KOEMAN RIPS INTO ‘SCARED’ EVERTON

RONALD KOEMAN accused his Everton players of being ‘too afraid’ as their Europa League hopes were left in the balance. Everton were booed off after they conceded an 87th-minute equaliser to 10-man Apollon Limassol. They are bottom of Group E with one point from two games — the worst start ever made by a Premier League side in this competition. Koeman was appalled by the way Everton began, particularly the opening goal which followed a mistake by Ashley Williams. He believes Everton’s ambitions are being crippled by a confidence crisis and said: ‘We are too afraid to play football. If it is one player? OK. But it is several players. ‘If you analyse the first goal we conceded, it is shocking. We are scared, we are afraid to play forward. They are running, they are fighting but they are scared. The team is really struggling.’