning in a hiding after 30 minutes .. YEAHHHHH
@Gavin Mitchell: In fairness, he did say 2-0 to the reds!
@Link: 2-1 Lets go!
@Seàn Mc: it’s our year lol delusional pool fans
But the best attacking team in Europe lol
No Pogba to slow utd down that’s the difference.
Liverpool didn’t even test De Gea
Come on the pool. come on ireland.
Jamie(Englands Envy) must be at the game,poor coverage at times at Old Trafford.
Not bad eh Jamie?
It’s a game now and it really shouldn’t be. Should have been over at half time
Hahahahahaha
Just nothing better than beating Liverpool. They are the worst fans in sport. Such a moany bunch.
Can see it going one of two ways…0-0 draw or Liverpool running away with it
I hope this doesn’t come back to bite me
Should have kept my mouth shut
@Kian: hahaha, keep talking
@Kian: ooopps
@Back pass: if it keeps going like this I’ll be absent from here for a while lol
@Kian: fair play it’s only a bit of banter draw looking likely
@Back pass: think draw would have been fair, but can’t begrudge Utd the win, solid defense…could have had a couple of pens but that’s the game. Least it wasn’t a bore draw this time, more like the game it should be
Liverpool haven’t turned up. Liverpool asleep.
Mourinho is klopping Klopp at the moment.
Bad defensive performance from Liverpool. Arnold having a shocker unfortunately. Rashford is a great player. Can’t see us getting anything from this now being 2 behind but if we do it’ll come from Smalling because he is a liability in that united defence.
Sweet :-)
This game will outline just how defensive Mourinho is. Practically a dead rubber and Moaninho will STILL park the bus
@Colin Ahern: ha ha ha how’s that prediction working out? Clown
@FPL Thommo: Comedy gold from poo fans
@Colin Ahern: Colin you clown, on her bike pal
@Colin Ahern: Spot on Colin. Good call
Palace were a tougher challenge. Mata… beautiful should of killed the game off in the 1st 40 mins
Liverpools beautiful attacking flair to be stumped by a lump up to fellani to lay off to Lukaku with 2 mins left on the clock. I could picture a bomb going off in every Liverpool supporters head, Aaah that would be brilliant
Well let’s be honest, we were well beaten today, Liverpool always get nervous when we go to old Trafford! Hope this doesn’t wreck our season
We know there’s a change in the football climate when you here the two of these fighting over second place like it’s the title. Anyway….I expect a tight game today with a 1:1 result.
@Jack Jackson: Or “hear” rather before some smarta** points it out……:)
Right 2-1 United. Lukaku,Sanchez
Mane
Just got a notification for a goal. High priority notifications my arse. Most people don’t care.
@Daddy Long Legs: You get notifications once you enter the article. You can turn them off then if you want. What I can’t understand is how you got a notification because if you don’t care then you surely didn’t click into the article! Very confusing..
Sanchez is very poor. Giving ball away a lot again today. Probably needs to calm down, make sure he’s in possession of the ball befor he tries to flick it on.
Get in there. Pool getting a wake up call. Great stuff. Defense still shite
Cmon Liverpool
Do Manchester United own the FA? Most biased referee I’ve ever seen. Liverpool are rubbish anyway so don’t know why they were so confident…
City for the next five years… love oil !!!!!!!!! Blue mooooooonnnn
@James Brown: haha ya thick
Stick Virgil on Lukaku that first goal doesn’t happen. Rashford playing well for you. Reckon we can come back tho
@Ollie Watson: Jesus I can’t see it at the moment.
Very poor reactions from De Gea there
Liverpool are doing fantastic they are club who trades heavily on its history. It’s credit to there owners and management that despite been a selling club and being stepping stone for ambitious players who want to win things. They continue to keep producing players for the big clubs. Despite Wigan winning bigger trophies In the last ten years its credit to them and also the fans who continue to give fanatic support to a club going nowhere. Well done Liverpool
with 5 mins to go, come on the ‘Pool.