Southampton vs Everton preview - Koeman relishing return to bench

Posted Saturday, August 15, 2015 by PA

Ronald Koeman has revealed that the frustration he felt at having to watch Southampton's 2-2 draw with Newcastle from afar led to him shouting at the television.

The Southampton manager was forbidden from travelling as he recovered from surgery after rupturing his Achilles so could only watch his team's opening Barclays Premier League fixture from his home in Holland.

He remains reliant on crutches and expects to soon progress from a cast to a boot but said that his greatest relief will be to return to the bench when Saints play Everton at St Mary's on Saturday.

"It was strange, because normally I'm part of the game, and watching television is not the best you can do," Koeman said. "Even worse, if the team is not playing good, it makes it more difficult.

"In the first half [I shouted at the television], because we didn't play well, we did a lot of mistakes in our ball positions.

"If you stay at home you don't have control. I had contact with Scott [Waters, the performance analyst]. It was two times in the first half.

"I didn't really like to have to contact the bench because we know what we want and how we like to play, but it's more difficult, I like to be part of that, you can shout, you can do something, you can do substitutes if you're not happy but staying at home is different.

"We didn't have a long time to prepare for the Newcastle game after the Thursday game [a 2-0 win in the Europa League away to] Vitesse [Arnhem], to recover and prepare the team. For them it was strange, because it was the first time without the manager, and also strange for the technical staff.

"You think it's more easier [to be at the game] because you think you're more part of the team than you are watching television."

New £5million signing Oriol Romeu is expected to make his Southampton debut after arriving from Chelsea.

Koeman will be without two other summer recruits, Steven Caulker (sinus infection) and Jordie Clasie (hamstring), however, as well as Ryan Bertrand (knee) and long-term absentee Fraser Forster.

Everton midfielder Gareth Barry believes Ross Barkley has benefited from last season's difficulties.

The 21-year-old's struggles to recapture his scintillating form of manager Roberto Martinez's first campaign were almost symptomatic of the entire team's troubles which saw them finish a disappointing 11th.

Barkley managed just two goals, taking 11 matches to get off the mark, but has already opened his account with a fine strike in an encouraging performance in the opening 2-2 draw at home to Watford.

"Ross burst onto the scene and set his standards so high but inevitably it is impossible to keep those going continuously," Barry told Press Association Sport.

"I am sure last season he would have wanted to score more goals and have more assists but you can't continuously keep that upward curve going.

"But it will have been a good year for him in terms of his future and he started well with a fantastic goal."

While Everton undoubtedly need more goals from midfield, and the arrival of Tom Cleverley and Gerard Deulofeu should assist in that, their fortunes are likely to be determined by the form of striker Romelu Lukaku.

The Belgium international scored 20 times last season but eight of those were in the Europa League and without the distraction of European football this season he will be expected to have much more of an impact in the Premier League.

"Every top team needs a goalscorer scoring 20 goals and in Rom I think we have a player who can do that year in, year out," added Barry.

"It is important he stays fit and gets his confidence going and he can achieve great things too."

Everton defender Leighton Baines has been ruled out for three months after ankle surgery so 19-year-old Brendan Galloway is expected to deputise at left-back again.

Forward Kevin Mirallas has recovered from the ankle injury which forced him off against Watford last weekend.

Gerard Deulofeu, Aiden McGeady and Muhamed Besic all returned to training this week after missing last weekend's season-opener with hamstring injuries.