Phil Jagielka was making his first Everton start of 2017 against West Brom.
Ronald Koeman has told the Liverpool Echo that Everton defender Phil Jagielka was passing the ball backwards too often in the first-half of their match against West Bromwich Albion at the weekend.
Jagielka was handed a rare start for Everton on Saturday, and he generally coped well.
Everton picked up a 3-0 win against the Baggies, and Jagielka looked comfortable throughout the match.
However, Koeman felt that he was too keen to pass the ball towards Joel Robles in the early stages of the match.
“He did well,” Koeman said. “Maybe in the beginning there were too many balls back to the goalkeeper, which I don’t like. I would prefer the ball into the channel, because then you can press your opponent.
“But overall I think defensively the team was strong, and he was one of them.
“My mind today was clear; it was a good game for Jags – the way how West Brom play. It suited him.”
Everton scored their first goal against West Brom through Kevin Mirallas, and they never looked back after that.
Morgan Schneiderlin added a second for the Toffees, before Romelu Lukaku completed the scoring late on, to seal the three points.
Jagielka’s start was his first of 2017, and it remains to be seen whether he will remain in Everton’s starting line-up for their next match against Hull City.
Everton are currently in seventh place in the Premier League table – eight points away from the top four.
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