Schneiderlin expects Everton to make more signings

With the new season just days away at this point, midfielder Morgan Schneiderlin is ready to improve upon his performances from last season. Speaking to evertontv at an Everton in the Community event on Albert Dock, he expressed his satisfaction with the first six months of his Toffees career, and wanted more out of the coming season.

“That is my target. I want to be the best I can possibly be, to feel good and fresh.

“My first six months was good, I was very happy with it.

“But now it is a new stage, a new chapter. I want to be better and better. I am not 100 per cent yet but it will come and, hopefully, we will have a better season.

“It is very important for a football player to have a good pre-season. Last year I had just 12 days’ holiday and, then, not a good pre-season.

“Now we have had time to prepare. After six weeks, you know you still need a bit of time to get back to your best. But by September and October it will be really beneficial.

“I am really looking forward to having the best season possible and, of course, staying injury-free.”

Looking back at the six preseason games in which Everton won four and drew two, he went on to add -

“There is a lot of change in everything: our passing game, the movements our players are making, the defensive side, the pressing side – we still need to make some improvements.

“And it is good, because it gives us the opportunity to work very hard, every day.

“We can see we are progressing physically but, still, there are a lot of things to do to be able to cope… to be in the top six.”

There have been plenty of new faces added to the squad this summer, and he talked about the importance of getting them integrated quickly along with anyone else that joins before the transfer window shuts.

“They are great people outside the football pitch - and very good players on the pitch.

“We need to get to know each other better every day. That will take time as well but it is very interesting and exciting.

“And I do not think the Club will stop. It will be very interesting to see who they bring in, in the last few weeks of the transfer window – then it will be up to us to do the talking on the pitch and deliver the best performances possible.

“We are really looking forward to it. We have prepared ourselves for the past five weeks to be in the best shape possible for this season.

“We will be as good as we can be to be able to beat Stoke to give us a good start to the season.”

Photo by Jan Kruger/Getty Images

The Frenchman was one of the bright spots for Everton last season, with his calm demeanor and composure on the ball in midfield an important feature of the team’s play. With 14 appearances in just half a season, Schneiderlin will continue to be a key part of Ronald Koeman’s side as the holding midfielder in either of his favoured 4-3-3 or 3-5-2 formations