My issue with Koeman is that he is failing in two key areas. Firstly his man management, or lack of it, is coming home to roost. I hear the arguments saying that is his style so that is what we signed up for, but if it isn't working, then it patently isn't right. Resolution of this problem is in one of two ways - change his style or change the manager. Secondly, RK has a reluctance to use all of the resources that are available to him and he created significant barriers because of his initial stance on both Niasse and Ross. Fortunately for RK, Niasse is so grateful (and deserving) of a second chance, that he has thrown RK a bit of a life line, but Ross's injury prevents that possibility of happening.
So is there sufficient desire in RK for him to address these two key issues? His apparent body language and whispers coming out about his changed attitude suggest that he may not have the fight to see it through. Does he have the ability to change sufficiently to man manage the major problem that he and the Club face? Personally, I think he is a square peg in a round hole and doesn't have the desire to see it through. I can't call it arrogance because I obviously don't know the man, but I sense a reticence to change borne out of the comments this last weekend when he blamed the players. He has done some damage to the obvious player / manager relationship and god only knows what is happening behind the scenes that we know nothing about.
By him continuing to use players out of position, persistence with laboured forward play, lack of the obviously needed width and the continued Martina & Williams, he has created a rift with fans that will take some repairing and I don't think he is capable of doing this. Howard Kendall had early issues but he was one of our own and that gave him the necessary time - RK will never have that same relationship and I think it is only a matter of time before fans voice for change will be too loud to ignore.
