Another goalkeeping error from Stekelenburg at the weekend raises more questions about The Toffee’s recruitment policy.
While fans and pundits alike focused on those Everton tried and failed to sign this summer, it’s ironic that a man they turned down could prove the biggest miss of all.
The Toffees were blown out of the water in pursuit of Lucas Perez and Moussa Sissoko due to the Champions League football on offer at Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur, while Axel Witsel, Manolo Gabbiadini and Rachid Ghezzal proved vexingly unattainable.
Majority shareholder Farhad Moshiri took little time to remind fans of the struggles endured by Perez and Sissoko on either side of North London but that has done little to deflect the notion that Everton failed to plug some of the various holes existing within their squad. And one hole in particular appears to be widening.
According to Everton manager Ronald Koeman, and reported by the BBC, The Toffees’ boss had “no interest” in offering Joe Hart a Premier League lifeline after Pep Guardiola had shoved him to the brink of an Etihad exit. In the Dutchman’s view, he already had a very capable goalkeeper at his disposal. One who had started a World Cup final, no less.
Yet, despite a solid start to life at Goodison Park, Maarten Stekelenburg is starting to prove exactly why he has spent the last two seasons gathering splinters rather than shots on the substitute’s benches of Monaco and Southampton. Virtuoso individual displays akin to those against Manchester City, where he saved a penalty apiece from Sergio Aguero and Kevin De Bruyne, have been overshadowed by mistakes such as those against Manchester United.
Racing off his goal line to the edge of the box, Zlatan Ibrahimovic barely had to look. A deft chip and Stekelenburg was beaten. There was also the fumble that gifted Sam Vokes the opener in a defeat to Burnley. And who could forget the sight of the dazed Dutchman standing idly by as Chelsea thumped five into his net at Stamford Bridge.
Yes, Stekelenburg started a World Cup final. But that was over six years ago, and he’s done very little in that time to justify the hype that surrounded his early development. All the while, a proven, Premier League goalkeeper in Joe Hart disappeared off to Italy and, after a few early jitters, has slotted into the spine of the finest Torino team in years.
He’s not one to admit it, but you wonder if Koeman would do anything differently if he could relive those summer months.
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