Koeman outlines Everton ambitions

Ronald Koeman reaffirmed his ambitions for Everton, starting this season by challenging for European football.

Speaking in an exclusive interview with ESPN FC, Koeman said: “It is a long time since Everton were winning trophies and challenging for the title in England, but that is what we want to do,.

“This is a very big club and the aim is to be in the top positions again, challenging for the important places in the Premier League.

“It takes time when you come to a club to get everything you want in place, but I understand that in this game now, you do not always have the time. Results are very important and while we say there should be more patience, that is just not how this game works now.

“Long-term projects are no longer possible if you do not have success quickly and even though most supporters appreciate a manager should have some time, others can put pressure on the owners and decision makers at clubs who hire and sack managers.

“The ambition this season will be challenging for European football. We have introduced some new players last summer and it takes time to find the right balance in the team and to find consistency, but I feel it is not far away.

“If we are competing for a place in the Europa League in my first season here, then that would be a good achievement. I think this is possible, but we can see a lot of teams with the same ambition as us in the Premier League, so it will not be easy.”