Ronald Koeman admits Everton need more firepower after selling Romelu Lukaku
The Everton manager watched hs side labour to a 1-0 victory over Ruzomberok and admitted his side need to properly replace Lukaku
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Your support makes all the difference.After a narrow 1-0 win against the third-best team in Slovakia, Ronald Koeman admitted that Everton require more firepower to properly replace Romelu Lukaku.
A deflected goal by Leighton Baines gave Koeman’s side an advantage in their Europa League qualifier but Ruzomberok might have scored themselves but for a fabulous save from Maarten Stekelenburg, who was preferred to Jordan Pickford in goal. Pickford, a £30m signing from Sunderland, was not considered match ready.
On an emotional return to Goodison Park, 13 years after he left for Manchester United, Wayne Rooney started the game at centre-forward but Everton only looked really sharp when he was replaced by sandro-ramirez">Sandro Ramirez, who looks a bargain £5.2m signing from Malaga.
“When Sandro came on, Wayne Rooney had more freedom and we had pace up front which made the team better,” said Koeman.
“We know that we would like another striker – you normally need two number nines in the squad. I am really confident we can bring in a good one.”
Koeman could not say whether there had been any progress in Everton’s increasingly laboured attempts to sign Gylfi Sigurdsson from Swansea. “It is up to the board if we go back in for Sigurdsson,” he said.
The tie is not yet over. In the previous round Ruzomberok lost the first leg 1-0 at home to Brann Bergen, who are second in the Norwegian league, and won away 2-0.
However, Koeman expected Everton to create more chances in Slovakia next week than they did at a packed out Goodison Park. “Ruzomberok will need to do more than they did tonight,” he said. “And that will make for a totally different game.”
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