Everton boss Ronald Koeman has been quizzed about the club’s chances of qualifying for the Champions League.
Everton manager Ronald Koeman has told The Mirror that it’s far too early to discuss the club’s chances of qualifying for the Champions League.
The Toffees finished seventh in Koeman’s first season in charge, a vast improvement on Roberto Martinez’s final two seasons in the Goodison Park dugout.
Now back in the Europa League, Everton aren’t quite happy with that, and are pushing to challenge the Premier League’s elite having made a host of big additions this summer.
Koeman has been backed heavily with Farhad Moshiri’s funds, and he has teamed up with Steve Walsh to bring in the likes of Jordan Pickford, Michael Keane, Davy Klaassen and Sandro Ramirez, whilst Wayne Rooney has even returned from Manchester United.
Armed with those new faces, Everton are now expecting to push for a top six place this season, with some suggestions that they could even challenge for a Champions League place.
Juggling the Europa League and the Premier League has been difficult for many teams in the past, and manager Koeman has pumped the brakes on suggestions of a top four finish this term, offering an honest view of the situation right now.
Koeman has told The Mirror, that it’s ‘too soon’ to be talking about the top four, but admitted that he wants to continue the progression and good work from last season, as it doesn’t take just one season to fulfil a project.
The Dutchman acknowledged that it was the project of improving Everton that made him leave Southampton last summer, noting that these are exciting times for the club as they attempt to become a force in English football once again.
“It is still too soon to talk about top four; what we’d like to do is continue what we did last season,” said Koeman. “Everybody knows you cannot do that in one season. But everybody knows that there was one really big reason for me to sign one year ago for Everton.”
“It was all about this project and I think the club is showing that ambition that everybody likes to have and they are really great, exciting times for Everton Football Club,” he added.
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