JAG MUST HIT TOP GEAR
Koeman: Even my captain needs to up his game
EVERTON boss Ronald Koeman has warned skipper Phil Jagielka he will get the chop if performances dip.
The England defender was at fault for the penalty which earned Swansea a point at Goodison Park last week after conceding two other penalties during the recent draw at Manchester City.
Jagielka was subbed late in the Swansea game by Koeman and has been told to raise his game by the tough Dutchman – or risk being dropped.
Koeman, who has also been critical of Ross Barkley (above), takes no prisoners and is not afraid to confront his stars.
And he is expecting a reaction from Jagielka and the rest of his squad at former club Southampton today after a dismal run of results – including a 5-0 hammering at Chelsea.
Koeman said: “We finished against Swansea with three defenders – Baines, Coleman and Williams – because I needed to make a decision.
“That is not because I wasn’t happy with his performance, it was a tactical change and the next time it can be another player.
“But he needs to know he’s an international player and he needs to improve.
“He needs to be an important player with Ashley Williams as the two centre-backs at the moment. “We have competition, but Phil needs to give his standard, his level of performance like everybody in the team. “He is e xperienced enough to deal with critics. He is the captain of the team. “Of course, he has been involved in three penalties recently, two against City and one last weekend.” Accepting that expectations are higher at Everton than the Saints, Koeman says he will take flak from fans if results do not match their hopes.
He added: “I don’t have problems about critics. The Premier League is a challenge for every manager and club. If you win, you have friends. If not – well, that’s football.
“You can see the difference between Everton and Southampton and that’s the reason I finally made my decision to come here.”