Ronald Koeman is building something special at Everton

Everton under Ronaldo Koeman have been splashing the cash

With the summer transfer window now well and truly open and teams completing deals in full swing, if there's any club that has raised a lot of eyebrows across Europe apart from the formerly mighty AC Milan, then it's Ronald Koeman's Everton. A club that has long been treated to be an inferior club from Liverpool has, probably for the first time in recent times, made a global statement. It isn't on the pitch, but off it.

When David Moyes left for what ended up being a rather wretched stint at Manchester United in 2013, there was a fear among many about whether the club will ever be the same again with someone else in charge. And just when many were still getting to grips with United's appointment of Moyes, Roberto Martinez's Toffees finished as high as fifth in the Premier League, above both United and Tottenham.

The Spaniard's sacking during the fag end of the 2015-16 campaign was a result of an inability to discover a Plan B, but the appointment of former Southampton boss Ronald Koeman at the helm of affairs dispelled the gloom at the club.

This past season saw the club finish seventh behind the frantic top six contenders and impressing a lot of onlookers with their attractive way of playing the game. Koeman drew praise from many for transforming Everton into a force to be reckoned with once again and for nurturing locally produced youngsters at the club from Goodison Park- something they have been known for since quite some time now. And with a host of signings already made, it seems as if Koeman could be building something special at Everton.

They say, if you ever visit the Finch Farm during one of Everton's training sessions, you are likely to feel an aura of peace and tranquillity. It isn't because nothing of note happens there, but because all the work happens in the most professional a manner as possible. The amount of discipline and work-ethic that is observed is so much that if anyone is found breaching it, exclusion becomes a necessity. Players are taught how to work hard and give their all for them team.

Heightened expectations

Koeman’s tactical and technical nous has often drawn comparisons to that of Mauricio Pochettino’s at Tottenham and it’s said that it is one of those things that both the managers have in common.

And while this is a vital part of Koeman's coaching system, it thrives on making sure than players learn from each other. Specifically, the younger players learn from the senior ones and that is the reason why Koeman is known to always hand youngsters a chance, be it Valencia, Feyenoord, Ajax, Southampton or Everton.

The fact that the Toffees have already roped in as many as six players doesn't mean that Koeman has lost his spark or is willing to change, but is an expression of how shrewd a boss he is. With the club set to take part in the Europa League next season, the squad looks ambitious and willing to challenge on all fronts due to the depth that they currently have.

And a lack of depth has something that was a reason for their short-lived downfall under Martinez in the 2014-15 campaign. They played the same players on Thursday evening and the same ones at the weekends in the Premier League. To make sure that this doesn't repeat itself, Koeman has done well to add fire to the cannons.

Despite that though, it isn’t a move dictated by short-term motives.

Wayne Rooney's capture has been dubbed to be a mere statement signing to appease the fans by many. But it's a move that fits right into his philosophy. Rooney will turn 32 in October and brings to the table the experience of someone who has been at the very top of his game since he was a teenager at Old Trafford. With the club already having experienced professionals like Phil Jagielka, Ashley Williams and Gareth Barry in there, there’s a lot to learn for many in there.

Giving youth a chance

Dominic Calvert-Lewin helped England to the title in the recently concluded FIFA U20 World Cup

The England U20s side that recently claimed the FIFA U20 World Cup crown by ousting Venezuela in the final, consisted of a whole host of Everton starlets. Their performances were crucial in helping Paul Simpson’s men win the title for the very first time and an Evertonian himself scored in the final- Dominic Calvert-Lewin. The showings of the likes of Kieran Dowell, who scored twice in the group stages were impressive and so were those of the mercurial Ademola Lookman and right-back Jonjoe Kenny.

The likes of Matthew Pilkington, Brendan Galloway and Mason Holgate are those youngsters who have come close to proving that they can achieve big things in the future and they’ll love to learn from a player like Rooney, who has been there as a teenager and knows what it takes to climb up to the very top.

Apart from that, the captures of Davy Klaassen from Ajax, Jordan Pickford from Sunderland, Michael Keane, Henry Onyekuru and Sandro Ramirez have only raised the bar of a club that could well surprise the top six next season.

There can be fears about the repetition of something that transpired at Liverpool and Tottenham when they sold their most prized assets to Spain, but the spendings after the departures of Luis Suarez and Gareth Bale were more haphazard than anything else. There was no long-term plan in picture and the only thing that the clubs focused on was winning the league when both Brendan Rodgers and Andre Villas had lost the plot tactically.

And there seems to be a clear demarcation of the two teams that Everton currently have, thanks to the work that has been done. One team will carry the torch forward in the long-term areas and the other one will serve the immediate needs.