Proud Koeman praises Blues' attitude in win over Palace

Saturday, 21 January, 2017 45comments  |  Jump to most recent

Ronald Koeman says that his Everton side got what they deserved from a difficult game at Selhurst Park thanks to Seamus Coleman's 87th-minute winner.

The Ireland skipper arrived on the overlap to pick up Tom Davies' pass before smashing the ball past Wayne Hennessey to hand the Blues' three precious points at the end of a match they had dominated almost from start to finish.

“In my opinion it was deserved,” Koeman said after the game. "When we controlled the game, we were by far the better football team. We had a lot of ball possession but also a lot of chances to score the goal.

“We played really well, with good ball possession between the lines and good movement. We had enough shots on target and created good chances but their goalkeeper was outstanding. 

Palace came very close to taking an early lead when Christian Benteke glanced a trademark header off the face of Joel Robles's crossbar but from then until the last quarter of an hour it was all Everton.

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Hennessey made a string of saves to keep Everton at bay before Robles made an excellent save to deny Scott Dann from a corner and Coleman grabbed the winner.

“Hennessey was outstanding on three, four shots in the first half,” Koeman continued. "It was difficult to score the goal.

"We had a difficult start to the game and they had the header from Benteke, but we were good in our defending, we were winning second balls and keeping them out of the box.

“If you beat City, with that big result, everybody expects the same performance,” he added. “But maybe today it was more difficult than it was last week.

“I am really proud and really pleased with the win today. Our attitude was perfect. We know this is a difficult place to come but we have come away with a win and a clean sheet. After last week, it really is fantastic.”

 

Reader Comments (45)

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Paul Conway
1 Posted 21/01/2017 at 18:52:30
The plan is starting to come together. Wouldn't be surprised if Real Madrid, Barcelana or Bayern Munich make a £50 million plus offer for Tom Davies before the end of January... Tongue-in-cheek, but many a true word spoken in jest and all that!
Patrick Murphy
2 Posted 21/01/2017 at 18:53:23
Apart from the FA Cup tie and Hull City away the attitude of the whole squad has been much better in the last few weeks and with that better attitude we have seen mostly better results.

Long may it continue and I do hope the staff don't allow complacency or lacklustre performances to creep back in when the window shuts.

Kieran Kinsella
3 Posted 21/01/2017 at 19:00:24
It was an interesting test after City cause we couldn't play the same way. This time we had the bulk of possession with them sitting back. Barkley used his loaf today and made some great openings. Robles seems to have grown in confidence and really commands the box.

I don't know if we changed goalkeeping coaches but his approach is much different. Before he was punching balls and playing out with feet. No he's grabbing balls and punting downfield. He's playing like an old school English goalie which actually suits his size and strength better.

I was a bit worried about the Sam dead cat bounce but the team were very committed today from start to finish. Composed, careful, thoughtful. Not as exciting as the swashbuckler last week but a good performance and deserved win.

Dermot Byrne
4 Posted 21/01/2017 at 19:06:32
Perhaps Koeman did need a few months or maybe a season to make his mark. Always seemed reasonable to me. Did Walsh spot Lookman? Is Moshiri really committed. Seems so. Am I feeling like a pig in shit tonight?
Paul Birmingham
5 Posted 21/01/2017 at 19:11:00
A rare treat, EFC win and played well, RS lose, work went well.

I may watch MotD, which is not often the last few years. The team seem to have some balance and organisation and improving game management. 3/3, and 2 back to back league wins, shows what we can do.

A long road ahead, but let's hope for a good solid run from to the end of this season, and maybe a few more in, to bed in for next season, and hopefully a few out, who are over due to be gone.

Peter Gorman
6 Posted 21/01/2017 at 19:36:42
Yes Kieran, there is a new goalkeeping coach; Patrick Lodewijks.

He is the Dutch guy sat on the front bench who resembles a bond villain. Robles was brilliant today, claimed everything he needed to keep the win after we scored and a good tip-over too. What is that now, 4 clean sheets in 5?

Aidy Dews
7 Posted 21/01/2017 at 19:36:42
Koeman always needed time, Dermot! Slowly he's starting to get rid of the shite and hopefully he can get a few more quality players in this month, but for the rest of this season we need to keep this momentum up, keep working hard and working at what Koeman wants and keep on the coat tails of the top 5/6! Then in the summer get rid of the rest of the deadwood and hit the transfer market hard and really revamp the team/squad and take it from there.

Things currently look prosperous for us right now with some good young players and one or two older, quality players but I still think it'll be another 2/3 Windows after this one before Koeman gets a team and squad together to seriously compete with the top four but the early signs of what's going on at Goodison are encouraging and long may it continue!

Colin Glassar
8 Posted 21/01/2017 at 19:53:04
Great post Aidy. We need to weed out the useless and replace them with better players. It seems we might be on the right track.
Tony Draper
9 Posted 21/01/2017 at 20:03:51
As many (including myself) have said, Koeman deserves a full season before we can accurately judge his side and their performances.

Last week's and today's displays encourage me.

Getting 3 points against "spacehopper head's" crew because we played like the home team is a sign that the era of our "petty cornershop", grateful for being invited, mentality could change.

Stil, no verdict until at least season completed.

Nigel Munford
10 Posted 21/01/2017 at 20:15:04
The good news is that we made 2/3 points up on 4 of the top 6 today which is what we need to do, take these chances when they are presented. Things looking rosey in the Everton garden at the moment.
Paul Mackie
11 Posted 21/01/2017 at 20:27:58
Barkley was good today, but there were a couple of times he could have played Lukaku in for what would have been absolute sitters.

The whole team was much improved though and I'll take 0-1 away wins all season long, no matter who we're playing.

Declan Campbell
12 Posted 21/01/2017 at 20:39:42
Who were the beauties speculating a little while ago about Sunderland under Moyes finishing above Everton?
Dave Ganley
13 Posted 21/01/2017 at 20:46:15
I said last week that it wasn't a new dawn but it was a beginning and today has continued this. It's been really pleasing to see a never say die attitude in recent weeks, even the derby we stuck at it, we were just beaten by a better team on the day.

Now after a few wins, the confidence is flooding back. This is showing on the field. Barkley is beginning to look a different player to the one earlier in the season. He looks confident and is closing down the defence more and creating much more too.

The younger players have provided a boost in that there is so much more energy in the team now. Davies, Holgate, Lookman when he comes on, Schneiderlin, Barkley, Lukaku, Funes Mori, Coleman all young players with lots of milage left in the tank. The future is starting to look bright. It's hard, as an Evertonian, to be overly optimistic, but I am as optimistic as it is possible to be given how the last 3 years have panned out. Suddenly it doesn't seem so far fetched to be able to catch Man Utd.

The rest of the season is so important now as to how we are gowing to progress long-term. A statement of intent is needed to take into next season and we are going the right way about it. If we can get some more quality in in the next couple of weeks and then build more in the summer then maybe a blue future is possible.

We are certainly going in the right direction and it is so nice for all blues to be finally so positive about everything that is going on at the club at the moment.

Brian Williams
14 Posted 21/01/2017 at 21:10:09
A great reault from a decent performance.

What we need to keep this momentum going is to use the remaining 10 days of the transfer window to get in two more quality players, players (to use Koeman's words) who will improve the "team" (as opposed to the squad).

Jerome Shields
15 Posted 21/01/2017 at 21:11:42
At last a good performance after a great win last week. Normally we lose the next match. Maybe we have finally turned the corner.

The next game will be interesting. .
Steve Jones
16 Posted 21/01/2017 at 22:07:57
The real positive is that we are starting to look like we can get different kinds of wins. There was a game plan last week for one kind of opponent. It worked. There was a game plan this week for a different kind of opposition that worked.

Under Moyes and Martinez we did well until we got 'sussed' then we were easy meat for any opposition manager with the right nouse and squad. Starting to look like things might be different now.

Danny Broderick
17 Posted 21/01/2017 at 22:13:28
Attitude is the key word here. We all seem to be going in the same direction. Players, fans and the manager are united. The players have finally bought into what Koeman wants, and some of the deadwood is being shifted. It's going to take time, but you get the feeling that Koeman is starting to build something now.
James Byrne
18 Posted 21/01/2017 at 22:19:05
Today was a difficult game away to a club who are struggling and with a new Manager who knows how to grind out a result. If anyone thought turning over Man City meant this game was an assured 3 points they were wrong.

I think most of us might have settled for a point today based on a good team performance. To get the winning goal in that style speaks volumes about team spirit and what the game plan was today under Keoman.

We've a long way to go but the signs are there. There's been a lot of anti Koeman script written on these forums over the past few weeks, and a lot of Evertonians getting on each others tits over the way we've played. Let's get behind the manager and the team and see what we can produce between now and the end of the season. COYB's.

Mark Morrissey
19 Posted 21/01/2017 at 23:13:37
Good to see Ronald looking happier. It calms the nerves. Well done Ross, thought he was outstanding today in a great team performance.
Chris Gould
20 Posted 21/01/2017 at 23:42:52
Nice to hear Alan Shearer put to bed any suggestions of controversy. Big Sam was talking rubbish.

Game should most definitely not have been stopped (which we all knew) and Seamus was definitely onside (which I wasn't so sure of).

Andrew Heffernan
21 Posted 21/01/2017 at 23:54:05
Step by step; our squad is no better than the six above us so any movement north without spending hundred of millions is a plus; we need both on and off pitch progression, regardless of weekly results.

Good performance for lads today - long may it continue.

Darren Dennett
22 Posted 21/01/2017 at 23:55:33
I agree, James. Today was a real test for the boys to show last week's performance was no fluke. I sense a really positive togetherness about the side since the Leicester defeat. Attitudes have changed... the will and desire to hunt down the opposition and turn the game our way has been fantastic.

Other than Benteke's effort off the bar and an amazing save by Joel, we were in total control. Palace are fighting for their football lives and made it very difficult for us. But the desire to win this game by the boys was absolutely fantastic.

The side, and style of play is slowly coming together. The three young boys all had a solid games and Schneiderlin adds real bite in midfield.

I still think we miss that creative football mind in midfield... a Zola, Scholes, Mata, Modric, Kaka, or Bergkamp. Someone who can thread that lethal pass.

Another happy day being a blue... just renewed Happy Days.

Jim Hindley
23 Posted 22/01/2017 at 01:08:14
I can't really see us catching Man Utd this season but, with another signing or two this January and another couple in the summer, I think the only way is up.

Koeman needed to see how what he inherited could perform. I think he has started to turn things around now and has got the team playing pretty well.

Look to the future lads, the next couple of seasons are going to be a lot more interesting- Have Faith... and don't forget the possibility of a new Stadium...

Thomas Lennon
24 Posted 22/01/2017 at 08:11:41
This is more like the patterns of play we were hoping for 20 games ago. Moyes's meaness in defence couples with something more like Martinez attacking verve but now the belief at 0-0 with 15 mins to go that we will score late in the game.

The obvious fitness problems up until end of November seem to have resolved over the last 5-6 games.

This is the start. Now for progress.

Top six have other games to worry about. All we have to do is win a few more to join them.

Mike Dixon
25 Posted 22/01/2017 at 09:59:19
If they had anyone to consistently hit Benteke in the air, then we would have been dead and buried. Think on!
Trevor Lynes
26 Posted 22/01/2017 at 10:08:24
April is the big month and that will be a big test. We still need a quality second striker and a schemer to prize open defences.

I am pleased that we coped pretty well with Benteke and Robles made a great save which as Coleman said was worth a goal.

Hennesey kept Palace in it though and we really deserved to win the match.

Next is Stoke away which will be another test for our defence against the height of Crouch.

John G Davies
27 Posted 22/01/2017 at 10:34:04
Koeman starting to put his stamp on the club now.
He will get it right,i have never wavered once in that stance.

Good to see all the positivity on TW.
One or two of the Koeman out gang have put discretion before valour by not posting but there you go.

Stan Schofield
28 Posted 22/01/2017 at 11:50:36
This game, and the City game, show that we have a decent squad, only one player in the starting line-up being a Koeman signing, and the new signings strengthening the squad further. We finally appear to have some tactical organisation, some flexibilty in handling different opponents, and a willingness to maintain a winning team.

And it's great to see the youngsters performing like they are, being given the opportunity to show what they can do. They clearly add energy for the pressing style that Koeman has been focusing on, but the better organisation that we've seen provides the backbone for the pressing. Pressing without organisation would be like running around like headless chickens.

It's a case of getting consistency now, maintaining the momentum that we now seem to have.

Terry Underwood
29 Posted 22/01/2017 at 13:20:41
"This is not the end, it is not even the beginning of the end, but it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning"
Ernie Baywood
30 Posted 22/01/2017 at 13:38:19
Time will tell whether it's a corner or if we're just veering through a roundabout.

Can't argue with the last two performances. They're putting in a shift and there's some decent play around that hard work. Barkley looks born again right now.

Stoke away and Bournemouth at home. Expect 4 points - committed at Stoke and dominant against Bournemouth. Now that would feel like the end of the corner.

Dermot Byrne
31 Posted 22/01/2017 at 14:04:58
Nah Ernie.. Start of an r turn. Or L ? In the end we are all chuffed today. To fans, the day after is just that. Next game? Who knows? The rest is just like everything, the preserve of rich men.
Minik Hansen
32 Posted 22/01/2017 at 18:58:00
Two points closer to Man United. Three points closer to the top. COYB.
John Wilson
33 Posted 22/01/2017 at 20:05:45
I just watched Hull v Chelsea for the purpose of watching Niasse. He came on in the second half around the 56th minute owing to two players' injuries. He was rarely a part of the game to be fair, but even when losing 2-0, Niasse hit an amazing shot in the 89th minute, albeit the Chelsea goalie saved it.

When he was on the ball, he wasn't a disaster at all from when he came on. He was in the wrong position at times. Concerning Niasse's excellent attempted goal, he was walking backwards watching the ball as it come towards him, when the ball bounced once, somehow (he timed it impeccably), he managed to turn himself around and hit it on the volley, a powerful shot. Even the tv commentator tv said about his shot, 'very good.' 'Very good indeed.' This shows just how amazing Niasse's technical potential is as a striker.

Besides Lukaku, Everton do not have this. Barclay has no timing, Everton as a whole are not great with timing, ie when finishing, except Lukaku. Now take into consideration the pressure that has been on Niasse since he was signed by Everton, the way Kow=eman , and Everton have treated him, the fact Hull's new coach put him on pretty much only through an emergency, and he nearly lands an impressive goal, from behind him on the volley, shows strong character and massive potential. It shows he has impeccable timing to do that and excellent movement/ coordination from the aerial ball.

You'd think this was Chelsea's Diego Costa, instead it was Niasse, an otherwise premier league reject. It wouldn't surprise me when Niasse gains his confidence in the premier league if he were to impresses as a goal scorer for Hull, if they manage not be relegated.
Mark Murphy
34 Posted 22/01/2017 at 20:25:39
Aidy, if Koeman CAN get rid of the shite, he'll be my fucking hero for life.

For now, I'll be happy if he just trims our squad of the poorer players!
😬

Mark Morrissey
35 Posted 22/01/2017 at 20:26:50
I saw the game. He looked bewildered and ran around. Didn't get himself into good positions other than the shot on goal that John describes.

I'd love to see John's description of Tom Davies's goal against Man City. It would need to be a book in two parts and serialised in the newspapers it would be that long.

Niasse kicked the ball towards the goal from 10 yards out, straight at the keeper who caught the shot. That's it. He'll score none, possibly one. Are you his agent John?

Bobby Mallon
36 Posted 22/01/2017 at 23:49:15
Paul @11 I have to disagree. Ross did play lukaku in, but he was his lazy arsed self and did not bust a gut to get on the end of two great balls
Mark Andersson
37 Posted 23/01/2017 at 02:05:56
John Wilson, what a interesting post.

Next game will be even tougher, let's see if the boys can carry on the good form.

Jay Harris
38 Posted 23/01/2017 at 03:23:48
John,

And what else did he do that impressed you so much?

Lookman made twice the impression in half the time which sums up the difference between Koeman's idea of quality and yours.

Bill Gienapp
39 Posted 23/01/2017 at 04:12:11
Ha ha - easy there, John (33). Good for Niasse if he's able to contribute regularly for Hull, but one decently struck shot (not even a goal) and you're comparing him to Costa?? Jagielka scored that thunderbolt in the Derby a couple seasons ago, doesn't mean he should be playing striker for us.
John Wilson
40 Posted 23/01/2017 at 18:49:42
Bill at 39, I don't believe I drew any comparison with Diego Costa. Something said in passing is not a comparison. I merely suggested Niasse's type of shot - where out of all the players on pitch - would normally be a competence worthy of Costa.

Jags is a defender whereas Niasse is a striker. Niasse is by no means perfect, but he apparently has excellent technical ability. He seems also to have fast feet too, were he able to learn to position himself.

Hull are a good team and they do not play like they're in the relegation zone either. Marco Silvo comes across as an intelligent coach.

Koeman seems part of the establishment and Niasse's face didn't fit as it were. He was/ is not, or certainly does not seem so at this point, the disaster Everton/ RK made him out to be.

John G Davies
41 Posted 23/01/2017 at 19:34:27
RK is part of the establishment.

Yeah, him Denis Skinner and Billy Bragg

Dermot Byrne
42 Posted 23/01/2017 at 19:58:46
RK, the mainstream media, career politicians, most of the judiciary...they all have it in for Niasse.

"Infamy, infamy They've all got it in for me!"

Bill Gienapp
43 Posted 23/01/2017 at 21:02:40
John (40),

Fair enough. My point was simply that you seem to be drawing an awful lot of conclusions re: Niasse's supposed technical skill based on a single moment (which Mark (35) suggested has been overstated anyway).

The Jagielka comparison was simply to show that even defenders have moments of goalscoring brilliance in them. Let's see where Niasse stands at the end of the season, then we can talk.

John Wilson
44 Posted 23/01/2017 at 23:17:38
Dermot Byrne, I think judges – at least in the family courts – are out of touch with the average mother and or father who un-fortuitously encounters the state: public authorities including the judiciary part of government.

You don't see the state unless you fall out of the system, as it were. When I said Koeman was part of the establishment, I was of course speaking in terms of stratification sociologically.

John Hughes
46 Posted 23/01/2017 at 23:52:16
John (44),

What a load of twaddle!


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