Elliott Cuff

Fri 26 March 2021 12:10, UK

Legendary Dutch midfielder Ruud Gullit has accused Everton of wasting Davy Klaassen by not playing to his strengths during his time with the club.

Then Ajax captain Klaassen joined Everton in 2017 at the height of his career in an exciting move for club and player, with the midfielder having just led his side to the Europa League final the season prior.

Everton paid £23.6million [BBC Sport] to land the 24-year old in what looked likely to be a steal for the Blues, however they would end up selling him to Werder Bremen for half that just 12 months later.

Klaassen played just seven times in the Premier League for Everton, while his only contribution for the club came as an assist against MFK Ruzomberok in the third round of Europa League qualification [Transfermarkt].

Gullit, who played 48 times in the Premier League for Chelsea at the end of his playing career, explains that Everton’s style of football never allowed Klaassen the chance to succeed at Goodison Park.

As reported by The Liverpool Echo, Gullit said: “He’s a 10. He’s a midfielder who goes all the time in the box. Ajax always played with plenty of people around the box so it was easy for him.

“There are numerous players from Ajax who went abroad then all of a sudden are in an environment which doesn’t play like that. That is the worst part of it.

“Klaassen went to Everton and found that problem. He came from Ajax, goes to Everton, who don’t play like that. All of a sudden he’s lost, he doesn’t know what to do, where to come, because he’s not good at the ball and doesn’t do all kinds of tricks, he doesn’t have that. He’s the one who goes up front and goes for the ball.

“But we have already said it in Holland, it could be the same outcome as Klaassen. the same. Klaasen then went to Germany, played a different role and played well. Now he’s back to Amsterdam and played the same role as he did before and he’s an outstanding player in the national team again.”

Doomed from the start

The Curious Case of Davy Klaassen is an interesting one because the blame could equally be laid at the feet of the player and both Ronald Koeman and Sam Allardyce.

Whether Everton played the right system to suit Klaassen or not, the Dutchman was not physically suited to the rigours and the speed of the Premier League. He couldn’t handle the tempo and he could never gain a foothold in any game he played.

However, Koeman didn’t help matters either. The Dutch manager was quick to curtail Klaassen’s progression and with more opportunities and more minutes on the field, he may have begun to settle.

Koeman didn’t allow for that though, and so after a handful of underwhelming performances he found himself out of the match-day squad, and he struggled to find his way back in after Allardyce replaced Koeman as manager.

In the middle of the season, Klaassen spent 19 successive game weeks outside of the match-day squad, and so at that point his failings were solely due to a severe lack of opportunity more than anything else.

Klaassen wasn’t equipped to tackle the Premier League, but Everton’s managers didn’t hand him the tools to learn either. He was the product of poor man-management and in reality his Everton career was doomed from the start.

In other Everton news, Josh King is running out of time to impress Carlo Ancelotti as he seeks a long-term Everton stay.