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Everton Anticipate Europa League and Immediate Implications

By Robert Hunter

MILTON KEYNES, ENGLAND - JULY 26: Ronald Koeman manager of Everton during the Pre-Season Friendly match between Milton Keynes Dons and Everton at Stadium mk on July 26, 2016 in Milton Keynes, England. (Photo by Catherine Ivill - AMA/Getty Images)
MILTON KEYNES, ENGLAND - JULY 26: Ronald Koeman manager of Everton during the Pre-Season Friendly match between Milton Keynes Dons and Everton at Stadium mk on July 26, 2016 in Milton Keynes, England. (Photo by Catherine Ivill - AMA/Getty Images) /
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Koeman was persuaded to break his contract and move to Everton by promises of ambition and glory, but a large part of these expectations now fall on him to deliver. In his first season he has now secured European Football for Everton, but qualifying in the manner we have will impact the preseason plans.

With Everton likely finishing 7th and all the teams above us enjoying domestic cup runs, it is highly likely that we will enter the Europa League in the 3rd qualifying round, which has implications of an early start to the season. Koeman has previously stated that he was unhappy with the preseason he inherited from Roberto Martinez, which involved the Dresden Cup and a monumental match against…MK Dons.

With European football early on in the season, this may have changed his plans. Koeman has made it perfectly clear that the top players in the academy will get their chance during the preseason, to show if they are capable of first team football at some point later during the campaign.

Perhaps this anticipated youth outing will take place during the Europa games. It isn’t uncommon for the top clubs to field a team that isn’t filled with the best players available. We saw this with Everton when we last qualified for Europa League with Roberto Martinez, Kieran Dowell was handed a game against FC Krasnodar, although this was during the group stages when it was clear we were going to the next stages.

LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND – OCTOBER 30: Ronald Koeman, Manager of Everton (L) and Slaven Bilic, Manager of West Ham United, (R) speak to each other prior to kick off during the Premier League match between Everton and West Ham United at Goodison Park on October 30, 2016 in Liverpool, England. (Photo by Michael Steele/Getty Images)
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND – OCTOBER 30: Ronald Koeman, Manager of Everton (L) and Slaven Bilic, Manager of West Ham United, (R) speak to each other prior to kick off during the Premier League match between Everton and West Ham United at Goodison Park on October 30, 2016 in Liverpool, England. (Photo by Michael Steele/Getty Images) /

However when West Ham started poorly in the Europa League this season, it became the beginning of their downfall. Without the prospect of Europe, West Ham lost a lot of their pull for potential signings, which meant they would fail on their promise to Payet, that they would sign fresh talent and become a top competitive team. Their situation is near identical to ours now, only instead of Payet we have Lukaku looking for his ambitions to be met by the club.

I think Koeman will take this more serious than most managers would, and for that reason I think we will have a successful cup run. The players will be up for it, and though Moshiri has already made it clear he wants the clubs main focus to be on finishing as high as possible in the league, I still believe Everton will put a lot of their efforts into doing well. Give us a trophy, Koeman, it’s been a while.

Up the Ev.

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