Koeman leaves a tiny crack open for Niasse

It had looked like there was going to be no return to the senior side for striker Oumar Niasse, but after his hat-trick performance midweek for the Everton U-23 side, questions were being asked by the fans if the player could ever regain his spot in Ronald Koeman’s side.

In his pre-match comments ahead of the Burnley game, it was hard to say, but it did sound like Koeman was leaving a tiny window open for the player.

“I hope he scores a hat trick every week in the Under-23s.

“I don’t say never in football, you can’t say never in football. But that decision I took, that’s not to change.

“That’s between us.”

Ronald Koeman had decided very early on this season that he wasn’t good enough and sent him down to the U-23 squad playing for David Unsworth in the Premier League 2.

The manager had some pretty harsh words for Niasse at the beginning of the season, saying that he didn’t see a role for him at the club based on his poor display of skills and fitness which meant he barely featured for Roberto Martinez, and only played one half of a preseason game for Koeman.

Niasse has gained some sympathy in some quarters after he highlighted his pariah status within the club, claiming that he wasn’t even given a locker to change at for his youth team games.

Looks like the Senegalese forward is just going to have to keep his head down and keep playing like he is currently to make a bigger impression on Koeman.