Barcelona are one of the highest clubs in the world. They dwarf the biggest English clubs in terms of stature and quality. They are the club that a lot of footballers dream of and it appears a lot of boss’s dream of managing.
The recent revelation that Everton boss Ronald Koeman would like to manage Barcelona one day is not a surprise.
He has never hidden that fact or his love for the Catalan club for that matter. Koeman is also a Barcelona legend from his playing days and is much loved by the fans.
Not ready for Barcelona just yet
Barcelona are looking for a new head coach this summer with current boss Luis Enrique leaving his post this summer. Koeman has been named as a potential replacement for the Spaniard.
However, Koeman is now odds of 12/1 to be the next Barca boss, behind the likes Ernesto Valverde, Laurent Blanc and Juan Carlos Unzue (Enrique’s current assistant).
For me, Koeman is not yet ready to manage Barcelona. As Everton boss, he has made some poor tactical decisions ad team selections this season in big games against the likes of Chelsea and Liverpool, which immediately spring to mind.
He is a good boss, but he is not yet in the top boss category. There is plenty of time for Koeman to manage Barcelona in the future. However, for him to do that he has to impress at Everton first.
If he does that and helps move the club forward, I doubt many Everton fans would begrudge him a move to Spain. The Dutchman has already improved the squad and brought Europa League football back to Goodison Park.
The next step is bringing Champions League football to the blue half of Merseyside. That will no doubt prove a much
Koeman needs to achieve something at Everton
Ronald Koeman knows that he has to achieve something at Everton for Barcelona to look at him as a viable managerial option. In guiding Everton to seventh in the Premier League table, the Dutchman has done a good job.
However, guiding Everton to a top-four finish and the Champions League spots would be considered a far bigger achievement for the former Southampton boss. It will be a tough challenge considering the competition at the top end of the English top-flight.
He has however got the backing of a supremely ambitious majority shareholder in Farhad Moshiri, who has previously promised the Dutchman funds to strengthen his squad. This summer will no doubt be a big one for the Toffees.
If Koeman can retain the services of striker Romelu Lukaku and strengthen the rest of his squad, then the Toffees will have a fighting chance to make the top-four next season. Koeman would never have been able to achieve that at Southampton.
