Do Shearer’s comments on Everton suggest they made too many signings?

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Alan Shearer called Everton “awful” after their 3-0 home defeat to Tottenham.

Premier League legend Alan Shearer attends a coaching demonstration and tournament for local youngsters.

Alan Shearer dubbed Everton “awful” following their 3-0 home defeat to Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League at the weekend.

The former striker was speaking on BBC One’s Match Of The Day programme having watched a Harry Kane brace and Christian Eriksen strike sink the Toffees.

Harry Kane of Tottenham Hotspur celebrates scoring his side’s third goal during the Premier League match against Everton.

“I thought from start to finish they were awful,” Shearer said. “There was no organisation or no togetherness.

“Tottenham’s second came from them losing the first header from Pickford’s goal kick. The second ball sees Tottenham too strong and [Ashley] Williams has got to closer to stop the cross, [Cuco] Martina makes a hash of it and Eriksen gets his goal. All that has come from Jordan Pickford inside his own six-yard box.

“Just after half-time – when I’m pretty sure they’d have had a rollicking off the manager – there’s no one near Harry Kane at all for Spurs’ third goal.

“Nothing changed in the second half, they didn’t tackle and were all over the place. They got away with it. It should have been and could have been seven or eight.”

Everton manager Ronald Koeman.

Does Shearer’s damning assessment of Ronald Koeman’s men perhaps point to the fact that they made too many signings over the summer?

Only Watford and newly promoted Brighton and Hove Albion and Huddersfield Town brought in more new faces than the Merseysiders’ 10 ahead of the 2017/18 season.

Seven of those started against Spurs and as Shearer points out, there was little cohesion among the players as they succumbed to an admittedly strong opposition.

It is often said that it takes new signings time to settle in and those already at the club play a big part in helping them to do that, but when the majority of a starting XI are newbies it is difficult to know who to turn to in moments of crisis.

Fans at Goodison Park were excited to see the expensive acquisitions made under Koeman this summer, but at the moment they are yet to truly have that reflected out on the pitch and the Dutchman needs to try and instil togetherness sooner rather than later.