Why Davy Klaassen Must Impress For Everton Against Atalanta In The Europa League
Everton face Atalanta in a Europa League encounter this week and the Toffees will be desperate to change things up in hopes of securing a positive result. Temporary manager David Unsworth has not made a strong impact so far but it will take time to improve the squad considering how terrible the situation has become. However, with the Atalanta clash in mind, Unsworth is likely to provide some much-needed game time for Davy Klaassen, who the club signed for £23.6m.
The fact that they are already eliminated from the tournament will ease some pressure off the manager, thus offering scope for fringe players to get some time on the field. It might be unfair to dub Klaassen as a fringe player but the fact is that he has failed to live up to his billing ever since he arrived at the club. Former manager Ronald Koeman embarked on a spending spree and secured some top talents but it seems like an uphill task now to extract the best out of them.
When Klaassen’s transfer was announced, the fans were excited. After all, the 24-year-old was a key factor in Ajax’s stunning Europa League venture last season. The Dutch club had a very young team filled with budding talents and Klaassen was undoubtedly one of the best. Quite unfortunately though, the player has not done much since joining the Toffees.
Perhaps he’s just finding it tough to adjust to the rigours of the Premier League but it is surprising to see a player who bagged 20 goals in 49 appearances for Ajax last season, struggle so badly at Everton. He is hard-working and is supremely talented but fans of the Merseyside club have barely gotten a glimpse of his capabilities. He has made only 5 league appearances so far and has made minimal impact.
For any team to function well, the midfield is the key. A good midfield is built on creativity, energy and speed. Klaassen has not displayed any of these qualities in his appearances for Everton. Since it is likely that the player is struggling to adapt to the demands of the English league, perhaps Klaassen could do a lot better in a Europa League game – which does seem like familiar ground for him at this point.
Considering the amount of money Everton spent on him, Klaassen must focus on doing better in this match, provided he gets a chance. Moreover, this will be the right time for him to show what he is capable of, since Unsworth seems to be keen on giving everybody a fair chance. Additionally, it will make things worse if he falls further down the pecking order. Wayne Rooney and Glyfi Sigurdsson have cemented themselves in the attacking midfield role, making it all the more necessary for Klaassen to seal a spot for himself in the middle of the park.