Koeman backs Romeu to thrive at Southampton

“It was already hard last year, and it’s still hard because first options in his positions are other players than Gaston is”.

Jordy Clasie was back from his hamstring injury and he needed to play 60 minutes for the Under-21s against Manchester City on Monday, but he now has an ankle ligament injury.

Chelsea midfielder Oriel Romeu joins Southampton on a three-year deal.

Romeu spent last season on loan at Stuttgart and 2013/14 at Valencia, who Koeman briefly managed – but it was at Barcelona, another of the Southampton manager’s former clubs, where Romeu came to his attention.

The 31-year-old was then an integral part of the defensive unit that conceded just 33 goals in the Premier League over the course of the 2014/15 – a record bettered only by the champions, Chelsea. “Even worse, if the team is not playing good, it makes it more hard”.

Southampton boss Ronald Koeman says that he is wary of the kind of attacking football Everton like to play as his side face the Blues at St Marys tomorrow dinnertime.

“[Against Everton] we were not on our best, but I really believe in this team, and the way we’re going to do everything I think in the end will give us success”.

I don’t know if he is a target for another club.

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

“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”.

“I am happy with the players that we have”.

“We are still working to bring in one defender but a little bit unlucky to have two centre-backs with injuries and Ryan [Bertrand] injured as well”.