Friday, March 29, 2024

Koeman pleased with point despite painful late United equaliser

SoccerNews in General Soccer News 4 Apr 2017

70 Views

Ronald Koeman accepted it hurt to see Everton concede a late leveller at Old Trafford on Tuesday but said he was happy overall with a 1-1 draw against Manchester United.

Phil Jagielka scored from close range midway through the first half to put the visitors on track to bounce back from the disappointment of their derby-day loss to Liverpool at Anfield on Saturday.

But after Jagielka’s defensive partner Ashley Williams was dismissed for handling Luke Shaw’s drive deep in injury time, Zlatan Ibrahimovic stepped up to convert the penalty and ensure the points were shared.

“Before the game you’d settle for a point, but with how the game went we’re disappointed,” Koeman told BT Sport. 

“We played well – and had a lot of space on the counter-attack – we had to kill the game. 

“We were terrific in our defending. Yes, it is really painful. It’s a penalty, but one minute before the end, it’s always painful.”

Koeman described his pride at seeing a young Everton team compete at Old Trafford, although dropping two points leaves his side’s faint Champions League hopes looking increasingly remote as they trail fourth-placed Manchester City by seven points having played two games more.

“United took all of the risk, but still we defended well.” Koeman said. 

“They didn’t create open chances and I was really confident in our organisation. We missed the final pass in the second half.

“I am pleased by the performance but I did not expect a reaction from the derby because I was proud of the team. I still am. We had seven from 18 players aged 22 or under today. We got one point, maybe we deserved three, but a point is not bad.”

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

SoccerNews

Soccernews.com is news blog for soccer with comprehensive coverage of all the major leagues in Europe, as well as MLS in the United States. In addition we offer breaking news for transfers and transfer rumors, ticket sales, betting tips and offers, match previews, and in-depth editorials.

You can follow us on Facebook: Facebook.com/soccernews.com or Twitter: @soccernewsfeed.

SHARE OR COMMENT ON THIS ARTICLE

WE RECOMMEND

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This field is required *

Join the conversation!

or Register

Live Scores

advertisement

Betting Guide Advertisement

advertisement

Become a Writer
More More
Top