First impressions are vitally important. Though football is ultimately a results business, until the 2016/2017 season kicks off in August, Evertonians can only judge new manager, Ronald Koeman, on his activity off the pitch. After weeks of speculation, negotiations and vacation, the Dutchman was finally announced as the Everton’s new manager on Tuesday. His press conference at Finch Farm yesterday, was the first chance for Blues fans to ingest the musings of their new leader.
Three years ago, when Roberto Martinez sat in the same seat, for the same reason, a sentence was uttered by Everton Chairman, Bill Kenwright, that acted as a constant reference point as the Spaniard’s Goodison tenure went into freefall.
“Roberto, almost his first words to me were, ‘I’ll get you in the Champions League.’”
This time, such promises were not spelled out so clearly. Yet, the theme that ran through the entirety of Koeman’s first Everton press conference was the ambition from all quarters of the club to push on and compete for major honours.
Speaking calmly and confidently, Koeman appeared enthusiastic about having the opportunity to be part of a project to take Everton to the next level.
The 53-year-old said: “Everyone knows the history of Everton. It’s a big history and it’s nice to be part of that. [We want] to win, to play European Cup football, to win titles. And everybody in the club is ready to take the next step and I am one of them.
“It seems everybody’s hungry, the people in the club, the fans, to come back and to put Everton in the place where Everton need to stay. We will do everything to take the next step.”
In order to progress as the club wish, Everton are going to need to keep hold of, or at least sufficiently replace, the key players linked with moves away.
Koeman, of course, arrived at Southampton two years ago under similar circumstances. In that instance, the likes of Adam Lallana, Dejan Lovren and Luke Shaw could not be persuaded to stay.
As the Dutchman gets to work with his new club, it seems at least one of Everton’s top players has already made his mind up. But Koeman insists he will talk to Romelu Lukaku and John Stones about their respective futures in the coming weeks.
He said: “I had that experience in my last two years – always a lot of interest in the players. First of all, we like to keep these types of players. You don’t sell your best players but I’ll have meetings and we’ll see what happens.
“I’ve not spoken to Romelu yet. I’ll do this press conference and then I’m starting to work for Everton and of course I will talk to several players.
“Lukaku is a key player, a goalscorer, and you don’t want to lose one of your best players. He’s a young player who needs support and to improve. We like to keep that type of player.”
Questions were also posed about the similarity between Stones and his new boss as footballers – both central defenders who enjoy showing off their ability on the ball.
Koeman added: “I like to help everybody and of course you sometimes have something more because he played in the same position as me. There will be good support for the boy but first I want to speak to him personally, get his feelings and that will be what we do.”
Bill Kenwright, who sat beside Koeman throughout the press conference spoke of how Everton’s new manager made a mark on the board members before their first meetings.
He said: “I think he made an impression before we had even met him. When Farhad [Moshiri] and I sat down, he was absolutely the first name on Farhad’s lips and on my lips, so he is very much the choice of the board. What I can gather, and I can gather quite a lot, a big big choice for Evertonians.
“We’ve spent a bit of time together and I’ve told him that I have seldom felt so much unanimity in the fanbase for a signing. It’s a big singing for us. He certainly says all the right things, I’ve been impressed with everything he’s just said so we’re convinced.”
On the face of Koeman’s appointment, and the noises coming from Goodison Park in the form of a £100m transfer kitty and plans for a new stadium, there is much to get excited about for Blues fans. Alongside Koeman, Everton also announced today his brother Erwin would be joining as assistant manager and Jan Kliutenberg would also take up the role of fitness coach.
Additionally, the new Everton manager said he will appoint a goalkeeping coach over the weekend and informed the Liverpool Echo he would be comfortable working under a Sporting Director.
With the appointments of Everton’s coaching set-up now coming thick and fast, the new model is starting to fall into place. The first impressions of Ronald Koeman, like his predecessor, are of an ambitious man who understands the prestige and history of Everton Football Club.
Now backed by Farhad Moshiri, what might have been little more than a pipe dream three years ago, could start to become reality.
