EVERTON MUST IMPROVE AWAY FORM TO REACH TOP FOUR: SCHNEIDERLIN
LIVERPOOL: Everton would challenge for a top four spot in the Premier League next season if they could improve their away form, midfielder Morgan Schneiderlin has said.
Everton finished seventh in the league last season with an impressive home record of 13 wins in 19 home league games, but their away performance was in contrast as they won four league games away from Goodison Park.
“I think that is what separated us from the top six, our away form,” the Frenchman told the club’s website (www.evertonfc.com)
“If we had won more away games, we would have been in the top six or top five. We need to correct this for next season and know why we are not playing as good away from home.
“If we want to be a team that pushes for the Champions League, we need to win more away from home.”
Meanwhile, midfielder Idrissa Gueye is looking forward to getting a first full pre-season at Everton under his belt and says the chance to recharge his batteries will help raise his endurance levels when the Premier League returns next month.
The Senegal international joined Everton from Aston Villa in August last year and soon established himself as a regular under manager Ronald Koeman, making 33 league appearances as Everton ended the season in seventh place.
Gueye said switching from Birmingham to Merseyside might have disrupted his preparations for the last campaign had it not been for the help of his new team mates.
“I arrived in early to mid-August last year so I didn’t manage to get that full pre-season, but I struck lucky because I came across a good bunch of lads and a good squad that helped me settle in,” he said.
“Everyone knows that it is vital for a player to get in a full pre-season. It’s all about charging the batteries so you can last longer throughout the whole season.”
The 27-year-old said he was satisfied with his contribution last season and hailed the club’s qualification for the Europa League.
“This (last) season hasn’t been bad,” he added. “I’m quite satisfied with my first year at Everton but I know I can improve.
“We’ve achieved our first objective, which is to qualify for the European places. We are aware there’s lots of work to be done over the summer to go again.”
Everton winger Yannick Bolasie expects to return from his serious knee injury a more cautious player, believing the approach will improve his composure on the ball and help him reach the next level.
The speedy Congolese wide man was recruited by manager Ronald Koeman last August and made 13 Premier League appearances before sustaining a season-ending injury in December. He was ruled out for a year and has since undergone two surgeries.
The 27-year-old is confident he can return to action by the end of the year with a more settled approach that his former managers at Crystal Palace had predicted.
“Strangely, I think that having this injury will give me the composure that I have been looking for,” Bolasie said. “I know that will take my game to another level. I am going to be subconsciously more cautious with any sharp movements, but that should improve my game massively.
“My old managers Alan Pardew and Tony Pulis always felt I would gain more composure with age.
“Now I have had this injury, I think it will come, but I don’t think I will lose my pace or my sprinting – and I feel strong already.” – Reuters