Ronald Koeman wants to turn Everton fans against Ross Barkley
Ronald Koeman wants support from the Everton faithful
There’s no doubt that Ronald Koeman would prefer to keep Ross Barkley at Everton. However, the shrewd manager is taking concrete steps to make sure fans don’t blame him in the event the star midfielder departs.
There’s really no other explanation for Koeman’s decision to clue the public in on Barkley’s contract ultimatum. The Toffees boss told the world that his English star has just one more week to sign his contract extension. If he doesn’t agree to a new deal, he’ll be sold to the highest bidder in this summer’s transfer window.
In truth, it’s a wise public relations play by Koeman. He understands that his prickly personality can turn some fans against him. Koeman also realizes that Ross Barkley has grown up at Everton. If the two men run against one another in a popularity contest at Goodison Park, you can expect Barkley to score a decisive victory.
Rest assured that Koeman understands that reality. That’s precisely why he’s made it clear to everyone who will listen that Barkley’s future is up to the player. He doesn’t want to give his star the opportunity to establish a different narrative. In the event that Barkley does leave Everton, he’d much prefer the club’s fan base blame the club for his departure.
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Koeman has prevented that opinion from taking hold by putting the decision on Barkley in the court of public opinion. If the star does elect to move on, then the natural inference will be that he simply felt he’d outgrown Everton. After all, Koeman’s already established the fact that the club have worked hard to offer him a new and improved contract that’s been on the table for quite some time.
In many ways, Barkley and his representatives should be privately furious at the manager. He’s set them up to look like the villains this summer. If they were more proactive, they could have easily turned that around on Koeman. The manager lacks the warmth to counteract that sort of idea once it begins.
Next: 5 reasons Tottenham should sign Ross Barkley
Ronald Koeman is an excellent football manager, but he’s also an intelligent politician. That’s exactly why he’s set out to make sure that Everton fans turn on Ross Barkley, not him, if the English midfielder leaves Goodison this summer.