I don't think it is as clear cut as - not at their level yet=cant go toe to toe. It is of course down to the type of manager you have and how he decides to go about things.
For me it's like when Trappatoni was with Ireland. I personally wasn't bothered complaining too much about the details of the horrific football on display because basically we got what we paid for with him.
I am not saying it is clear cut. I am basically saying that at the moment player for player we are well behind the higher teams and that is crucially the difference at the moment. Koeman sets up the way he believes is best but still we do not have the squad or team as good as all the higher teams so I am not surprised we struggle against the higher teams especially away from home
Koeman is what he is. He seems he would be more cautious than gung ho and that's what we paid for, but that doesn't mean that another manager being more positive can not achieve results in these big games just because the squads worth less, its their first season or whatever other reasons given.
In these bigger games next season, I am hopeful we will see more ambition and a noticeable shift in the psychology of the squad in how they handle them....or handle any big moments that come our way. However, I am more inclined to think he will stay more or less the same.
We will see!