Bournemouth, Burnley and Brighton are fixtures to judge Everton on

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After playing four of last season’s top six, it is upcoming fixtures with Bournemouth, Burnley and Brighton that Everton should really be judged on.

Romelu Lukaku of Manchester United scores his side’s third goal during the Premier League match against Everton at Old Trafford.

It is fair to say that it has not been the greatest start for Everton in the Premier League this season, with a 4-0 defeat to Manchester United last time out leaving them 18th in the table.

Only bottom-placed Crystal Palace have scored fewer than their two league goals, while no team have conceded more than the ten goals the Toffees have – an unwanted record only matched by West Ham United.

Everton players look dejected during the Premier League match against Manchester United.

It is a run of results that has left manager Ronald Koeman in the somewhat surprising position with Skybet of being the second favourite boss in the English top tier to be sacked, behind the Hammers’ Slaven Bilic.

There have certainly been happier times to be a fan at Goodison Park, particularly after expectation was high when £144.9m – as reported by the Telegraph – was spent on new signings over the summer.

Ronald Koeman, manager of Everton, looks dejected after the Premier League match against Manchester United.

Koeman is struggling to find the winning formula, but perhaps he shouldn’t be too harshly judged just yet when looking at what the Dutchman has had to contend with. An opening day 1-0 victory over Stoke City was solid enough, while they nearly secured the same result at Manchester City the following week, only to be denied by a late Raheem Sterling goal to still leave the Etihad Stadium with a very credible point.

Three defeats since have come away against Chelsea (2-0) and the aforementioned Red Devils and at home to Tottenham Hotspur (3-0). That is four of last season’s top six coming in their first five fixtures.

Admittedly performances and scorelines haven’t been great, but it is the Merseysiders’ next three games that they should really be judged on. This Saturday (September 23) they host Bournemouth, before Burnley are the visitors the following week and then it is a trip to newly promoted Brighton and Hove Albion after the international break.

Nine points from those matches would suddenly make this current “crisis” seem like a distant memory. However, failure to pick up at least seven will probably see some rightfully serious questions being asked of Koeman.