Sometimes we forget as football fans that football players are human beings, too, simply because of how well they get paid. Some of them need a comforting arm around the shoulder, while others react well to a good old rollicking. Unfortunately for Moise Kean, he was on the end of neither. 

The young Italian striker, according to many, has had a torrid start to his career at Everton. He has played a part in 12 games and not yet found the back of the net. However, what happened to him yesterday was not deserved. It is important to understand that in football, there’s no greater embarrassment than being substituted after coming on as a substitute. Now imagine that happening after only being on the field for 18 minutes. Now imagine being in front of 75,000 people in the stadium and millions around the world. 

Moise Kean was dumbfounded to see his number on the substitution board and then had to walk past the interim coach, who didn’t even make eye contact, let alone shake Kean’s hand for his efforts. It just doesn’t take much intelligence to understand that some things are just plain stupid. 

Was Duncan Ferguson right to sub Moise Kean?

In the 18 minutes that Kean was on the pitch, he had nine touches in total, losing the ball on five occasions. He was very lackluster and showed no hunger to find the back of the net. Based on the 18-minute performance, you can kind of understand Ferguson’s decision. However, this is where the legendary coaches would have earned their keep by putting an arm around the youngster or a quick tap on the back as acknowledgment. 

After the game, hungry journalists were keen to find out Big Dunc’s reason for taking off Everton’s most important signing of the season. As expected, Ferguson decided to feed the media a load of cliches and positive mantras that seem to go hand-in-hand. Yet, even a football novice knows that being subbed off as a substitute is a big deal. 

What Next?

So, you have effectively destroyed what little confidence Moise Kean had by needlessly embarrassing him in front of millions. Such an embarrassment is difficult for a hardened professional to take, let alone someone who is trying to make his name at the highest level. Many football fans will point the finger at the transfer fee that Everton paid for Kean – joined Everton on 4 August 2019, signing a five-year contract for a fee of €27.5 million, plus €2.5 million in add-ons – and be livid at his return so far. The funny thing is that those fans are clearly delusional, as Kean was never a prolific goalscorer (Played 53, Scored 12). Everton paid the money for his potential, which neither previous manager, Marco Silva, or current interim manager Duncan Ferguson have managed to tap into. 

Expect Kean to be on his way out in January – unless a supportive manager comes in. Very likely back to Italy on loan as there’s no way anyone will want to pay the kind of money Everton will be asking for. After all, this is a young man, in a foreign country where he doesn’t speak the language, and I am sure his dear mother would welcome a return to the comfort of Turin (or any other place in Italy), where everything feels a little less alien. 

As for Ferguson, I don’t care how well he has done in charge, he is not the right man for the job. He has no management credentials, and his man-management methods are archaic. In today’s football, players will get fed up with him quickly. Let’s say he improves on that front, he is still not the right man, because he is very one-dimensional. He reminds me of Stuart “Psycho” Pearce. Players loved Psycho for his passion and commitment to the cause, but his tactical nouse left a little to be desired, and opposition managers were able to work out an effective plan to defeat his teams. It’s only a matter of time before Duncan Ferguson is on the receiving end of regular defeats.

I’m sure Big Dunc won’t be around for long and Moise Kean will be the first to say arrivederci to the Scot, or maybe the youngster won’t even look at him…