My Players Have Mental Problems – Koeman

Everton manager, Ronald Koeman, has said his players are having a ‘mental problem’ implementing his pressing football style.

The Merseysiders only tasted their first league defeat of the season at Bournemouth last week , the Dutch coach feeling his players struggled to follow his instructions.

“For some players it’s difficult – for some it’s a big problem because they don’t know what to do,” said Koeman in a pre-match press conference ahead of Friday’s meeting with Crystal Palace.

“So some will change their attitude and you wait. It’s a mental aspect not fitness. It is about attitude.

“Our striker is not used to pressing how we try to press the opponent and it takes time. They found it difficult to do it in the way we want. It’s about the team, not an individual. We have to improve in that area. 

The Dutchman is trying to completely change the footballing culture at Goodison Park, demanding more energy, more closing down of opponents and greater fitness levels, likened to the dutch football pattern.

He said he has enquired from his players on their believe levels with respect to imposing his style more effectively.

“I don’t play, they play, so tell me,” he said. “Tell me how we can solve the problem. Tell me how we can do better pressing. Maybe they’re not used to that, but I need feedback, I like to have communication in the game. Players are involved in meetings and it’s not like 40 years ago. It’s good to have the meetings, because they need to think about football, how we can do better, how we can do more pressing. It is about the whole, not the manager. Everybody at Everton wants to win, and you need feedback to progress.”

Also, Koeman says the Football Association made the right decision to end Sam Allardyce’s contract with the Three Lions. He further described this week’s revelations as a ‘ black mark on football ’.

“I am disappointed for the man himself,” He said. “He had the chance to be the manager of the national team and then this happened but the FA took the right decision.

“Of course if you like football and you like part of football then it is a bad story. For football in general it is a black mark and that is not good. That is my opinion.