Saturday 27 August 2016 21:12, UK
Ronald Koeman admitted he will be disappointed if Everton fail to sign any more players before the transfer window closes, after watching his side maintain their unbeaten start to the season by beating Stoke City.
The Toffees ran out 1-0 winners at Goodison Park after Leighton Baines' penalty rebounded in off Shay Given's head, following a trip by Phil Bardsley on Ashley Williams.
Koeman has been busy in the transfer market since taking over and new signings Maarten Stekelenburg, Idrissa Gueye, Williams and Yannick Bolasie all started against Stoke.
Despite those arrivals, Koeman is not yet satisfied with his squad and is hopeful Everton can do more business during what he expects to be a very busy final few days of the transfer market.
"Yes we are still working on that and if we don't sign any player before Wednesday then I will be a little bit disappointed," Koeman admitted, speaking to Sky Sports.
"It's difficult with the numbers of money teams are paying for players and with the Euros everybody was starting late.
"If you look at all the teams in the Premier League everybody needs maybe one or two or more players.
"That is a big example that maybe the most busy time will come in the last few days of this window."
Koeman was very pleased with the performance against Stoke, though he rued his players' inability to kill off the game in second half after going ahead.
"The three points are really deserved," Koeman said. "We had more ball possession and more shots on target - much more, I think it was nine.
"In the end it was 1-0 and that is always difficult because we needed to defend at that time but we had good opportunities to kill the game. In the second half, we didn't and that is always difficult.
"But the work-rate, the belief and the spirit of the players was fantastic."
Stoke manager Mark Hughes was frustrated with referee Michael Oliver afterwards for the award of what he called a "dubious" penalty for Bardsley's foul on Williams and Koeman admitted he has some sympathy for his counterpart.
Koeman said: "I can understand why maybe Mark Hughes will be angry because if every referee gives a penalty for these kinds of situations then you can accept it but one referee says yes and another says no. That makes it very difficult."
