A late penalty from Wayne Rooney has kept Ronald Koeman in the job for now. The Everton boss was handed a virtual blank cheque in the summer to rebuild a side parting with Romelu Lukaku but the revolution hasn’t gone as planned, the Toffees finding themselves in 16th place after eight games.
The Mersey misery continued on Sunday as Everton travelled to Brighton, only to find themselves held to a draw by a side many expected to consistently struggle for points in the top flight this season. And in truth, it could have been a lot worse for the visitors – they were spared defeat by a moment of madness from Seagulls defender Bruno.
That’s not to say there weren’t positives for Everton to take from the game, however. They had more of the ball, produced more efforts at goal and largely controlled the match. On top of that, one of their less appreciated summer signings Nikola Vlasic hugely impressed on only his second Premier League start.
Indeed, the 20-year-old – who Transfermarkt value at just £3.6million – created the most chances and completed the most dribbles of any player on the pitch, while taking one effort at goal and recording one accurate cross in a promising display from the midfielder. That prompted Koeman to say post-match…
“I think Nikola had a big impact when I put him in midfield. He was strong on the ball, he was fast, he was winning balls, he was dribbling, and that was the reason I put him in midfield; to get a little more offensive football from the midfield.”
It’s still very early days in the Croatian’s career but Koeman will need him to continue producing if he’s to turn Everton’s season around. With so many of the summer signings lacking natural pace and athleticism, the youthful enthusiasm and energy of Vlasic, alongside the likes of Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Mason Holgate, is vital to Koeman finding a much-needed sense of balance in this struggling Everton side.
