Shearer Says: “Everton’s biggest problem was not replacing Lukaku”

Premier League legend speaks out on Toffees’ plight

It looked like the players had stopped running for Ronald Koeman in their recent defeat to Arsenal and Everton had to do something given their recent performances.

They didn’t have any width or pace and they’ve really struggled since losing Romelu Lukaku in the summer.

There’s been no structure to the way that they’ve been playing and the players looked lost by the end of the Arsenal game.

When you put all those factors together then the club had to replace him, and it’s not as if the board didn’t back him in the transfer market this summer.

Losing Lukaku

However, for all their transfer activity, I do think the single biggest reason for their problems this season was that they didn’t replace Lukaku, who had everything they’re lacking. 

They brought in Wayne Rooney but he wasn’t the player to fill that role, not anymore. 

It would be unrealistic to say that they could go and sign a like for like replacement, but they had to try and get somebody in who could give them a focal point to their attack, and score the all important goals.

Premier League pressure

It is without doubt a setback for Ronald but these things happen in football management and the reality is, it probably won’t be the last time that he gets sacked.

I know him personally and he is a very strong individual who has achieved great things in his career as a player, and I am sure that after a break he will be keen to get back into management, whether that is in this country or elsewhere.

As much as I don’t agree with it, in the Premier League now, if you have a bad run of six or seven games then you run the risk of being sacked because of the high stakes that clubs are playing for.   

The exceptions to that are Arsene Wenger and previously Sir Alex Ferguson, and I doubt we’ll ever see careers like theirs again.

British managers

I look at Leicester bringing in Claude Puel as manager, who was sacked at Southampton, and I can’t help but feel that some British coaches and managers will see that and think ‘what have we got to do to get a chance?’  

Even with the relative success that Puel enjoyed at Southampton all the talk was pretty negative about him.  Matt Le Tissier was saying recently that Puel’s side played very dull football and that the fans were never happy, so it seems a strange appointment for Leicester.

I would love Everton to give a British manager a chance, Sean Dyche for example. 

He has done an absolutely magnificent job at Burnley but he won’t stay there forever and might think that he’s taken them as far as he can.

Whether it’s him, or they give David Unsworth or Ryan Giggs a chance, I just hope that they give consideration to a British manager to get in there and start something big.

Otherwise what’s the point of the British players and coaches going and doing their coaching badges?