Ronald Koeman has claimed that his Everton squad is not presently able to match the physicality displayed by other teams in the Premier League.
The Toffees are currently in the midst of a horrific run of form, with just one win secured - the 2-0 victory over West Ham United in October - in the last 11 matches in all competitions, and entertain an Arsenal side, at Goodison Park on Tuesday, that is undefeated in England's top flight since the opening day of the season.
Everton were notoriously bullied out of matches under Koeman's predecessor Roberto Martinez and, with many of the players that featured under the Spaniard still on Merseyside, Koeman has had a hard time changing their mentality from possession-based football to a more physical, combative and often-times direct outfit.
Speaking at his pre-match press conference ahead of the clash with the Gunners, with quotes transcribed by the Daily Mirror, the Dutch legend laid bare his frustrations over his charges' inability to match other sides in the division when physical battles ensued.
He said: Physicality is an important factor in football. It doesn't start with quality on the ball, and these kind of teams like Watford are different to ours.
Of course we can do more, we need to do more, we need more aggression I agree. Every team who doesn't have that physicality in a team will struggle.
Roberto Martinez v Ronald Koeman: 15 games into last season, Everton had 22 points - that's two more than they currently have. #SSNHQ pic.twitter.com/xhvINT1cHr
But Everton is selected on the qualities of the players and not about the physicality of the players. That's the way of football, that's why we struggle against these kind of teams. I agree we can do more as a team to win second balls but that is not done in one week.�
The latest game that the Blues failed to win - Saturday's 3-2 loss away at Watford - summed Everton's season up in a nutshell, with the Hornets showing more guts, desire and determination to overturn a 1-0 scoreline to pick up all three points in the eventual 3-2 win.
Much has been made of Koeman being eager for January to roll around so he can strengthen his first team squad, but the 53-year-old insisted it would take more than just a couple of new signings to arrest an alarming slide in form.
He continued: We need more balance in the team between individual qualities, football qualities and also physically and mentally. That is what we need to fix. But that is not done in one day.
What help if I talk about January or I talk about the summer? What helps with the problem right now? That is trying to get the balance of the 11 that starts, that is what I need to fix. If I don't fix it? Then you can criticise, no problem.�
Koeman also commented over concerns that his players were just too nervous to play their natural game due to their terrible sequence of results over the past couple of months, with the former Southampton boss agreeing that his players were anxious when in possession.
Last preparations for tomorrow's game against @Arsenal. Tough opponent, we need a top team performance and support of our fans for the win! pic.twitter.com/z6lbMPd5Vy
He added: On the ball we need to be more comfortable, but that's confidence.
"I have a Dutch goalkeeper, Maarten Stekelenburg, who has played nearly all his life in Holland and is used to playing it short.
But now he kicks every ball away because maybe he is nervous. That's the difficulty at the moment."
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