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Ronald Koeman has told his “afraid” Everton players to banish the fear factor he believes is behind their wretched run of performances.

And the Blues boss has explained why he will not be introducing any of the squad’s young players for this weekend’s game with Manchester United because he says it’s a game for “men”.

Koeman wants Everton to stop being timid and put on an aggressive display at Old Trafford on Sunday (4pm) to arrest a run of three straight defeats in which they have conceded eight goals and scored none.

And despite growing calls from sections of the fanbase for the inclusion of youngsters Jonjoe Kenny and Tom Davies, the Dutchman insists he will be asking the squad’s senior players to drag them out of this hole.

Asked about why Kirkdale’s Kenny - a player he labelled a “talent” - has not been given a chance so far this term, Koeman said: “Okay, he is one of the talents.

“Sometimes and I know because I hear a lot of times the name of Kenny.

“I mention one time the under-23s competition is not the Premier League and the standard of level of performing is a training session by the first-team.

“What I mention before. He is on my list, of course, but I think it’s not the moment to put Kenny in.

“But if I don’t get enough Sunday and next week then maybe yes there comes an opportunity for the boy, because he is a talent.

(Image: Nigel French/PA Wire)

“But you can’t mention if someone is performing well for the U23 he is ready for the first team, it’s too easy, it’s too easy.

“That is for Kenny, that is for... Tom Davies was an exception, an exception.

“But Davies is now a little bit more struggling.

“Last season he came in the team and he is playing out of nothing.

“Every weekend he is playing out of nothing, he played with confidence and now he is thinking, he is thinking, he lost the spontaneity a little bit. That’s what.

“If you see the team yesterday (against Atalanta) there was no ‘I like football’ there was (shrugs).

“The difference you are winning is you get confidence.

“But they started they go for it, we started like ‘oh, oh, oh, afraid’.

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“That’s’ what we need to change.”

Koeman made six changes to his side for Thursday night’s Europa League game with Atalanta but has hinted he won’t be making sweeping alterations ahead of Sunday.

“Still I believe in the team and in the quality of the players,” he said.

“But I know we need to change some things. If you change some things in the team Sunday is not the time to change a lot of things. Because Sunday is a game for men and experience. They need to show it.”