Ronald Koeman seems a very content manager at Everton right now.
Sure, there are things on the pitch the Dutchman wants to get right, but in his role overall and his decision to join Everton, Koeman couldn’t sound much happier.
Writing in a column for Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf, Koeman made it clear he’s very please with the signing of Gylfi Sigurdsson. The Icelandic international will bring “added value to the team, with experience and with efficiency in his game” Koeman said, but, despite the high cost of the Swansea City deal, there could be more on the way.
“It doesn’t mean we’re done already,” Koeman explained, giving the impression further signings are on the way. “There must be a good deal and that’s a complete search. I’m sure, too, because the club shows its ambitions in the transfer market. I think everyone now understands why I chose Everton last year.”
Whilst he’s happy with Everton’s spending, Koeman made a point of saying money doesn’t necessarily equal Premier League success, especially with prices rising constantly.
What’s also important to Everton moving forward is a strong squad, and Koeman used his fellow Dutchman Maarten Stekelenburg as an example of this, making it clear he doesn’t feel the goalkeeper is going anywhere this summer.
“Last year I signed Maarten Stekelenburg for Everton because there was only one goalkeeper here. There had to be more competition. Maarten won the battle. Due to injury, there was a change later.
“Jordan Pickford has been bought because he is the future for Everton. He is already there, but Maarten continues to make it difficult for him. In the first round of the Europa League and in preseason, Maarten has behaved correctly.
“That is why I think it’s quite 
right that he is in the preliminary selection of the Dutch team. I see with him every week that he is one of the better keepers of the Netherlands. When he did not get in the Oranje selection a number of times, I found it unjustified.”
As a final note, Koeman was scathing about the growing use of artificial pitches in the Netherlands, and made it clear any Dutch club wanting to loan an Everton youngster must play on real grass.
“That Everton has a good squad is also proven by the number of requests from Dutch clubs for hiring our young talents. It may be good to explain that Eredivisie clubs who play on artificial grass are out of line with such requests.
“Those clubs are no longer taken seriously in England… I like a real pitch and there are plenty of them. What I saw in the first weekend on artificial turf, it didn’t really look like the Eredivisie. I cannot take it seriously anymore.”
