As people have indicated last night, for me it's not the comments that are odd, but the timing of them.
There will inevitably be a split of opinions on this now. Some will back Walsh, some Koeman, some both and some neither. From Koemans perspective I can see why Koeman is frustrated. He has joined a club who promised him lots and delivered little in the summer. We didn't get our targets and the squad was left lacking in key areas. He was expected to front this, the new expectation and deliver a side to finish towards the top end of the league.
In Walsh's defence, we did get some players in and it was his first window. At times this season Koeman has under performed, irrespective of who the board did or didn't manage to sign. As a rule the performance have been know better and we went on a winless run which was below expectations. Going out to Leicester and particularly Norwich in the cup will feel the same.
Either way, the time to criticise may have been after the summer window. It does seem very odd, that a week into January, having spent the most money in the league (or close too) having unveiled a player he chooses this moment. For me the Schneiderlin thing is a red herring. Had he been bought he would have struggled to be match fit anyway. Likewise in any negotiations we have, it is only going to make our job harder with that pressure. So I think it's a fair statement, but odd timing.
I think what you saw yesterday from Koeman was enormous anger at losing and perhaps his innermost frustrations that most managers keep hidden being leaked out. Much like the Watford game being an epiphany I feel this one will be too. Some players may well be finished as a result of the performance. This was the game that kept our season alive in any meaningful way.
It also suggests there is a gap, if not a rift between Koeman and those recruiting. How long this can go on for I don't know. I suppose it will depend on how well either improve their performances.
For me I don't want Koeman to leave, but if he were I wouldn't be gutted. He is obviously a good manager and there have been improvements but we are all well aware he is using us to get his next big job. I also think he reluctantly fits into the paradigm of what we are trying to do and what as fans we like to see, as opposed to being a natural fit. We like to see longevity, players being developed and lads from the youth ranks being given opportunities. He does do this, but I feel he does so reluctantly. I don't want him to go, but I don't think he will ever feel as natural a fit as Moyes or Martinez did for most of their tenure.
The only caveat I have to that though is that maybe he is the medicine we require. We didn't win much before. Maybe it's our own values that are the problem, not Koemans?
