Season › 2016-17 › News
Koeman attracted by Schneiderlin's hunger to play
Ronald Koeman says that Morgan Schneiderlin's hunger to get back to playing regular football was just as important as the qualities he knows the player has when it came to signing the Frenchman this month.
Schneiderlin completed his much-anticipated move from Manchester United to Everton yesterday, reuniting with Koeman under whom he worked at Southampton before Louis van Gaal stepped in in the summer of 2015 to transfer him to Old Trafford in a £24m deal.
The 27-year-old could end costing the Toffees the same amount if he makes both the kind of impact and has the longevity at Goodison Park that his manager is expecting. The terms of the deal with United sees Everton pay £20m up front, with £4m dependent on appearance-related add-ons.
“He's the [kind of] midfield player that I like,” Koeman said in his press conference this afternoon. “He has different qualities — he can play as a holding midfield player, and can play more offensively as a player.
“He's clever in the game, he's aggressive… he brings qualities to Everton and that's why we signed him. For Everton it's a big signing.
“Every player likes to play football and he wasn't playing for the past three or four months. That's what every football player needs to hate and I like players who like to change that situation. He wants to come to Everton, he knows our project.
Schneiderlin will go straight into Sunday's squad to face Manchester City but, having played so little football so far this season, he is lacking match fitness so Koeman couldn't confirm whether he would start the match.
“His fitness is OK but he hasn't really had game time to improve in that you need to play, you need minutes,” the Dutchman explained. “OK, we will take that decision tomorrow but he will be involved in the squad for this Sunday.”
The France international was Everton's second signing of the January transfer window, coming on the heels of Ademola Lookman's move from Charlton Athletic. Koeman hinted that the 19 year-old could also feature at some stage on Sunday.
Reader Comments (9)
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2 Posted 13/01/2017 at 16:47:11
"Nananannanananananaaaaa, Morgan Scneiderlin, Schneiderlin, Morgan Schneiderlin."
Try it, out loud. Now, try it go on!
3 Posted 13/01/2017 at 16:53:37
4 Posted 13/01/2017 at 17:00:11
Or is he looking for which players respond.And more importantly which players don't respond.
5 Posted 13/01/2017 at 17:04:52
6 Posted 13/01/2017 at 17:37:58
Ron's statement would explain the lack of effort and fight from some players if he has told them they have no future.
Brutal, not likely to encourage players to die for the shirt... but he really was left with a lot of crap by Roberto.
7 Posted 13/01/2017 at 18:24:32
If you sulk, you reply to your boss is basically being told "I don't give a shit, I will look for a new club." Or "I will sit on my arse and be paid."
The Koeman bashing on here over the last 10 days is a joke. Ronald, I tip my hat to you, sir. Keep doing what you are doing, and the future looks brighter.
8 Posted 13/01/2017 at 19:06:52
10 Posted 13/01/2017 at 22:22:11
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1 Posted 13/01/2017 at 16:27:45