Koeman eyes Everton revival after Cup win

Everton Manager Ronald Koeman is hoping the 3-0 English League Cup win over Sunderland will lift his team’s spirit when they host Bournemouth in the Premier League tomorrow.

Everton spent heavily during the transfer window but are yet to reap dividends, losing four games in a row in all competitions without scoring before beating Sunderland, who are fourth-bottom in the Championship.

“Everybody knows we are in a difficult moment and scoring goals and winning games is the best medicine to get our full confidence back,” Koeman told British media after the match.

“Let’s hope the result tonight and the way that we played gives us a boost for Saturday.”

Everton have struggled up front after selling Romelu Lukaku to Manchester United, winning just one of their first five league games to lie third-bottom in the table, a point and a place above Bournemouth.

Koeman made eight changes from Sunday’s 4-0 thumping defeat at United, with Wayne Rooney, two days on from pleading guilty to drink driving, and former Sunderland goalkeeper Jordan Pickford among the players watching from the stands.

Black Cats boss Simon Grayson, whose side are 21st in the second tier, named a line-up that featured six changes and three former Everton players in Vaughan, Jack Rodwell and Darron Gibson.

Koeman was particularly pleased by the performances of Dominic Calvert-Lewin, who scored twice, and Senegal striker Oumar Niasse, who got Everton’s third on his first appearance this season.

The decision to start CalvertLewin gave Everton an injection of pace up front, with the 20-year-old making a strong case to keep his place against Bournemouth, and Koeman is expecting big things from the England youth international.

“He’s always in my mind,” the Dutchman said. “He’s still a young player, 20, and sometimes you need to protect him.

“But he’s a good player and he will be stronger, he will be faster, he will be better.

“He’s doing well and he’s a good boy but we have other players in that position as well.”

Both sides’ shirts displayed the Bradley Lowery Foundation logo ahead of being signed and auctioned.

The two clubs are most associated with the late Lowery, who became one of the iconic faces of last season’s Premier League campaign. Bradley suffered from a rare form of cancer neuroblastoma. — Reuters

Let’s hope the result tonight and the way that we played gives us a boost for Saturday.

Ronald Koeman