Everton's miserable start to the season continued yesterday, with the Toffees losing 2-0 to Leicester at the King Power stadium, proving that merely getting rid of Ronald Koeman wasn't the answer to reversing the struggling Merseyside club's fortunes.
First half goals from Jamie Vardy and the impressive Demarai Gray were enough to secure Claude Puel's new charges all three points in the Frenchman's first match in charge of the Foxes, as Everton's caretaker boss David Unsworth oversaw another tepid defeat for the Goodison Park club.
With Everton now in the relegation zone, having taken just eight points from their opening 10 games, the Toffees must ensure they appoint the right man to permanently succeed the recently fired Koeman and, in Unsworth, Joey Barton doesn't believe Everton have the right man.
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Unsworth is currently only serving as caretaker manager, but has made his intentions to take the job on a full-time basis clear. The 44-year-old made 312 appearances at Goodison Park during two spells with the club between 1991 and 2004 and took charge of Everton's U23 side, last year before stepping into the void left by Koeman's sacking, last week.
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Yet, despite Unsworth's strong, longstanding allegiance to Everton, which includes being part of the Toffees team that won the 1995 FA Cup - the club's last piece of silverware - Joey Barton doesn't want to see the former left-back anywhere near the dugout again, after ripping into Unsworth during his show on talkSport, this morning.
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Not content with simply questioning Unsworth's managerial skills, Barton even took aim at both his appearance and his ability as a player.
"I used to watch him as an Evertonian and he was the most immobile left-back I've ever seen. He's not a manager, he doesn't look like one.
"I watched him waddling on to the coach. How can you get players to exert themselves physically when you're out of shape?
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"He's a glorified PE teacher who shouldn't be in charge of a men's team. Look at him on the touchline... he's more like a steward."
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Unsworth has been quick to respond to Barton's jibes, saying, via the Mirror, "It's not a problem - anything Joey Barton says, I couldn't care less."
Everton had been linked with a move for Burnley manager Sean Dyche to replace Koeman, with the Clarets boss the bookies' favourite to take over at Goodison Park at odds of 4/1 with various bookmakers, while Unsworth is priced at 6/1, alongside surprise candidate Sam Allardyce.
What do you make of Barton's outburst? Is the former Burnley and Newcastle United man right in his analysis of Unsworth?
Have your say in the comments section below and on our Facebook page.
(H/T the Mirror)
Topics: Football News, Football, Joey Barton, Premier League, Everton
