Jones: The players 100% have the fight to get out of this
Everton assistant manager Graeme Jones has come out fighting to protect his side and says that the management team need to find the right balance between European success and domestic wins.
When he was asked whether his Everton side has the stomach for a relegation fight, Jones was adamant that the players can overcome this sticky patch.
“100%. I have never had any doubt about that. We never make any excuses for the players but they have just played five games in 13 days.
“So, when you are Seamus Coleman and you are running 11-12km and 1,500m of that is high intensity and you’re doing that every two days, it’s demanding.
“It could have an effect on your performance, maybe a little, and we need to take that into consideration. We are competing on two fronts and with the Premier League situation now, we need to get the balance right.”
Jones added: “We’ve been committed to doing well in the Europa League and when you are committed to doing well you play strong teams. We have had incredible results, that’s the truth, that we have taken no credit for.
“The manager has approached the Europa League in a very positive manner but you only have two days to recover and, in my opinion, that could have effected performance, maybe only a little, but in the Premier League that can cost you.”
“These lads are top characters, I have no doubt at all but they need refreshed and they need regenerated and the only way you can do that is by them not training everyday and having a couple of days to themselves,” he said.
“So I expect a refreshed, hungry group to come back in on Monday.”
Asked about the anxiety of supporters and the atmosphere at Goodison Jones said: “You feel it instantly,” he said.
“You can touch it, you can feel it, the supporters let you know, but you want that. That’s the whole idea. The club’s been incredible, the supporters have been incredible so we can have no complaints at all.
“I’m just giving you reasons why I think certain things have happened.
“But I have no worries, I want to pick up points now, but I have no worries because of the character and quality of the players we have here.”
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Poor Everton’s tired players having to play Arsenal after two days rest, and got beat 2-0. Liverpool managed to play in Istanbul with extra time and penalties and still beat the second best team Man City in the league. The supporters are tired of listening to excuse after excuse for poor performances. It’s time the Management team looked at themselves, team selection, tactics and awful substitutions. If Martinez doesn’t take Everton down this season he will surely do next season