Everton's decision to sack Ronald Koeman after nine games was harsh, according to former Toffees and Manchester United assistant Archie Knox.
The Dutchman was given the axe on Monday after Everton collected just eight points from their opening nine games. Koeman spent £150m on transfers over the summer, but failed to get his team to gel over pre-season, which ultimately cost him his job. Crystal Palace boss Frank de Boer was also sacked after just five games after he tried to make wholesale changes to the footballing philosophy at Selhurst Park.
But as Knox, who spent four seasons under Walter Smith at Goodison Park, explains, during Sir Alex Ferguson's first three years at United - when Knox was his assistant - the Scotsman failed to win a single trophy, which is a luxury the 70-year-old believes needs to be afforded if drastic changes are to bear fruit.
Speaking exclusively to Tribal Football, Knox said: "They've been allowed to sign all these players for a lot of money. Ok they had a big return from Lukaku and stuff like that, but its still a lot of money being spent.
"When your introducing quite a number of new players, it takes time to settle, [to work out] what ones to play, maybe some don't click with other ones, or it takes a bit of time for them to do click.
"But nine games [to do that] is no time at all.
"At Manchester United, [Sir Alex and I] had a tough time [at the start], we had a good first season and then dipped down again the next two seasons, but I think the people at the club recognised exactly what was going on and afforded Alex the time to bring his ideas for what he was wanting at United, to have, you know, 'the Busby Babes' again, if you like."
Archie Knox is currently promoting his book, The School of Hard Knox: The Autobiography of Archie Knox, which chronicles the life and career of the man who assisted Sir Alex Ferguson at Manchester United and Aberdeen, Walter Smith during the nine-in-a-row era at Rangers, and Craig Brown for Scotland, amongst many others. The 70-year-old has seen it all and is one of the most respected and admired coaches in football.
