Ronald Koeman remains realistic about Everton's Champions League chances
Ronald Koeman has targeted European football for Everton this season but he regards talk of the club potentially securing a Champions League spot as "not realistic".
The Toffees have made a fine start to 2016-17 under their new boss Koeman, with Monday's 3-0 Premier League win at Sunderland making it 10 points from four games so far.
That left them in third place in the table, but ahead of Saturday's home clash with Middlesbrough, the Dutchman has played down suggestions of Everton challenging for a top-four finish.
Koeman said: "Why after the win on Monday do I need to change from 'fight for European football?'.
"Now we need to fight for the Champions League? I don't know, I think that's not realistic.
"I think it is a big ambition, what I mentioned - that, really, we can fight for Europe.
"We need to continue, and this Saturday is the next one. We need to prepare for that."
Everton finished 11th in each of the last two seasons, during which they were managed by Roberto Martinez.
Asked what he is doing at the club different to how they operated before, Koeman said: "The intensity in training is higher than it was. I believe how you train is how you play.
"Of course, we gave attention to the set-plays. They conceded too many goals from set-plays.
"And (I have given) more responsibility to the strikers and midfield players to help support the defenders.
"Defending starts at the front, not at the back, and it is a whole team performance.
"I think the defensive signings we have made - Ashley Williams, the energy of Idrissa Gueye in the midfield - is a big help for the team.
"Everybody is happy - but (we have to) keep working, and keep the momentum. That is very important at the moment."
Aitor Karanka has told Middlesbrough to relish coming up against some of the best players in the world as much as he did as they attempt to get to grips with the Premier League.
Boro head for Everton on Saturday determined to bounce back from last weekend's 2-1 home defeat by Crystal Palace, which was inflicted in part by B#27.5million striker Christian Benteke's first goal for his new club.
This time around, it is Everton's B#28million forward Romelu Lukaku who is likely to pose the main threat after he ended an 11-game run without a league goal with a hat-trick on Monday evening.
However head coach Karanka, who won three Champions League titles as a player with Real Madrid, insists his men should look forward to the challenge of mixing it with the best.
He said: "It's the thing we have been working for. As a player, I preferred to play against the best players in the world because if you are playing against them, it is because you belong at that level.
"For that reason, I am really pleased to be here. I know it's not the same to prepare the game against Everton or against Tottenham the following week when we preparing last season for Championship teams.
"But it's a good challenge and if you want to improve and you want to be successful, you have to do it."
Boro's loss at the hands of Palace was their first since returning to the top flight and after two seasons of winning more often than not as they forced their way out of the Sky Bet Championship, that could have come as a culture shock.
However, while Karanka makes no bones about how tough this season is going to be, he is confident his players can handle the shift in emphasis.
He said: "I think they know. They know because they are not stupid and they know we are playing against the best teams in the world.
"We are in the Premier League and we are going to win, I hope, a lot of games. But we have to be ready because they know we are going to lose a few of them."
Spaniard Karanka, who will make late calls on strikers Cristhian Stuani and Jordan Rhodes who are doubts with groin and knee problems respectively, will go head-to-head with Toffees coach Ronald Koeman having admired him from afar in his glory days as a player at Barcelona.
He said: "He never played against my team - I was younger! But I know Ronald Koeman as a player was amazing.
"I played as a central defender and for me, he was an example. Those years when he played at Barcelona, they won the Champions League here at Wembley, he scored, so he is a good reference."
Source: PAR
