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Tottenham Hotspur 0, Everton 1: Celebration time for David Moyes
Dec 1 2008 by Dominic King, Liverpool Echo
WHAT a way to mark the occasion. While the prophets of doom predicted a day of pain at ‘The Lane’, David Moyes’ 300th game as Everton manager was one of capital gain. Six days after being showered by brickbats following a limp, abject display at Wigan Athletic, Moyes finds himself being deluged with bouquets after a galvanising performance at Tottenham that was his side’s finest of this rollercoaster season to date. Joining Goodison giants Harry Catterick and Howard Kendall in the ‘300 club’ is something Moyes has reason to feel proud about, but it’s safe to say that taking three points at White Hart Lane will mean that little bit more today. Had The Blues followed up their woeful efforts against Wigan with another abomination here, the patience of some supporters, who have grown increasingly exasperated by events on the pitch so far, may have been stretched to breaking point. Football’s fickle nature, however, means that the love affair is back on again, those who made the trip to London singing Moyes’ name non-stop after witnessing a third straight victory at a ground that used to be Everton’s equivalent of kryptonite. And – pun entirely intended – how Everton earned their spurs. Comfortably holding the home side at bay, Steven Pienaar’s deflected shot early in the second half did not do justice to how in control of matters they were. Reverting to the formation that has served him so well – the tried and trusted 4-5-1 – The Toffees were unrecognisable from the sorry bunch who traipsed off the pitch at the JJB Stadium. If Mr Hyde was out last Monday, Dr Jekyll made a welcome return here. But should we be surprised? At their best, Everton are a formidable ensemble and quite capable of winning at the toughest grounds in the land – that’s why supporters gets so upset when a wretched night like the one at Wigan comes along. Happily, the memory of that was exorcised emphatically at the first attempt, the defence superbly marshalled by Phil Jagielka and Joseph Yobo, while a midfield quintet which included the outstanding Marouane Fellaini covered every blade of grass. Slowly but surely, Fellaini – who deserves some sympathy – is starting to win over the doubters. When you see him walking around Finch Farm or Goodison Park, he invariably seems to sport either a look of bewilderment or as if he has the weight of the world on his shoulders. As he doesn’t yet have a grasp of English, it is impossible to accurately gauge his feelings, but the fact that Everton have struggled since he has been on Merseyside and the exorbitant fee that Moyes paid for him must have had an impact on his play. Sometimes – like at Wigan and against Blackburn Rovers in the Carling Cup – Fellaini has looked totally out of his depth, a shadow of the player who carried the fight to Liverpool during Standard Liege’s Champions League qualifier. Yet there have been other games when you can see glimpses of real quality and this was one of them. During a first half in which Everton held their own and more, Fellaini threatened to find a breakthrough on a couple of occasions.
Though it would be stretching credibility to say the opening 45 minutes were pulsating, it made for compelling viewing as the two teams traded jabs, trying to find an opening, but Everton looked the most likely to do so. Fellaini created one gilt-edged chance for substitute Louis Saha – he had come on for the stricken Ayegbeni Yakubu – after a surge down the left but the Frenchman’s header lacked the direction to trouble calamity keeper Hilarious, sorry, Heurelho Gomes. The Belgium international then made Gomes work for his money moments later when he cracked an instinctive volley towards goal but his effort lacked the direction to give Everton the advantage their efforts deserved. Thankfully, perseverance got its reward after the break. Having shown more speed of thought throughout, Mikel Arteta’s quickly taken free-kick ushered Pienaar forward and the South African cracked a drive past Gomes via a deflection off Vedran Corluka. If Fellaini had impressed, Pienaar did so and more. When he is operating to full effect, Everton’s play, at times, has a grace and style about it, this little jack-in-the-box popping up here, there and everywhere to make his side tick. You do not play for Ajax if you are not an exponent of the beautiful game and it’s only when you see Pienaar giving it simply and moving sharply at such close quarters does it really hit home how much he was missed at the start of the campaign. He was, unquestionably, the shining light in a performance that was a throwback to this time 12 months ago, all discipline, endeavour and ruthlessness and there was nothing ‘Harry Houdini’ could do about it.
While Moyes stood in his technical area barking out orders to make sure his players stayed focused, Redknapp – Tottenham’s vaunted manager – sat in his seat, hands stuffed in his pocket, appearing resigned to the inevitable. The only time Tottenham threatened to fashion an equaliser was from a set piece so it was reassuring that Tim Howard maintained his excellent form. One parry in particular from Roman Pavlyuchenko was – mirroring the efforts of the team – of the highest quality.
Only the injuries to Saha and Yakubu, who is out for the season after rupturing his Achilles tendon, stopped this being the perfect day and it is typical of the way things have gone that Moyes now faces a selection problem when he should be celebrating.
But should Everton maintain the appetite for success they had at Spurs, plenty more good days will be around the corner. This might just be the win that kicks them into gear once and for all.
Steven Pienaar: That was for Yakubu - Everton FC latest
Dec 1 2008 by Dominic King, Liverpool Echo
STEVEN PIENAAR today dedicated his match-winning goal against Tottenham to Ayegbeni Yakubu as the striker begins the long road back to fitness.
Though the Blues bounced back from a poor performance at Wigan with an impressive 1-0 victory at White Hart Lane, the afternoon was ruined by Yakubu’s serious injury. He will miss the rest of the season after rupturing his Achilles tendon and, with Louis Saha and James Vaughan also injured, David Moyes may have to buy a striker in January. Bayern Munich’s Lukas Podolski was linked with a £10m move to Goodison Park in one tabloid yesterday but Everton officials described that as “fantasy”. Moyes, meanwhile, admitted over the weekend that any new arrivals will have to be on loan and he and his scouts will scour Europe over the next month to find cover. CSKA Moscow’s Vagner Love is one player whom Moyes has courted but Yakubu will not be easily replaced and his close friend Pienaar is praying he makes a speedy recovery. “It’s a huge blow to lose Yak and we are all so sorry for him,” said Pienaar. “We know the quality he has got and the type of person he is. His presence alone in the team gives the players a boost, so it is really unfortunate for him to pick up an injury like this when we are not even halfway through the season.
“I spoke to Yak at half-time and he was really down. Maybe the win and the goal will have given him a little bit of lift. We hope he is better again quickly.” If Yakubu’s injury was the uncontested low point against Spurs, Pienaar’s dazzling display was the high and he thoroughly deserved his man-of-the-match award. Aside from being a nuisance on the flanks, he broke his duck for the campaign with a shot that deflected off Vedran Corluka then almost doubled his tally moments later. Given the plight of Everton’s strikers, Moyes is going to need more goals from his midfielders and Pienaar hopes he can rise to the challenge. But the South African’s priority is ensuring Everton now pick up some momentum and hopes they can build on this latest result by beating Aston Villa next Sunday. “After Monday’s performance, we had to prove to the people that we could play as a team again and it was a great opportunity for us,” said Pienaar. “That’s the great thing about football. You always get the chance to prove your last game was an accident, but the main thing now is not to get carried away. We just need to keep working hard. If you look at my season, it has been a rollercoaster so I was pleased with my performance and to get my first goal. That’s a definite relief. I’m not an out-and-out goalscorer but if I can get a few more, I’ll be really happy.”
Yakubu injury mars White Hart gain for Everton
Dec 1 2008 by Dominic King, Liverpool Echo
DAVID MOYES hailed his players after they marked a landmark afternoon with a gutsy win – but admitted the gloss had been taken off by Ayegbeni Yakubu’s season ending injury. Everton’s main striker hobbled off 10 minutes into Moyes’ 300th game in charge following an innocuous collision with Tottenham’s Didier Zokora but it subsequently emerged that he had ruptured his Achilles tendon. With replacement Louis Saha also leaving the pitch on a stretcher after damaging his hamstring during the 1-0 win at White Hart Lane, Victor Anichebe is the only striker with first team experience that Moyes has fit for next week’s clash against Aston Villa. It means the manager will have to scour the transfer market to bring in a striker when the transfer window opens next month – though it won’t be a £10m move for Bayern Munich’s Lukas Podolski, as was reported in one tabloid yesterday. “It is a massive blow for us and Yak as well,” said Moyes. “Look at his record in the Premier League since he has been here, it’s normally 15 or 16 goals per season. For us to find that and replace that it’s not easy. “Saha looks like he has a hamstring injury, but we haven’t properly assessed it yet. On the back of James Vaughan having a knee operation this week, it’s really given us a blow. “Tim Cahill can play up front but we have to find other ways of doing it. We’ll have a look at what is available on loan. The club gives us all the money they can but as everyone knows we don’t have big amounts of cash.”
Though the severity of Yakubu’s injury tempered things, there was no getting away from the delight Moyes felt that Everton bounced back from a hugely disappointing display at Wigan last Monday in such style. Once Steven Pienaar had fired the Blues in front early in the second half, they never looked back and fully deserved their third consecutive win at White Hart Lane as Tottenham were never allowed to pose a threat. “It was a great response,” said Moyes, who switched back to using a five-man midfield. “They players knew they had to respond, and that’s something they have always done for me. We didn’t do what we should have done last Monday but we put that right. “I thought we played very well, which is something you have to do against Tottenham at the moment. Tottenham are riding high in good form and you could see the pressure they put us under. “I thought we played some good football and I’m really pleased. It was terrific. Maybe it was a bit of good fortune that got us the goal but it was a great result against an in-form Tottenham team. “Pienaar played really well, Arteta played very well in the middle of the park and Fellaini had an influence on the game. But it would be hard to single out too many individual players as it was a really good team performance.” On joining Howard Kendall, Cliff Britton and Harry Catterick in Everton’s managerial 300-club, Moyes added: “I’m really fortunate to have been given 300 games and a lot of managers don’t get that opportunity these days. “I hope to be looking forward to another 300 games and I really believe the good times are still to come at Everton. I’m not going to overtake Fergie if he’s going on managing until his 70s! But it’s a big honour and maybe in its own way it is a form of success to be managing the same team in the Premier League for that length of time.”
David Moyes considers move for David Nugent - Everton FC latest
Dec 2 2008 by Dominic King, Liverpool Echo
EVERTON may consider a January move for Portsmouth’s David Nugent.
With Yakubu out for the rest of the season – he was having surgery on his ruptured Achilles tendon in London today – James Vaughan facing three months out and Louis Saha hamstrung, David Moyes is short of fire power. But he is not flush with cash and admitted any new arrivals at Goodison would have to be on loan. Henrik Larsson’s name was mentioned in some quarters as being the man to fill the void but a more realistic target is boyhood Blue Nugent. He almost joined Everton in summer 2005 when he was at Preston and was again linked with a move to Merseyside in May 2007 after winning his one and only England cap against Andorra. Nugent ended up joining Portsmouth in a £7m deal instead but has fallen down the pecking order. The 23-year-old has only played once this season and would jump at the chance of a move home.
It is, however, still early days and Moyes has a number of options to consider before he commits to any deal when the transfer window opens. The results of the scan on Saha’s damaged hamstring are not yet known, but he could conceivably be back in time for the Christmas programme. “Louis Saha had a muscle spasm in his hamstring. It doesn’t look too serious and we will be evaluating it over the next few days,” the club’s head of physio Mick Rathbone said. Until then, Victor Anichebe will be asked to lead the line, while Tim Cahill can also play up front. Cahill has a phenomenal scoring record from midfield but has not hit the target for Everton since the 2-2 draw with Hull on September 21. He has had a number of excellent opportunities to end that run in recent weeks – notably against Wigan and Middlesbrough – but has failed to make the keeper work. That, though, is of no concern to his manager. “Tim’s goals have always been a vital part for us,” said Moyes. “He has been second top scorer most seasons he’s been here. “He has missed a couple of chances but, to me, that’s a good sign. He’s getting into the right positions and the goals will come.”
NIGEL MARTYN: Victor Anichebe has key role to play in thick of crisis
Dec 2 2008 by Nigel Martyn, Liverpool Echo
WHAT one hand gives, the other takes away. Victory at Tottenham could not have come at a better time, but how on earth do Everton recover from losing Ayegbeni Yakubu? Coming so soon after the disappointment against Wigan, the win over Harry Redknapp’s resurgent side was the perfect riposte and nobody could argue that we fully deserved the points. But fitting in with the way things have gone this season, it was inevitable that it wouldn’t have been all plain sailing and the sight of Yakubu hobbling off after he had ruptured his Achilles tendon was hard to take for every Evertonian. You may say that his form has been chequered in recent weeks, but he is a goalscorer and you stick with that type of player regardless because you know they can spring into life at the least expected moment. Unfortunately, a ruptured Achilles tendon is one of the worst injuries a footballer can sustain and it is a long, often lonely, road back. The good thing is that Yakubu will be nursed back to full fitness by one of the best physios in the business. Mick Rathbone – or ‘Baz’ as he is universally known – is a man of great experience and will have had things under control straight away. Once Yakubu has had the operation to repair the damage, Baz will have the ideal rehabilitation programme mapped out and he will be there every step of the way to nurse him back to his best. But, unfortunately, Yak won’t be the only man in the treatment room this week as the hamstrung Louis Saha also faces a lay-off, and that means a huge responsibility falls on the shoulders of Victor Anichebe. He is a young player of tremendous ability and made his first appearance for Everton on the day I pulled on the gloves for the last time – in an FA Cup tie against Chelsea in January 2006. He has made good strides since then. Big, strong and able to hold the ball up, Victor has the physical attributes to play in the Premier League, what he has to show now is a knack of scoring goals at the right times and maybe the added demands on him will bring about more improvement. Losing three strikers in a week – James Vaughan is also out – is scarcely believable, but Everton can’t let that distract their focus. It’s time for everyone to make the best of things – particularly Victor Anichebe.
Set pieces may prove secret to beating Villa
ASTON VILLA are next on the agenda at Goodison Park and Sunday’s meeting could turn out to be a cracker. I’ve been very impressed with Villa this year. They are a typically energetic British team with good experience of the Premier League and there is no doubt that they will be challenging for a European place come May.
They are going to be tough to break down and, in Brad Friedel, Villa have one of the most consistent keepers in the business; without our frontline strikers in action, it might be that we have to make set pieces pay. If, however, we could get three points it would be another enormous step in the right direction and put us level with Villa in the table. What’s more, the confidence gained from beating them would be immeasurable. The four fixtures in the run-up to Christmas were always going to be difficult but winning at Tottenham was the perfect start and if we could be unbeaten in this little period by the time Chelsea leave on December 22, there would be plenty to play for in the New Year.
Blues won't take Macclesfield for granted
AT last we have a kind draw in the FA Cup and Everton will be hot favourites to ease into the fourth round after being paired with Macclesfield. Don’t for one minute, though, think that everyone at Goodison Park will assume we are through already. The name of Shrewsbury Town is enough to send shivers down the spine and only a totally committed performance will enable us to beat the League Two side.
Film spotlight on our passion for football
Dec 2 2008 by Catherine Jones, Liverpool Echo
PORT Cities’ passion for the beautiful game is celebrated in a new film.
Football: On the Edge of Passion will receive its world premiere at FACT next week with a screening, discussions and an exhibition. Liverpool, Istanbul and Marseilles are all famous beyond their borders for their unconditional dedication to their football teams – Liverpool, Everton, Olympique de Marseilles (OM), Galatasaray, Fenerbace, Besiktas – and their cities. The argument made in the new film, part of Capital of Culture’s Cities on the Edge programme, is it is more than just a similarity, it is a common identity that transcends where people come from. Football: On the Edge of Passion, made by French film company Comic Strip Productions, will be shown at the Wood Street venue on Monday, December 8. The film and an accompanying lecture, debate and exhibition will celebrate Liverpool’s football “fandom” and explore the city’s significant relationship with European football culture. The 12th Man exhibition by Tabitha Jussa is a photographic exploration into what it means to be a football supporter in Liverpool and other European cities. A “football rebel” lecture will see Pierre Lanfranchi, football academic and co-director of the FIFA International MA in management, law and humanities of sport, speak on the subject The Wonder of Football in European Port Cities. A panel of football industry professionals will debate the role of the football fan in today’s modern game and issues such as whether football is losing its soul, whether fans are getting value for money and standing at football matches. Ben Potter, who has helped drive the year-long project, said: “Comic Strip have experience in football documentaries and they have a fly-on-the-wall style. “We wanted to create a film which brought people together under a common goal. “It’s not really a film about football. It’s about people and expresses what it is to be a fan.” Tickets cost £7.50 and are available from FACT box office on 08717 042063.
Extended run for Bluecoat show
A NORDIC design exhibition has been extended to this weekend.
Organisers of the NICE08 festival said the Heritage With a Twist exhibition at the Bluecoat proved such a success it will now run until Saturday, December 6. Exhibitors include Madeby, from Sweden, Hendrikka Waage, from Iceland, Nina Tolstrup, from Denmark, and Norwegian Amy Hunting.
08 Diary
December 2: Stuart Sutcliffe retrospective, Victoria Gallery and Museum (until January 31). 0151-794 2348.
December 2: Liverpool Through the Lens, Victoria Gallery and Museum (until January 31).
December 2: Le Corbusier, Metropolitan Cathedral Crypt (until January 18).
December 2: Recollections, Conservation Centre (until February 22).
December 2: 682 Miles, View Two.
December 2: Mary Fitzpatrick, Metal, Edge Hill Station (until December 6).
December 2: 7.30pm - Festival for Christmas, Empire Theatre. 0844 847 2525.
December 2: 7.30pm - Sing-a-long-a-Abba, Empire Theatre. 0844 847 2525.
December 2: 7.30pm - The Emperor’s New Clothes, Unity Theatre. 0151-709 4988.
December 3: 7.30pm - Sally Morgan, Empire Theatre. 0844 847 2525.
December 3: 7.30pm - Oleta Adams, Philharmonic Hall. 0151-709 3789.
December 3: 8pm - Russell Howard, Royal Court Theatre. 0870 787 1866.
December 4: 7.30pm - Kathryn Stott & Friends, Philharmonic Hall. 0151-709 3789.
December 4: 7.30pm - Tosca, Empire Theatre. 0844 847 2525.
December 4: 7.30pm - Breaking Boundaries, Lipa (until December 6). 0151-709 4988.
David Moyes: Mikel Arteta can be our middle man - Everton FC latest
Dec 3 2008 by Dominic King, Liverpool Echo
DAVID MOYES today hailed Mikel Arteta’s return to top form - then challenged him to prove he can be Everton’s middle man on a permanent basis. The Spaniard had looked a shadow of his former self in recent weeks and struggled to make any kind of impact. However, Arteta corrected things in emphatic style at White Hart Lane last Sunday, as he orchestrated Everton’s 1-0 win over Tottenham from the middle of the park. Moyes has primarily used Arteta on the flanks but insists he has the quality and experience to become an imposing force in a central area. “Mikel’s performance at Tottenham was the Mikel Arteta we have all come to know - maybe he was really suited to the role we had him in,” said Moyes. “He arrived at the club as a central midfielder but he has become so effective in wide areas and been such a threat that we have used him there.” Arteta’s speed of thought created Steven Pienaar’s winner and a clear sign that he was influencing matters - and back in the fans favour - came when the visiting contingent chanted his name for long periods through the second period. That hasn’t always been the case. “You notice when someone of his ability isn’t playing to the levels they can,” Moyes agreed. “But Mikel works hard and is a big influence. “His talent is unquestionable. I’ve no doubts the consistency will return. Mikel has been very good for us over the years and is trying to get back to the standards he’s set.” Moyes also praised Tim Howard outstanding - yet again - at Spurs. “Tim made a great save, took a couple of great catches and helped ease the pressure,” said Moyes. “But the big thing for me was the defending - it was outstanding throughout. “Jags, Joe Yobo, Joleon Lescott and Phil Neville put themselves in the right positions at the right time.”
Evertonian Lena Roberts celebrates 96th birthday with Graeme Sharp and Phil Jagielka at Goodison Park
Dec 3 2008 by David Prentice, Liverpool Echo
EVERTON’S oldest season ticket holder has celebrated her 96th birthday . . . an astonishing 77 years after she first set foot inside Goodison. Lena Roberts has been a Main Stand regular ever since her first match in the 1931/32 season. But to mark the occasion, Everton invited her behind the scenes. Blues legend Graeme Sharp and current player of the month Phil Jagielka greeted the enthusiastic nonagenarian in the Blues boardroom, before treating her to lunch in the exclusive Dixie Dean Lounge.
The venue was highly appropriate. “Dixie’s the best I’ve ever seen. We could do with him now, couldn’t we?” joked Lena. “When I go to the game now I always walk up to the statue and say to him ‘don’t forget, two today!’ ” Daughter Linda, like her mum a member of the Everton Shareholders’ Association, added: “I’m more emotional than mum and I fill up every time I see her at the statue. He was her big hero.” Lena has witnessed six league titles, four FA Cup triumphs and a European Cup Winners Cup success in her 96 years. But while she couldn’t get a ticket for the 1933 Cup Final, she did attend the victory parade when the team travelled up to Everton from Lime Street in a horse-drawn coach. And she still has forthright views on the Blues. “What’s the best team I’ve ever seen? I don’t really know. Not this one!” she rapped. “Maybe the 1930s team or possibly the early 70s was the best, but you can’t compare. “Davey Hickson was a great player in the 50s, but he didn’t have the support really.”
Lena, who started supporting Everton when she was courting her future husband, is just only six years younger than Dixie Dean and witnessed many of the great man’s goalscoring exploits. In 1966 she watched the FA Cup at Wembley with a number of former players – including the great man himself.
Everton's Kirkby inquiry: It’s ‘full-time for Goodison Park’
Dec 3 2008 by Richard Down, Liverpool Echo
THERE was “not even a glimmer of hope” that Goodison Park would be redeveloped, the public inquiry into Everton’s proposed move to Kirkby was told today.
The club’s acting chief executive Robert Elstone, under cross-examination by Liverpool council, said: “All our work has shown redeveloping on the existing site is so prohibitively expensive we could never once see even a glimmer of light allowing us to take such an approach seriously.” Asked how other clubs like Newcastle, Manchester United and Fulham had redeveloped on-site, he said their funding had come through grants, naming rights and sales of assets. He went on to confirm that the failure to sell the old Bellefield training ground would not kill off their plans for Kirkby. Yesterday, Mr Elstone said Everton FC would fall into a vicious circle of decline if it were stopped from moving to Kirkby. He told the hearing they could not afford to miss the current “window of opportunity”. His evidence followed claims from Tesco’s development director that the firm could take its proposed investment in the £400m project overseas. Mr Elstone claimed Everton’s debt was rising, and being able to buy or nurture the players needed for a top-flight side was dependent on the new stadium going ahead. He said: “If this project fails, the club’s on-pitch performance risks deteriorating rapidly. “A deterioration on-pitch leads to a probable further reduction in revenue, particularly in valuable broadcasting revenue, which leads to further on-pitch declines – the club would effectively enter a vicious circle.”
Mr Elstone said the club’s net debt rose from £19.5m three seasons ago to £36.7m.
He claimed before that, only the sale of Wayne Rooney for £27m halted the trend of “spiralling debt”. Mr Elstone said his assessment of Everton’s plight was compounded by the growth of its rivals. The acting chief executive also described changing rooms, corporate hospitality, disabled facilities, toilets and concourses at Goodison Park as sub-standard. He said a new stadium would tackle all these issues and allow the club to attract a potentially lucrative naming deal. “A deterioration on-pitch leads to a probable further reduction in revenue, particularly in valuable broadcasting revenue, which leads to further on-pitch declines – the club would effectively enter a vicious circle.” Mr Elstone said the club’s net debt rose from £19.5m three seasons ago to £36.7m. He claimed before that, only the sale of Wayne Rooney for £27m halted the trend of “spiralling debt”. Mr Elstone said his assessment of Everton’s plight was compounded by the growth of its rivals. The acting chief executive also described changing rooms, corporate hospitality, disabled facilities, toilets and concourses at Goodison Park as sub-standard. He said a new stadium would tackle all these issues and allow the club to attract a potentially lucrative naming deal.
Graeme Sharp and Phil Thompson in football debate to raise money for charity
Dec 3 2008 by David Prentice, Liverpool Echo
SATURDAY’S very own Sky TV dream team is to land in Liverpool for a live football debate at the Crowne Plaza, Liverpool tomorrow, to raise money for the Lord Mayor of Liverpool’s chosen charities. Sponsored by Liverpool-based stockbrokers and investment managers, Blankstone Sington, the event will feature Mersey legends Phil Thompson and Graeme Sharp. They Mersey duo will join Jeff Stelling, Charlie Nicholas and Paul Merson to take part in a live debate with audience members including the Lord Mayor, football pundit Alan Hansen and a host of other footballing legends. Neil Blankstone, Director of Investment Services for Blankstone Sington said: “This opportunity to support many local charities was a natural choice for us to give something back.” Lee McPartland of NW Corporate which is staging the event, added: “The event has attracted a lot of interest from sports fans and is a great opportunity to raise money for charities.” An auction has a range of sporting memorabilia up for grabs. All proceeds raised will be donated to charities including the Alder Hey Imagine Appeal, The Marina Dalglish Appeal, Alzheimer’s Society and the Mersey Beat Appeal. For ticket information for the Legends Luncheon, visit www.nwcorporate.co.uk by David Prentice, Liverpool Echo
I’m still a true Blue – David Irving
Dec 4 2008 by David Prentice, Liverpool Echo
DAVID IRVING is about to kick off his ninth season as head coach of Wilmington Hammerheads in North Carolina – a professional club in the third tier of the US league. That’s one more than the eight appearances he made in Royal Blue during the mid-1970s, but the 57-year-old still has fond memories of his five years at Goodison.
Based in the States since 1980, Irving regularly brings his Hammerheads team across the pond for pre-season friendlies – and he always looks out for his first two football loves – Everton and . . . Workington Town. Irving joined the Blues from Workington for £30,000 in January 1973 “I’d watched Workington all my childhood,” he explained. “They went through a really good spell in the league, getting games against Chelsea and Blackburn. “When the team came on to the field they used to play the Z Cars theme. Workington was my passion.” But after a season of scoring goal after goal, an Everton scout who read the Sunday papers noticed how often the name David Irving appeared in the scoreline for Workington and recommended a move.
He made his debut as a substitute in a 1-0 win over West Ham at Goodison Park, but this was the era when Everton were known as the Mersey Millionaires, and he constantly found himself overlooked for big money signings like Joe Harper, Bob Latchford, Duncan McKenzie and Jim Pearson. He scored his only goal in a League Cup tie against Notts County, but by the summer of 1976 accepted his opportunities would be limited and moved on to Oldham. That’s where his life changed.
Maurice Whittle, the Oldham captain, would travel to the United States in the close season, and when someone else pulled out he invited David, then 27, to go with him.
He didn’t look back. Spells at Fort Lauderdale Strikers and Tulsa Roughnecks followed, playing in the same team as Gordon Banks, judging wet T-shirt competitions with George Best – and the highlight of it all, a game in front of 77,000 spectators against Pele’s New York Cosmos. “We lost, but it was unbelievable,” Irving adds.
Boost for Everton over Louis Saha injury
Dec 4 2008 by Dominic King, Liverpool Echo
LOUIS SAHA could make a surprise return to action at Manchester City on Saturday week after scans confirmed he has only suffered minimal damage to his hamstring.
There were fears that the Blues’ number nine was set for a lengthy lay-off when he was stretchered off during the 1-0 win against Tottenham last weekend.
However, those concerns have now been allayed, and if Saha responds well to treatment there is a good chance he will make the trip to Eastlands on December 13.
The news will come as a huge relief to manager David Moyes, who must do without Ayegbeni Yakubu for the rest of the season after he ruptured his Achilles tendon.
James Vaughan is also out for the foreseeable future after he underwent surgery in Colorado yesterday to repair the damaged cartilage in his right knee. Saha has been plagued by fitness problems in recent years but, prior to pulling up lame at White Hart Lane, he had only missed one training session since his move to Everton. Another Blue who is the subject of a positive injury bulletin is Tony Hibbert, who has not been involved with the squad since the 1-1 draw with Middlesbrough last month.
He suffered a groin injury in training but his rehabilitation programme has gone to plan and he may be involved when Aston Villa visit on Sunday. One man who will definitely be involved in that match is last weekend’s match winner Steven Pienaar.
The South African is another member of Moyes’ squad who has suffered fitness issues this season, but he is now determined to become a fixture in Everton’s starting line-up. “Sometimes you lose someone and that provides a chance for another player to gain,” said Pienaar, who missed the start of the campaign with a broken toe.
“I think the players have shown they are up for the fight. “I wasn’t 100 per cent at Tottenham but I really wanted to play and I have to thank the Gaffer for the opportunity. “I didn’t expect to start, so I suppose it was a good time to play well.
“Now we have got to carry it on against Villa, but nobody is going to get carried away.” Everton, meanwhile, have received an allocation of 2,385 tickets for their FA Cup third round clash against League Two outfit Macclesfield Town, scheduled for Saturday, January 3. The vast majority are standing and are priced £16 for adults, £14 for seniors and £10 for juniors, but there are a limited number of seats (£20, £16 and £12) available. Tickets go on sale next Monday, December 15, and will be available from the Goodison Park Box Office.
Everton legend Adrian 'Inchy' Heath's big Texan dream
Dec 4 2008 by Dominic King, Liverpool Echo
PIONEERS enjoy iconic status in the United States. They are figures who, in the 18th century, dared to believe that migrating west would bring a better life and enable them to experience the adventures of their dreams Fast forward to the present day and many continue to follow the same path, inspired by the idea that they will be able to leave their mark. And that, in a nutshell, is the reason why Adrian Heath is now living on the other side of the Pond. At the start of this year, Heath – a man who needs no introduction to Evertonians – was contemplating his next move, given he had been out of football in England since leaving Coventry City in 2007. But then came a phone call that turned his world upside down. His close friend, Phil Rawlins, a former director of Stoke City, rang to inform him that he had bought a football club in Austin, Texas, and he wanted Heath to become manager. There was, however, an unusual twist. While the club was there in name, Heath was told he would find himself in charge of a team without a stadium, training ground or any registered players. But the foundations were there to create something ‘special’. With that, ‘Inchy’, as he is affectionately known by all Blues, was sold on the idea. That, understandably, has ensured the past nine months have been something of a whirlwind, but at no point in that period has Heath had cause for regret. “I’ve been coming over here for the best part of 20 years, either on family holidays or pre-season tours and I’m not ashamed to admit that I love America,” said Heath. “When the MLS took shape, I was interested in it from the beginning and I had one or two enquiries to come out here, but nothing ever materialised. “Then the call from Phil came out of the blue. “It was a big decision to make, as I’d spent the best part of 30 years at home, working hard and trying to build a reputation. “Leaving England was not something I was going to do lightly. But this was an offer that I couldn’t turn down. “Austin is back on the map again now that Lance Armstrong is back in the saddle and it’s a beautiful place to live. My wife and kids have settled in and are thoroughly enjoying themselves, so I couldn’t really ask for anything more.” When you think of football in the USA, you would, in all likelihood, be inclined to say ‘MLS’, home to David Beckham’s LA Galaxy and a number of teams, such as the Colorado Rapids and FC Dallas, whom Everton have played in pre-season friendlies. The Austin Aztex, though, will start their journey in the USL First Division and there is a difference between the two organisations. If an MLS club sells a player, the transfer fee goes to the league, rather than the club, whereas the opposite is true in the USL . And that is what attracted Heath to Rawlins’ idea. They want to build their club up, thanks to a thriving Academy, and keep re-investing any profits made to ensure the Austin Aztex go from strength to strength.
“I think I have come over at the right time, as the game is really taking off,” said Heath. “All the big clubs here have youth development programmes in place now and those kids who had nowhere to go before have places where they can improve their skills. “The game has never been as popular.. Nike have got involved with the USL, while Adidas are putting money behind the MLS. There’s going to be another team in New York next year and the Tampa Bay Rowdies are re-forming. “The difference between now and when the likes of Pele, Bobby Moore and George Best came over, is night and day. It was almost like a circus then, with players at the end of their careers, but everything is geared to the future now. “I really wouldn’t be surprised to see the USA win one of the next World Cups. The Under-17s beat Brazil 4-1 recently and the talent coming through is incredible. They’re all top athletes with great desire.
“The potential is world class.” There is clearly potential in Austin, too. Heath is not one for making bold declarations but the team he put together this summer to see what he had to work with captured the imagination of locals. “We played in an under-23 league earlier this year for college kids and made it to the final four which was a great start. “We’ve got some decent kids here and word is starting to spread.”
Maybe, then, in a few years Armstrong, whom Heath has met on a couple of occasions, won’t be the only sportsman synonymous with Austin, and with each passing day the 47-year-old can see his decision to accept Rawlins’ offer vindicated.
But his heart, of course, will always belong to the Blue half of Merseyside following spells as a player and assistant manager? “I’ll never forget the tingle of going to Goodison on a match day and I wouldn’t try to insult anyone by saying I can – nothing will ever beat that feeling,” said Heath, who hopes Everton’s pre-season tour next year may see them land in Austin. “But this is different. Our aim is to develop players. That’s where the buzz will come from. The other day I went down to the site that will be our training ground. It was amazing to watch it take shape. “We just want to try and build something that we have had at home, and in a few years we’ll have a thriving academy and the players who have passed through will be making a name for themselves.”
Inchy factfile
Born: January 11, 1961
Clubs played for - Stoke City, Everton, Espanyol, Aston Villa, Manchester City, Burnley, Sheffield United.
Everton appearances - 308
Everton goals - 94
Honours: League Championship 1984-85, 1986-87
FA Cup 1984
European Cup Winners’ Cup 1984-85
8 England Under-21 caps
Became most expensive player in Everton’s history in January 1982 when signing in a £700,000 deal from Stoke
Clubs managed - Burnley, Sheffield United, Coventry City, Austin Aztex.
Phil Jagielka had star qualities even as youngster - Adrian Heath
Dec 4 2008 by Dominic King, Liverpool Echo
PHIL JAGIELKA has been Everton’s star man so far this season and there is nobody happier about that than Adrian Heath. The Blues legend coached the England international when they were at Sheffield United and Heath was convinced from the moment he clapped eyes on Jagielka that he had special qualities. “I remember thinking on the first day Jags trained at Sheffield United that he was a kid of real promise and I told the chairman that we needed to get him on a longer contract,” Heath recalled. “When I was at Sunderland with Reidy, we tried to sign him. He’s top class. He’s a great player and a great kid to have around the club because he will play anywhere for you. “The biggest compliment I can pay him is that he is like Alan Harper. I’m so pleased that he is doing well and I never doubted that David had invested wisely when signing him. “People said to me that £4m was a lot for him, but I told them that Everton were getting three players for that fee. He will go on to prove that he is priceless.” Another man whom Heath expects to have a massive impact for David Moyes, particularly if he can steer clear of injury, is Louis Saha. Heath is in no doubt Saha will produce fireworks. “I really hope Louis can stay fit,” said Heath. “He’ll be a fabulous signing because on his day he is absolutely unplayable.
“I presented Tim Cahill with his Player of the Year award at a ‘Bluekipper’ night a while back and I was asked which player I would like us to sign and straight away I said ’Louis Saha’.”
Everton collection strikes solid gold
Dec 4 2008 by David Prentice, Liverpool Echo
THE Everton Collection has struck gold.
The medals, caps and badges belonging to England and Great Britain footballer Arthur Berry have been acquired by the collection and have gone on instant display as part of UEFA’s ‘Only A Game’ exhibition at Liverpool’s World Museum.
Berry was a forward who made 29 appearances for Everton scoring seven goals before the Great War. But despite making only four appearances in two separate spells with Liverpool, he was registered as a Liverpool player when he won gold medals at the 1908 games in London and again four years later in Stockholm. The winner’s medal he brought home from Sweden was the last made of solid gold. Ever since then Olympic gold medals have been made of a specially blended gold mixture.
The Collection acquired these handsome medals, along with Arthur’s 1908 Great Britain cap bearing the Union flag emblem and his medals from FA tours to South Africa and Belgium in 1910. Lord Grantchester, Chairman of the Collection’s Board of Trustees and a major Everton shareholder, said: “We are so pleased to have been successful in bidding for Arthur Berry’s collection particularly as we look forward to the next Olympic games in London in 2012. “Arthur was one of just two Great Britain players who achieved the Olympic football gold medal double of 1908 and 1912.
“To purchase the private medals belonging to a footballer associated with Everton and England from a century ago is phenomenal. “This is a marvellous addition to the Everton Collection and we are delighted fans of football will be able to see them immediately.”
The Jury: Everton fans' views on the win at Spurs
Dec 4 2008 by Our Correspondent, Liverpool Echo
Michael Drummond, Speke
TO HAVE never won at White Hart Lane for 20 years then all of a sudden win three years in a row is fantastic! If someone had offered me a draw before the game, I would have taken their hand off, especially after the defeat at Wigan, but thankfully we got all three, which is even more of an achievement considering their form since Harry Redknapp’s arrival. The win was unfortunately undermined by the bad news that the Yak will be out for the season, just as he was beginning to score again. Yes, he is lazy at times but the threat is always there and it will be missed. Better news that Louis Saha's injury is not as bad and it is also a chance for Victor Anichebe to prove himself. The board needs to get behind Moyes and sort him with money because we will not find an 18-goal-a-season striker on loan, let alone in January.
Mike Williamson, Leasowe
FINALLY, the Everton of last year turned up – and in some style. Sunday’s performance at Spurs was top class, from back to front, and convincingly demonstrated that the players – and not just the fans – had taken to heart just how badly they played at Wigan. There’s always a but with Everton and the inevitable question is whether we can sustain that level of performance against Villa.
This will be the real test, but at least Moyes doesn’t have a selection problem up front in what will have to be 4-5-1 formation for the foreseeable future. However, it is worrying that Moyes can’t seem to see what is blazingly obvious – that we cannot play (4-4-2) – and has taken 18 months to play Arteta in his most effective position.
Lee Molton, St Helens
IT WAS a great performance from the Blues on Sunday to shut some of the critics up.
Arteta must surely stay in the middle now after directing everything from there, while Pienaar was outstanding with his non-stop running. We do miss him when he is out of the team. The downside was the injuries to the Yak and Saha, we will miss the Yak and his goals. Hopefully, Saha will not be out for too long but another striker is needed in January. A move for David Nugent could be a wise one, he would be determined to show that he can do it in the Premier League. I’m sure our scouts are scouring the world for Moyes to uncover another little gem. Hopefully we can get another three points out of Sunday’s game against Villato keep us in the top six. It is time for the home fans to get behind our team and raise the roof to help improve our home record.
Cole Fraser, Litherland
SUNDAY was very bittersweet for us Evertonians.
It was just our luck that the game at White Hart Lane was marred by the blow to our strike force. With Victor Anichebe the only recognised and available striker in our ranks it’s going to be a tough Christmas period. The Gaffer will have to bring somebody in during the transfer window. The big question is: Who? The one thing that worries me is how quickly dithering Dave will wait before making his move. We can’t afford a repeat of the summer and we need someone asap. With regards to Sunday, we looked a better side than in recent weeks. Steven Pienaar was a breath of fresh air, while Phil Jagielka was immense again. He should be captain.
Blue boys: Soft goals ended Cup interest - Dewsnip
Dec 4 2008 by David Prentice, Liverpool Echo
EVERTON’S interest in the Liverpool Senior Cup ended at the first hurdle on Wednesday night, when a young Blues side went down to an experienced Burscough outfit at Victoria Park. The Blues lifted the trophy in 2007, but three goals in the first half hour effectively sealed the tie in favour of Andy Mutch’s side. Lewis Codling did pull a goal back for the Blues in the 59th minute, but another goal just four minutes later ended all hopes of an unlikely comeback. “Burscough were just a little too mature, too strong and too wise for our young lads,” said coach Neil Dewsnip, who was in charge of the side. “We conceded two early on and that gave our young players a tough mountain to climb. “I was pleased to see us come out in the second half and do a lot better. Lewis Codling then scored a great goal – a real goalscorers’ goal – from six yards. But we gave away a soft goal straight after and that killed any momentum we may have had. “We showed a lot of character, though, and I think the players learned that you’ve got to match the physical challenge. “If you can do that then generally your better technical ability will show. Unfortunately, we couldn’t do that.” The Linnets had gone into the match on the back of two straight wins, and Mike Grogan headed past keeper Lars Stubhaug after 10 minutes and Jonathon Goulding slammed in from 20 yards just six minutes later. Burscough added a third in the 29th minute through Craig Davies. Everton’s best moment came in the 59th minute.
Thomas McCready went on a surging run down the right and then crossed into the six yard box, where Codling arrived to slide the ball home. Any comeback hopes were ended when Davies made it four just a couple of minutes later. The Blues must pick themselves up now for an Academy fixture tomorrow morning at Wolves.
Youth profiles
Name: Scott Spencer
Born: Oldham 1/01/1988
Position: Striker
Scott Spencer is ideally placed to offer a word or two of insight ahead of Everton’s FA Cup trip to Macclesfield in January. The youngster spent three games on loan at Moss Rose in March, just a couple of months after spending a few weeks at Yeovil.
Spencer joined the Blues from Oldham in 2006.
ENGLAND HOLD UP ACTION
EVERTON Ladies are back in Women’s Premier League action against Blackburn on Sunday . . . after a frustrating break. The Blues were allowed to postpone their fixtures for a month after being victims of their own success. Four of the Blues high-flying squad were called up to represent England in the FIFA Under-20s Women’s World Cup in Chile. Natasha Dowie, Fern Whelan, Toni Duggan and Michelle Hinnigan were all selected by Everton Ladies and England Under-20s coach Mo Marley.
Duggan netted for England in their opening 2-0 success over hosts Chile, while Dowie scored in the 1-1 draw with Nigeria which followed. An injury-time equaliser from Duggan against New Zealand earned England a quarter-final slot where their campaign ended against the USA.
Everton Monopoly game launched
Dec 4 2008 by Tina Miles, Liverpool Echo
A SPECIAL Everton FC edition of Monopoly is to go on sale. The game, which features past and present stars swopping places with the famous London landmarks, goes on sale from tomorrow. The new official EFC themed Monopoly is identical to the world’s most popular board game, bar the streets and counters. Football themed icons, including the World Cup counter, replace the standard dog and old boot playing pieces. The prices are the same as in the original game but there is a new Monopoly international currency. Everton manager David Moyes is on the game’s top Mayfair slot priced M400 (£400). Phil Neville is a snip at only M180 (£180).
The new Everton FC Monopoly game in on saqle at shops and online at www.merseyshop.com
Premier League points are key - Everton boss David Moyes
Dec 5 2008 by Dominic King, Liverpool Echo
DAVID MOYES today urged his players to forget about position and concentrate on points as they prepare for Sunday’s showdown with Aston Villa. Everton will move into the Premier League’s top six for the first time this season should they beat Villa at Goodison Park – and, more significantly, draw level with them on 25 points.
Martin O’Neill’s side have been tipped as being the team most likely to break into the top four this season but have hit a flat spot in recent weeks and were beaten in the UEFA Cup last night. In contrast, the Blues looked right back to their best when winning 1-0 at Tottenham last Sunday and they have a golden opportunity to make ground at the expense of one of their main rivals. Moyes, though, is not considering what a victory might mean in the long run. All he is concerned about is keeping Everton’s tally ticking over as he is concerned by the table’s unpredictability.
“Points are what matter at the moment, not the position you are in,” said Moyes.
“The league is so tight that you can be eighth one day and then 14th the next.
“Points in the end will make prizes. You might feel comfortable in seventh but it’s the points that make you feel really comfortable. “Everybody from sixth down will be looking over their shoulders and maybe ourselves and Aston Villa will be competing for similar positions at the end of the season. “There will only be the top five that have points who are free of concern about what is going on at the bottom – but I think the players we have are good enough to make the top six.“ One thing Moyes is desperate to see rectified is Everton’s form at Goodison, as they have only won one in eight competitive. Tickets are still on sale for Sunday’s game and can be bought via the club’s website, from the Park End Box Office or by calling 0871 663 1878.
Leon Osman: How casino trip spurred Everton's capital gain
Dec 5 2008 by Dominic King, Liverpool Echo
NEVER underestimate the impact that a game of cards and nice meal can have on a team. Though many believe the key to rediscovering form in the modern game lies in sports science, psychology and statistics, occasionally the best results are achieved when a break is taken from the norm. Sam Allardyce once conjured up a Bolton win at Chelsea by staging a darts tournament for his players, while three of Alan Irvine’s best results as Preston boss came after he took his squad for a run on Lytham beach and then treated them to a bacon sandwich. So perhaps it was inevitable, then, that Everton’s squad would win at Tottenham last weekend after their preparations involved a trip to a casino and a meal with chairman Bill Kenwright rather than endless shuttle runs and set pieces. When Everton have a game in the capital, they invariably fly down 24 hours before the match but David Moyes changed things around for the trip to White Hart Lane and instead they took the train last Friday afternoon. That gave them the opportunity to relax, bond and enjoy a change of scenery and the mood amongst the players was dramatically improved after they spent that evening in the Ambassadors’ Club, trying their luck on the black jack and roulette tables. Come Saturday morning, when Moyes assembled the players for an early training session, there was a real buzz again and the memory of the wretched performance at Wigan the previous Monday had been banished. By the time kick-off arrived, such was the optimism among the group that nothing other than victory was expected – and so it proved. Not everyone leaves a casino as winner but Everton’s chips certainly came in on this occasion. “It was good to spend a couple of days with the lads in a hotel again,” said Leon Osman, who played a starring role in that 1-0 triumph. “We went out for a meal and it was a chance, in a way, for everyone to get close again. “A change of scenery and change of tack helps you refocus on what you have got to do and what you are brought together as a squad to do. “It was obviously the right thing to do because we played really well against Tottenham.” But they didn’t just ‘play well’ – their efforts against Harry Redknapp’s men comfortably surpassed anything they had produced beforehand and they looked much like the Everton that we have come to expect. Dogged, determined and ruthless when the chance to win the game arrived, it was a throwback to some of last year’s performances and the challenge now, as Osman agrees, is to do it on a consistent basis. “From start to finish, it was the kind of performance of which we know we are capable,” he said. “We created chances, defended as a team and kept a clean sheet. It was a really good effort by everyone. Everyone who put the jersey on was fantastic.
“We seemed to have opportunities to score every 10 minutes and we restricted them to long shots and deflected efforts. We were all absolutely delighted and it’s now a case of moving on and upwards.” Yet that is easier said than done. Aston Villa are next on the agenda, then comes a trip to Manchester City before Chelsea arrive at Goodison Park three days before Christmas and that means Everton have no margin for error.
Clearly, however, the next three fixtures offer an opportunity for the Blues to make significant progress and it is not lost on Osman that victory against Villa would put the two teams level on points. A win would also hoist Everton back into the top six but, given what happened the last time they were faced with such a prospect – namely that debacle at the JJB Stadium – Osman is keeping his feet rooted to the floor.
“The league has been so unpredictable that we know it would be silly to start getting carried away,” he said. “There’s only a small margin of points separating fifth place and fourth from bottom at the minute. “Teams are beating each other at will. Tottenham had been on a really good run and the pundits would probably have expected them to turn us over. “But we knew we could win there believed that we would. “Wigan was really hard to take. We had prepared right and went into the game in a confident frame of mind. “For some reason it just didn’t work out for us on the night. It was then a case of working out how to get over it. “You can either sit and stew on it or put it down to one bad night and get over it. That’s what we did.
“We knew we would have to pick ourselves up but there was only one way to do that and that was beating Tottenham. “Villa have been improving steadily all season but they have been held in their last couple of league games and they will be looking to put that right. “But we want to repeat what we did last Sunday and fingers crossed we will.”
Leon Osman factfile
Age: 27
Born: Wigan on May 17,1981.
Osman is eligible to play for England and Turkey. Made 176 appearances for the Blues since making his debut aged 21, replacing Li Tie in a 4-3 defeat to Spurs at White Hart Lane in January 2003. Scored within three minutes of his first Blues start in a 2-1 defeat to Wolves at the end of the 2003/04 season. Scored six goals in the 2005/06 season but had two taken away by the Premier League’s dubious goals panel.
Spent four months on loan at Carlisle between October 2002 and January 2003, but still won their player of the season award. Spent five months at Derby County in 2004 before becoming a first team regular in 2004/05.
HOWARD KENDALL: Why loan deal is right for Everton boss David Moyes
Dec 5 2008 by Howard Kendall, Liverpool Echo
DAVID MOYES might be facing a striker shortage but I’ve no doubt that policy to fill the void with a loan is the right one. It’s been well documented that Everton do not have vast amounts of money to start throwing around and, with that in mind, David is not going to rush out and spend big on a player who could conceivably be fifth choice in the summer. Unless a genuine star stands out in the January transfer window – and I don’t think that is going to happen – there is nothing wrong with bringing in Somebody on a temporary basis to give the squad a bit of depth. Who he signs is open to debate and already a number of names have been mentioned in dispatches; first there was Henrik Larsson, a player I have always held in great esteem and would have loved to have seen grace Goodison Park. There is a suspicion now, though, that he istoo long in the tooth and his age must be a factor as to how he would cope with the intensity of the Premier League again. Michael Owen? I’d imagine that he would be far too expensive, while there is also Emile Heskey, but he is being courted by the world and his wife and money is likely to speak loudest when he decides his future.
You can see, then, that David is not exactly awash with options but, on a short-term basis, I don’t think there would be anything wrong with Portsmouth’s David Nugent, who would jump at the chance to move to Goodison. He is desperate for football, is a boyhood Blue and– unlike if you were actually spending money on him – there wouldn’t be a big risk. But I’m sure the manager knows that already – he won’t move until he is absolutely certain.
We can blunt Villa threat
THE only way to describe last Sunday’s victory at Tottenham is ‘magnificent’ but another massive effort will be needed to beat Aston Villa this weekend. Though they have lost a physical presence in John Carew, Martin O’Neill’s side has great pace throughout and Ashley Young and Gabriel Agbonlahor will try to twist and turn Everton’s defenders to distraction. But we coped superbly with Aaron Lennon at White Hart Lane and I can’t imagine David Moyes changing his team dramatically for a game that offers a fabulous chance for Everton to make a bit of a statement.
Beating Villa would bring the two sides level on points and send us into the games immediately before Christmas full of confidence. It will be tough but I don’t expect the Blues to let us down.
* THERE is nothing so reassuring for a manager than sending out a defender he can trust implicitly and that’s exactly how David Moyes will feel about Phil Jagielka.
He has been a real success story over the past 12 months and if Phil maintains the levels of performance he has shown this season, it will only be a matter of time before Fabio Capello recalls him to the England squad. Jagielka and Joseph Yobo were immense at White Hart Lane but that will have to continue if Everton want to keep climbing the table.
EFC Kirkby inquiry: New stadium will be ‘wonderful’
Dec 5 2008 by Richard Down, Liverpool Echo
EVERTON’s stadium expert dismissed suggestions the proposed 50,000-seater stadium in Kirkby would be substandard. David Keirle, of KSS Design Group, was answering questions from Trevor Skempton, the architect behind Newcastle’s upgraded St James’s Park, during an inquiry into Everton plans to move to Kirkby.
Mr Keirle said the new stadium would help generate a wonderful atmosphere, and by using a design with a steeper slope and a straight lower section of terracing spectators would have the best possible views. He also dismissed proposals he had drawn up for acting chief executive Robert Elstone. Mr Keirle said: “I could have knocked down everything in Everton and worked really hard and spent more than £130m and then still ended up with a smaller stadium than we have now.”
Everton star James Vaughan's op delayed by Dr Richard Steadman accident
Dec 6 2010 by Dominic King, Liverpool Echo
JAMES VAUGHAN will face a prolonged spell on the sidelines after the man who was due to perform surgery on his right knee broke his arm in a ski-ing accident.
The Everton striker, who damaged his cartilage in training two weeks ago, had been scheduled to be operated on by Dr Richard Steadman in Colorado last Wednesday.
However, that had to be shelved after Steadman – who performed a similar procedure on Vaughan’s left knee earlier this year – suffered complications in his own recovery.
It means that Everton are now searching for suitable alternatives, but the longer Vaughan has to wait to go under the knife, the longer it will be before he is back in a Blue shirt. “James is on his way back now without having had the operation,” confirmed manager David Moyes, whose side face Aston Villa at Goodison Park tomorrow. “Obviously there is the option for him to have it done here – there are plenty of surgeons. But he chose to go to see Dr Steadman because he trusts him after the last operation. “Unfortunately, he has had a complication. We knew he had a broken arm but it has turned out to be quite serious and we didn’t know that before James had left. “It’s definitely going to have an impact on how much longer he is going to be out. "At the minute we have not got an idea when the operation will be done. The medical team are deciding.” One Everton striker who has been operated on this week, however, is Ayegbeni Yakubu and he has now returned to Nigeria to start the rehabilitation on his ruptured Achilles tendon. Moyes expects him to be sidelined for “up to nine months” which means he is already facing a battle to be fit for the opening day of the 2009/10 campaign.
Victor Anichebe out to take his chance at Everton stardom
Dec 6 2008 by Dominic King, Liverpool Echo
VICTOR Anichebe finally gets the chance to prove he is ready to perform regularly on the main stage - after spending the past three years waiting patiently in the shadows.
Though he may have wished for better circumstances, injuries to Ayegbeni Yakubu, Louis Saha and James Vaughan mean that opportunity knocks for Everton’s young Nigerian striker and he is determined not to let anyone down. And those who think the 20-year-old might be overawed by the occasion would do well to think again. He might be five months shy of receiving ‘the key to the door’ but Anichebe has already experienced more than some footballers do in a career. He was Everton’s talisman in Europe last year, scoring four times as they reached the UEFA Cup’s last 16 and earlier this summer, Anichebe helped Nigeria secure a silver medal at the Beijing Olympics. But the one thing he has craved more than anything else is a lengthy run of starts in Everton Blue. Yet, for one reason or another, that has not happened since he was thrust into the limelight as a last-minute substitute for Simon Davies during an FA Cup tie with Chelsea in January 2006. Now there is a chance for him to rectify that situation when Aston Villa arrive at Goodison Park for tomorrow’s televised encounter. Aware that a big responsibility lies on his shoulders, Anichebe said: “Obviously I’m looking to play more games now. It’s just unfortunate that I might get a chance because of injuries to Yak, Louis and Vaughany. Nobody wants to see that. I’ve just got to make sure I take it. “I’m quite blessed to have experienced all I have done so far. Some people never get to have a run in Europe or win a silver medal at the Olympics but I am hungry to achieve a lot more. For a start, I’d just like to be playing a bit more regularly. “I’ve been coming off the bench for the best part of three years and there has been nothing wrong with that at all. It’s all part of learning. If you look around the Premier League, there is only (Gabriel) Agbonlahor and (Theo) Walcott around my age who start regularly.” If the injuries to Yakubu and Saha were tough to take, the sight of his close friend Vaughan returning to the treatment room for the umpteenth time in his young career was particularly hard for Anichebe to stomach.
“Losing Vaughany is a major loss,” he admitted. “He doesn’t seem to be as down as he has been in the past. I think he’s going to try and stay as positive as he can. Hopefully he’ll get over this quickly and he’s getting the best treatment possible.
“Now it’s a case of me, Lukas Jutkiewicz and his family rallying around to give him as much support as he needs. We’ll keep him positive. He’s been unfortunate in his career so far but that is life. Hopefully he’ll flourish when he comes back.
“It’s been hard for him. It’s been stop-start all through his career and that sometimes means it’s easier to pick up injuries. Once he gets the chance to play regularly, I’m sure he’ll put it all behind him. We’ll see what the future holds.” The immediate future, of course, is a showdown with Villa, followed by a tussle with Manchester City at Eastlands that could see Everton’s position in the Premier League improve dramatically if they win both fixtures. Anichebe will lead the attack and he is ready to show that he has reaped the benefits of David Moyes’ decision to It’s a move that helped improve his understanding of the game. “It has also made me feel more comfortable on the ball,” Anichebe pointed out. “I’m happy turning and passing now instead of just having the ball played to me directly. In terms of helping my game mature, it has been priceless.” So, too, was last Sunday’s win at Tottenham. Everton looked much more like the team they were last season and Anichebe believes that was down to the impact of Steven Pienaar, whose goal secured a deserved win at White Hart Lane. Everton now need to start producing performances of a similar ilk on a regular basis if they are going to challenge Villa for a European spot come spring, and there is no room for repetitions of what happened at the JJB Stadium. “It’s been hard to get momentum going but we have got the Wigan game out of our systems,” he said.
“We’ve got Steven back now and he’s the player who really makes us tick. I’m sure a lot of things will change in our play. “We’ve got confidence to take into the game against Villa. We are in the middle of four tough games but if we get through it, hopefully we’ll be able to build on that in the New Year.”
BARRY HORNE: Everton must do so much more to nurture talent
Dec 6 2008 by Barry Horne, Liverpool Echo
POSSIBLY the most asked question in football over the past decade, is ‘why are we not producing more home grown talent?’ Not long ago all the top teams were made up of British-based players, every side featuring a healthy smattering of Scots, Irish and Welshmen. One of the greatest Liverpool teams famously contained only one English player, but still only used Bruce Grobbelaar, Jan Molby and Craig Johnston from outside the British Isles. The finger is usually pointed at the number of foreigners we import, and the youth academies which constantly under-achieve despite the millions invested. It’s said another factoris that kids today are not as active as they used to be and have alternative ways to spend their time. This, however, may be a false argument. You have to wonder whether kids are being given enough opportunity to play football in school and elsewhere. That requires good facilities, and they are not always apparent in this country. I am fortunate to teach at a school in Chester which has fantastic facilities. Last year we played more than 200 fixtures, but not every school is that fortunate. I was shocked and surprised – in a nice way – when I visited Shrewsbury Sports Village last week. The facility there is outstanding. While that is the exception in this country, abroad it is the norm. Anyone who has taken junior teams to Scandinavia, Holland, Germany and elsewhere on the continent will know every community has excellent sporting facilities, free from vandalism and theft. And they always have great pitches. Foreign countries invest in infrastructure to give people the chance to play, improve and enthuse about playing football. That’s not always the case over here.
Striking chance that Vic can take
I WAS at White Hart Lane last Sunday to witness unmistakable signs of improvement in Everton – which was very welcome after the lacklustre show at Wigan.
David Moyes’ 4-5-1 formationundoubtedly suits the players he has available.
Marouane Fellaini, Leon Osman, Mikel Arteta and Steven Pienaar look com- fortable in that set-up. Away from home, one of the key areas is midfield, and Everton’s three outplayed Tom Huddlestone and Zokora. The injuries to Yakubu and Saha were crushing blows, but they haven’t put the club in dire straits yet. This is undoubtedly Victor Anichebe’s moment. How he responds to that opportunity could dictate how his career goes. The players available to David Moyes will have to see the club through to January – and then comes a big challenge, with the transfer window telling us a lot about the state of the club as they look to sign another striker.
* ASTON VILLA come to Goodison tomorrow with in-form strikers, pace down the flanks, willing runners and expert delivery from dead ball situations. In short, they look a potent threat – exactly the same threat Tottenham provided last weekend, and a threat Everton made look mediocre. With a similar, or better performance, we could see a good game and a good result tomorrow.
DOMINIC KING: Everton's Phil Jagielka has proved hope is never lost
Dec 6 2008 by Dominic King, Liverpool Echo
CHRISTMAS cards will be arriving at a steady rate in the Jagielka household this week but maybe there should be a delivery of anniversary ones, too. It was, after all, 12 months ago this weekend that his career as an Everton player was given the opportunity to take off when he replaced the hamstrung Leighton Baines 23 minutes into a 3-0 win over Fulham. Having been rather uncertain and concerned about his place in the squad – things had not gone smoothly following his £4m move from Sheffield United – Jagielka slotted in comfortably to the middle of Everton’s defence that afternoon and has never looked back. To prove that point, Jagielka has appeared in every competitive match Everton have played since then and the only time he has been off the pitch in that period was for 77 minutes in a 1-0 win over Derby County on April 6. Even accounting for the fact he is an athlete who looks after himself properly, that is a phenomenal record, particularly when you consider he also played in all Everton’s pre-season friendlies and has hardly missed a day’s training either.
As someone whose job it is to put his body on the line, that Jagielka has been the model of consistency and professionalism for a calendar year has more than vindicated David Moyes’ decision to sign him from Sheffield United. His progress will have taken certain observers by surprise but not former Everton legend Adrian Heath, who observed in an interview with Royal Blue a few days ago that Jagielka always had the potential to flourish. “He’s top class,” Heath recalled. “He’s a great player and a great kid to have around the club because he will play anywhere for you.
“I’m so pleased that he is doing well and I never doubted that David had invested wisely when signing him. “People said to me that £4m was a lot for him but I told them that Everton were getting three players for that fee. He will go on to prove that he is priceless.” When Jagielka returned to Goodison – he was let go when at the club’s Academy – he gave the impression occasionally that he didn’t really believe he deserved his place in a squad that had just qualified for Europe. Having grown accustomed to being the top man at Sheffield United and someone who had the full backing of his manager Neil Warnock, perhaps leaving his comfort zone was a shock to the system, the challenge of winning over a new group appeared to be hugely daunting. The manner in which he has roared back, then, has been thoroughly heart-warming and it would not be the greatest surprise to see him replicate his efforts of two seasons ago, when he played in every minute of every Premier League game for the Blades. It is also not beyond the realms of possibility that come next March, he will return to Fabio Capello’s England squad for the first time since winning his one and only cap against Trinidad & Tobago last June. His performances, after all, have been of the highest standard. But for every heart warming tale, there has to be a hard luck story and if Jagielka has enjoyed a personal year to remember, spare a thought for the man who made way for him on December 8, 2007. Baines had just started to show glimpses of the form that persuaded Moyes to sign him from Wigan for £6m but his hamstring ripped when he was chasing a ball down the Bullens Road flank and he has endured nothing other than frustration since. Only Moyes knows what the future holds for Baines but if Jagielka continues as he has done and Joleon Lescott keeps his place at left-back, things might be difficult for the former England Under-21 international.
If, though, he is wondering whether things can turn around, he need only look at the man who wears Everton’s number six shirt – and maybe there will be another happy anniversary to reflect on 12 months from now.
Obinna has high hopes in window of opportunity
EVERTON endured what can kindly be described as a “testing” time during the last transfer window and that was highlighted in the deal of the one that got away.
The Blues thought they had landed Victor Obinna – a Nigerian striker based with Inter Milan – on a season-long loan only for red tape and the government’s rejection of a work permit application to scupper the deal. As far as Obinna is concerned, however, he hopes the move can be resurrected when the new window opens, as his chances to impress new manager Jose Mourinho have been few and far between, and he would jump at the chance of a move to the Premier League. “I read talk about my future in the newspapers and especially that I was going to Everton,” Obinna said.
“I'm happy here at Inter and I am part of the squad but I do need to play more if I am to keep my place in Nigeria's national side.” Given the severity of the injuries Ayegbeni Yakubu and James Vaughan have sustained, Moyes has no other option but to move for someone in January and a loan deal makes sense on a number of levels, not least from an economic perspective. With no funds to bid for someone like Roque Santa Cruz – if only – there is no point spending for the sake of it and there are options available who would do a job in the short term, among them David Nugent and Henrik Larsson. All being well, someone will be in place for the FA Cup trip to Macclesfield on January 4, as it would stretch Everton’s squad to breaking point if that doesn’t happen.
Andy will still have to pass ‘Go’
YOU may or may not be aware that an Everton version of Monopoly will soon be in the shops, just in time for Christmas. Royal Blue has yet to see a copy, but the question must be asked: Which member of the squad is unlucky enough to fill the gap on the Old Kent Road? Do not be surprised to see the words ‘Andy van der Meyde’ in that space.
Everton boss David Moyes desperate to get cover for battered strikeforce
Dec 6 2008 Liverpool Echo
DAVID MOYES admits Everton are “interested in everybody” in January’s transfer window because of the club’s mounting injury crisis. With Yakubu out for a at least nine months due to the torn achilles he suffered in the win at Tottenham and James Vaughan’s season also over, the Blues only have one recognised striker, in Victor Anichebe – who is also playing with a back injury. As a result, Everton have been linked with former Manchester United and Celtic forward Henrik Larsson, David Nugent and Michael Owen and though Moyes would not name any players,, he says Everton are so desperate he would happily recruit anybody willing to alleviate the lack of proven goalscorers. He said: “There is no doubt we have to bring people in and I think we need more than one with the situation we are in. . “Strikers have become the priority because we are short. “We will scour the market and hopefully bring someone in who can have some impact. “You can link us with however many you like because I can tell you I am interested in everybody. “But what I would say is that I would never name players at other clubs. “I don’t think that is right and I don’t think managers should do that but you can link me and I will say ‘yes’ to everybody because we are interested in everybody.” Moyes believes the current injury situation means his players need to demonstrate an “all hands to the pump” mentality and he is urging them to stick together and be willing to play out of position for the good of the club - or even play with injuries – if things get even more desperate. He said: “We can’t afford for people to be injured and even if they are injured they might have to play – that’s what happens sometimes and that is the situation we are in. “There’s a lot of weight on all the players because we need them all to step up to the mark and it is all hands to the pump. “We might have centre halves who play centre forward for the time being or until January or we might need midfield players to play centre forward because when you run out of them everyone has to step up and put their work in.
“The lads have been good at that in the past and I am sure they will be again.
“Hopefully we will be fine with what we have got. If Louis doesn’t take too long and if Victor Anichebe is fine then we will have two centre forwards to pick from so that gives us a start.”
Everton 2, Aston Villa 3: Even later show adds to Goodison gloom
Dec 8 2008 by Ian Doyle, Liverpool Daily Post
LIVE by the sword, die by the sword. Having already demonstrated the virtue of never giving up hope until the final whistle on numerous occasions this season, Everton failed to follow their own example yesterday. A deserved point appeared to have been salvaged from a dramatic encounter with Aston Villa when Joleon Lescott acrobatically volleyed his second goal in the third minute of stoppage time.
Yet, remarkably, there was still enough time for David Moyes’s side to once again shoot themselves in the foot in front of their own supporters with Ashley Young grabbing an unlikely three points for the visitors. Some finish, some game. But when the dust settles and heads are clearer this morning, the simple fact is Everton’s dismal record at Goodison goes on. It’s now just one win in eight Premier League games at what last season was a fortress breached only by the so-called big four. On their travels, only Chelsea and Liverpool can boast a better record; at home only Blackburn Rovers are worse. Not good enough, particularly for a team still harbouring ambitions, as Moyes stated before the game, of joining such exalted company. And Everton have only themselves to blame for losing a game in which they dominated.
Twice the home side had efforts cleared off the line, the crossbar was hit and Villa were indebted to a fine goalkeeping display from Brad Friedel and an heroic effort from centre-back Martin Laursen. But lapses in concentration and some individual mistakes were capitalised on by the devastating counter-attacking threat of Villa that had shocked Arsenal last month and illustrated why Martin O’Neill’s side are maybe the better-equipped to gatecrash the Champions League places. None more so than in the 54th minute when Phil Jagielka marked his 50th league appearance for the club with a howler of gargantuan proportions, his misdirected back-pass gifting Ashley Young the chance to dispatch clinically past Tim Howard. Jagielka has been outstanding for Everton this season and has already shown the strength of character during his Goodison career to ensure his game won’t be affected by one mistake.
With Yakubu and James Vaughan sidelined with long-term injuries and Louis Saha hamstrung, Victor Anichebe was pressed into service as a lone striker with Tim Cahill for support. The Nigerian put in a selfless shift, all the more admirable given he was playing through the pain barrier of a back injury that eventually forced his withdrawal shortly before full-time. Although enjoying plenty of the play and at times pummelling the Villa goal, set-pieces always seemed Everton’s most likely route to success, with the gargantuan frame of Marouane Fellaini often the target.
And the problem for Moyes was that, with his attacking resources severely limited, there were few alternatives available when twice having to chase the game.
It spoke volumes that Everton ended the match with a defender and midfielder in attack and the right flank filled by Andy van der Meyde, making his first appearance in more than 19 months. So continues O’Neill’s hold over Goodison, with the Ulsterman having now not lost in 11 visits as a player or manager.
Perhaps Everton should have know it would be one of those days the moment Villa went ahead with the fastest goal scored in the Premier League this season.
Luke Young dispossessed a hesitant Arteta from a throw-in and fed James Milner, who laid the ball back for Sidwell to thrash a rising shot from 25 yards that Howard’s valiant attempt could not keep out. The game was just 34 seconds old.
Everton, though, responded in an impressive manner and fashioned their first chance in the 25th minute when, after Villa failed to clear their lines properly, Leon Osman headed forward for Cahill but the Australian’s shot was parried by Friedel.
That galvanised Moyes’s men, and they went on to dominate the rest of the half.
Fellaini couldn’t get enough power in a free header from Arteta’s left-wing corner to overly trouble Friedel before the crowd screamed for a penalty after a coming together between Anichebe and Milner inside the area. Referee Martin Atkinson rightly waved away the home appeals but, on the half-hour, adjudged Carlos Cuellar to have fouled Tim Cahill on the left flank for a free-kick from which Everton scored their first equaliser. Arteta’s inswinging delivery was flicked on by Osman and, with Villa slow to react, Lescott nipped in to force the ball past Freidel off his knee. For Lescott, a self-confessed Villa fan as a youngster, it was the ideal way to celebrate his 350th club career appearance. And Everton should have been ahead by the interval. Anichebe swivelled 12 yards out for a shot that was safely guarded by Friedel, Cuellar cleared a Fellaini header off the line from Arteta’s corner while Osman was wasteful when volleying an inviting dropping ball well off target. The second half began in the same vein, Friedel pawing yet another Fellaini header on to the crossbar after another dangerous Arteta corner. So it was completely against the run of play when Villa went ahead again on 54 minutes when Jagielka’s dreadful mistake allowed Ashley Young the chance to finish neatly past Howard. Everton had stronger claims for a penalty shortly afterwards when, challenging with Anichebe inside the area, Curtis Davies cleared the ball against his own arm. Referee Atkinson waved play on, and in truth it would have been a harsh call. Joseph Yobo sent a header wide from an Osman corner late on but Everton appeared to be running out of ideas with Villa defending resolutely. Then came the late drama. In the final of three minutes allotted injury time, Everton kept the ball alive from a corner and, after Osman had floated a cross to the far post, Jagielka headed across goal, Cahill helped the ball on and Lescott twisted his frame to send a brilliant improvised volley past Friedel. That should have been that. But, with home minds still on the equaliser, Arteta lost possession of the ball to Gabriel Agbonlahor who played in Ashley Young to race past Lescott and produce another wonderfully cool finish to beat Howard for the winner. An Everton version of Monopoly may have been released this week, but Moyes’s men couldn’t get out of jail this time.
Everton 2, Aston Villa 3: Blues only have themselves to blame
Dec 8 2008 by Dominic King, Liverpool Echo
ONE step forward, two steps back – ladies and gentlemen, take your partners for the Everton tango. Just when you think the tide is starting to turn and the ruinous beginning to the campaign is being rectified, along comes a defeat that leaves you speechless, numb and utterly bewildered. Every time Everton have had an opportunity to move into the Premier League’s top six in recent weeks, they have fluffed their lines but if the manner in which they did it at Wigan a fortnight ago was unacceptable, this was absolutely heartbreaking. David Moyes’ side did not deserve to lose this absorbing contest with Aston Villa but they ultimately ended up pointless and crushed because, as they have done many times before, they shot themselves in the foot.
If conceding a goal after 34 seconds is careless, shipping a winner with 12 seconds remaining of added time having only just restored parity is inexcusable; what will hurt Moyes today is the fact that the Blues were the architects of their own downfall.
It could and should have been so much better, as there were times when Everton’s energy and drive mirrored their best of last year and a team without Villa’s talents, in all probability, would have capitulated. Typical, then, that Everton should switch off against a team handled by a man who has never lost a game at Goodison Park either as a player or manager but one wonders just how damaging Ashley Young’s 94th minute winner will be in the long run. Had Everton deliberately tried to start the match in such a deplorable manner, it is doubtful they would have succeeded as Villa got themselves in front before the majority of the 31,922 crowd had the chance to get settled in their seats. Mikel Arteta dithered when trying to mop up a throw, Luke Young nipped the ball off his toes and fed James Milner, whose lay-off Steve Sidwell walloped spectacularly past Tim Howard from 25 yards. To make matters worse, there was a bitter irony about how the goal was fashioned – Milner, of course, was the subject of a £10m Everton bid days before he moved to Villa Park, while Moyes tried on a couple of occasions to sign Sidwell. Given how bad form at Goodison has been this season, being forced to chase the game in front of an increasingly edgy, frustrated crowd was just what Everton could have done without. In fairness – and perhaps this was down to the confidence boosting win at White Hart Lane seven days earlier – Everton did not look fazed by the challenge and those who had turned up to watch were, eventually, in a belligerent mood. Goodison is a wonderfully atmospheric ground in its pomp, a place that can frighten the life out of visiting teams but there are too many occasions when you will find more atmosphere on the moon and more life in a mortuary. When it is quiet and only a few can be bothered to rouse themselves, it can be quite miserable and you can see games drift away from Everton. Yet this was one of the days when it felt ‘right’ with crowd and players fighting in unison.
There was no moping around or feeling sorry for their predicament, just a determination to restore parity and that saw Tim Cahill – with a thumping volley – and the impressive Marouane Fellaini test Brad Friedel in the space of 60 seconds.
Spurred on by events on the pitch, the decibel levels were ratcheted up in the stands and it wasn’t long before they got their rewards, Joleon Lescott diverting Osman’s flick-on past Friedel after Arteta had whipped in an accurate free-kick.
It was another sign that Everton – despite being short of numbers – are starting to hit top form again; had they suffered such a start in September or October, the chances of them getting going again would have been remote. Not now. There was only one team who looked capable of scoring again before half-time and that was the one clad in Royal Blue. Had Carlos Cuellar not been standing on the line in the moments before Martin Atkinson blew his whistle, Fellaini would have done that. A similar pattern followed after the re-start and only a spectacular save from Friedel prevented the Belgian heading Everton into the lead. Somehow he managed to get a finger to the goal-bound effort and it was enough to divert it onto the bar. So imagine the dismay that was felt, when Everton committed suicide just when they were going for the kill. Phil Jagielka’s inexplicable back pass was seized upon by Ashley Young, who never flinched as Howard tried desperately to narrow the angle. Of all the players on the pitch, the one who you would not have expected to make such a spectacular error was Jagielka. He, after all, has been the Toffees’ Player of the Season, the one man who has been able to hold his head high even when fortunes were fading. Jagielka, though, is not the type of man who will dwell on misfortune and it was no surprise that he was involved in the play that resulted in Lescott smashing in a volley which should have secured a priceless point. Naivety, however, ended up costing Everton dear. It made no sense to go gung-ho straight after snatching a lifeline and a lack of physical and mental strength on behalf of a certain few had fatal consequences. In the circumstances, a point would have been more than acceptable, so to carelessly toss it away will take some getting over – one hopes this does not cast a heavy cloud over Finch Farm for too long. Moyes, his coaching staff and senior players have a duty now to come out fighting, as wallowing in self pity will make the tasks they face against Manchester City and Chelsea before Christmas all the more difficult.
To avoid them becoming impossible, the no-nonsense, efficient and determined team that swept Tottenham aside needs to return to the dance floor.
Phil Neville: Defeat against Aston Villa felt as bad as European exit - Everton FC latest
Dec 8 2008 by Dominic King, Liverpool Echo
PHIL NEVILLE today admitted Everton’s sickening 3-2 defeat against Aston Villa feels as bad as the night they were knocked out of Europe by Fiorentina.
Having looked as if Joleon Lescott’s second equaliser would secure a point, the Blues lost their shape and composure and were flattened by Ashley Young with 12 seconds left. Not surprisingly, the home dressing room was a particularly sombre place and Neville said it was comparable to the night they lost to the Italians on penalties in March. But with games at Manchester City and Chelsea on the horizon, Neville knows he and his team-mates can ill afford to suffer a hangover if they want to push for Europe again. “It’s probably one of the most disappointing defeats I have suffered since I have been at this club – we are all absolutely devastated,” Neville admitted.
“If we had come off at the end with a 2-2 draw, it would have felt like a victory. I think we deserved it with the effort and commitment we put into the game.
“It ranks along with losing to Fiorentina. Beating Villa would have been a big scalp for us. To get back into the game the way we did showed great character.
“It’s a bitter pill to swallow. We had enough defenders on the pitch and we should have shut up shop.” Everton paid the price for a number of uncharacteristic mistakes – notably Phil Jagielka’s poor back pass to Young for his first goal – but Neville says there is no finger pointing. “The thing I love about playing for Everton is the fact we win, lose and draw together,” he pointed out. “I hope nobody thinks we will be looking for scapegoats as that simply is not our style. We are all in it as a team and there is no doubt in mind that we’ll bounce back from this.” But that, Neville accepts, is easier said than done. He just hopes that Everton do not prove to be so naïve again if faced by similar situations. “Maybe we were still celebrating our goal but we left two versus two at the back and you can’t do that against a side with strikers as quick as Villa’s,” he said.
Everton boss David Moyes praises 'fantastic' Victor Anichebe
Dec 8 2008 by David Prentice, Liverpool Echo
DAVID MOYES may be forced to wrap Victor Anichebe in cotton wool until the January transfer window. The youngster was Everton’s only fit striker against Aston Villa yesterday, and gave a performance described as “fantastic” by his manager before he, too, was forced to limp off injured. “Victor Anichebe was fantastic,” said Moyes after the heart-breaking 3-2 defeat at Goodison. “He had to come off, but I kept him on as long as I could. “There were a few people who were wondering why I was taking off a centre-forward to put on a left-back, but whatever we did worked because it got us back in the game." With Louis Saha recovering from a hamstring strain and Ayegbeni Yakubu and James Vaughan both long-term absentees, Anichebe is the only fit forward at the club with first team experience. “He’s had a problem with his back which seems to be running into his hamstrings," explained Moyes. “He’s had it before and got through so I have to hope maybe a few days’ rest might help him recover.”
Sloppy passing helped gift Villa all three goals yesterday, but the Blues boss admitted he had to accept his own share of responsibility. “We lacked concentration, yes,” he said. “But I take my share of the responsibility for that because we were playing a centre-half at centre-forward, a midfield player at centre-forward and a wide player at full-back because we were chasing the game. “We were a bit disorganised at that point and we should have done better, not just the players but me as well.” After twice coming from behind, the second equaliser in time added on, Everton conceded a heart-breaking 94th minute winner and Moyes added: “I can’t explain how disappointed I am. It’s right up there, that’s for sure. “The performance from the second minute to, whatever it was, the 94th or 95th, was excellent. They did everything, they kept at it, played with a good tempo, had a couple cleared off the line, hit the bar . . . so I couldn’t ask for any more. “I have been looking for a better performance. I got a performance today but unfortunately not the result.
“The second goal was a blatant mistake, just as we’d started the second half the way we ended the first half, and we’ve had to chase the game against a team which is good on the counter attack with quick players up front. “For all purposes I thought it would finish 2-2. I don’t know what the time was over. I thought it seemed longer than the three minutes. I thought the referee would kick off again and that would be it, but maybe the celebration was too long. Maybe they add time on now for celebrations, I don’t know.” The result puts Villa clear in fifth place, six points ahead of the Blues, and Moyes went on: “Villa are the most likely to break into the top four. They’ve got the team and the financial backing, but I thought today was Everton’s day.
“I thought today was the day Everton players deserved a victory, or at least a draw, but when you play a team with the speed and pace of Martin O’Neill’s side then you’re always going to be under pressure. “The goals came from bad passes which they were very quickly on to.”
DAVID PRENTICE: Everton still in fine shape to finish best of the rest
Dec 8 2008 by David Prentice, Liverpool Echo
TWENTY ONE years have flown by since a Trinity Mirror newspaper first carried this byline. St Helens’ Wembley defeat of Warrington in an FA Vase final might have excited my imagination, but it was overshadowed by Everton’s imminent collection of their ninth league title. Everton were then considered the best of the rest. Liverpool were in a trophy-winning stratosphere of their own, but the Blues’ league title winning achievements eclipsed Arsenal’s and Manchester United. And Chelsea? Mere footnotes in the football record books. Rothman’s Football yearbook might now be sponsored by Sky, but the roll of honour remains the same. It was two years before the Gunners added title number eight, another seven before United drew level in 1994.
But times have changed. Everton are still fighting to be best of the rest.
But in the 21st Century ‘the rest’ constitutes fifth place in the Premier League.
With the modern day ‘big-four’ apparently cast in stone, the place behind the Champions League quartet remains most big clubs’ major ambition. And Aston Villa is the club Everton are currently jostling with for that status. Last season The Toffees edged out the Villa for a place in Europe. Yesterday Villa got their own back.
But despite the cruel nature of the defeat, despite the six-point gap it has now opened up – and despite reports Villa will be doing all the spending in January, not Everton, there was plenty to suggest that David Moyes men can still maintain last season’s edge. Villa are an organised, highly effective unit with pace and power in plenty of key positions.
But they were successful yesterday only because Everton offered them three goals on a plate.
Steve Sidwell will never hit a ball more sweetly than the 34th-second howitzer he exploded into Tim Howard’s net, but Mikel Arteta gave up possession cheaply just seconds earlier. Phil Jagielka handed Ashley Young his first goal of the game with a suicidal back pass, then while Goodison Park was still rocking with riotous 93rd minute celebrations after Lescott’s late equaliser, Arteta allowed another sharp pass to squirt away from him and Young took ruthless advantage once again. It was a cruel, heart-breaking – and wholly avoidable defeat. But equally there was still plenty to hearten Evertonians. Concentration at key moments was the issue yesterday, not a lack of quality or fighting spirit. It was ironic in the extreme that Jagielka should be the culprit of the most obvious howler of the day, because he has been the most reliably consistent individual in the Blues squad - and it was heartening to hear the Gwladys Street chanting his name seconds after his horrible 53rd minute back pass.
Victor Anichebe’s status as the only fit striker at the club meant that he was selected to lead the line. He performed effectively and enthusiastically, with the five-man midfield once again affording numerous opportunities for others to arrive late in the box. Once again it was Marouane Fellaini, rather than Tim Cahill who was the beneficiary. Three times he was denied by a combination of goalkeeper, full-back on the line and crossbar. Everton could hardly have done any more – they lost the battle, but showed they are still in shape to go to war. It’s one of those old claims to fame that an Everton side has won a major honour in almost every decade of the club’s existence. If you discount the war-interrupted 1940s (and Everton were the last pre-war champions) only one decade has ever failed to see an item of silverware adorn the Goodison trophy cabinet. This current decade looks like joining the faltering fifties.
But success nowadays is calculated in different ways. A long FA Cup run would be appreciated, but back to back fifth place finishes would be perhaps even more meritorious. And Everton are still in solid shape to achieve that ambition.
David Unsworth backing for Phil Jagielka - Everton FC latest
Dec 9 2008 by David Prentice, Liverpool Echo
PHIL JAGIELKA can bounce straight back from his backpass horror – says the man who has gone through exactly the same experience. David Unsworth made over 300 appearances for Everton and was an FA Cup winner in 1995, but the moment he will never forget was a wayward backpass in a relegation showdown in 1999.
“I did the same thing as Phil in a really important game right at the end of the season against Sheffield Wednesday,” he recalled. “It was just a couple of minutes after Marco Materazzi had done the same and we lost 2-1. “I didn’t speak to anybody for a week afterwards. I was absolutely devastated, but you have to bounce straight back.
“That’s what you’re paid to do and I’m sure Phil will do just that.” Unsworth was a team-mate of Jagielka’s at Sheffield United and knows exactly what kind of individual he is. “He is a strong character and his performance after that moment on Sunday was outstanding,” he added. “He clearly didn’t let it affect him. “I can guarantee Phil will never make that same mistake again. “In many respects he was unlucky that Villa were playing the system they were, with two wide men pushed on. Any other team probably wouldn’t have had a player in a position to take advantage of a situation like that – and Ashley Young still had to finish, which he did superbly.
“But it was good to hear the Gwladys Street singing his name straight after.
“Once the desolation and the devastation he’s feeling has eased that will help him.
“But you could see by his reaction straightaway he wasn’t going to let it worry him. He has been Everton’s most consistent player all season and he won’t let one mistake get to him.” Unsworth currently plays for League One Huddersfield, but is hoping to take the first step on the road to a successful management career. He is on a shortlist for the job at the Galpharm Stadium, made vacant when Stan Ternent was ousted after only six months in charge. “Management has always been an ambition of mine,” added Unsworth. “I’ve been taking my coaching badges and while I’m still very much a player, I’m keen to take the next step.”
Andy Van der Meyde keen to salvage Everton career
Dec 9 2008 by David Prentice, Liverpool Echo
ANDY VAN DER MEYDE came in from the sub-zero cold on Sunday – and the Dutch winger is hoping his seven-minute cameo against Aston Villa can finally ignite his Everton career. The 18-cap Dutch international hasn’t figured for the Blues for 18 months – a late substitute appearance against Manchester United in April 2007 the last time he featured in an Everton first team. Still only 29-years-old, but troubled with injury problems through his stay on Merseyside, van der Meyde hopes that he can now figure more regularly. “I wanted to prove something to David Moyes and it was good for myself also,” said van der Meyde. “I’ve been waiting for this moment a long time.
"I was unlucky with injuries but hopefully now I’m back in the team. “I’m happy the fans trust in me and want to give me a chance. I hope I can give them something back.
“We have good players at Everton and if everyone is fit it is difficult to get in. This is a good chance for me. “I don’t know if I will be involved against Manchester City, it’s up to the gaffer. He’s the boss and he makes the choices but I hope I’m involved.”
Van der Meyde was involved in a couple of promising Blues’ moves – and took the corner which ultimately led to the late equaliser. “After such a long time it was nice to have the feeling of being part of the team again. I was so happy,” he added.
“I think they expect a lot here, the supporters. And they should do because we’ve got a good team and we should play well. We didn’t play badly but if you give it away in the last 10 seconds it’s not good. “In the first half especially we were the better team and we did not deserve to lose.”
NIGEL MARTYN: Show of support for Phil Jagielka was just fan-tastic
Dec 9 2008 by David Prentice, Liverpool Echo
ONE of the most heartening moments of Sunday’s sickening result at Goodison Park was the reaction of the Gwladys Street crowd to Phil Jagielka’s back pass blunder.
They chanted his name. He will have noticed that message of support, and he will have appreciated it. It was a clear sign that the fans appreciate the effort he has been putting in, that they understand it was a one-off blunder in an otherwise unblemished season and that they won’t hold him personally responsible for what, after all, is a team effort. Phil will have been devastated by the mistake, but equally he will have everyone else in the dressing room trying to lift him back up and remind him what an outstanding season he’s been having. There are times when some of the experienced members of the dressing room will take it upon themselves to give a team-mate a rollicking. That’s usually when they’ve ducked out of a tackle or haven’t given absolutely everything. A mistake like the one Phil made can happen to anybody and every one of his team-mates recognises that fact. The silly mistakes apart, there was plenty for Everton to be heartened by on Sunday. With the on-going striking problems, the Blues will need more goals from other areas of the team – so to see Joleon Lescott back on the scoresheet with two goals was a good sign.
Equally the passing was generally good and the spirit was excellent, twice pulling back a deficit to get back on terms. There’s no reason at all why Everton can’t go to Manchester City on Saturday and celebrate the same kind of result they achieved there last season. Much will depend on what kind of City team turns up – the one which took Arsenal to pieces recently, or the one which rolled over meekly against Manchester United. Everyone focuses, understandably, on Robinho. But for me the catalyst for all City’s best attacking efforts is Shaun Wright Phillips. If Everton can keep him quiet, they can go to City with every confidence.
Memories of an O'Neill late show
I CAN honestly say I know just how Everton’s shattered players felt on Sunday.
I’ve been on the receiving end of a Martin O’Neill late show, too. My injury-time horror came in 1996, in a Play-Off Final at Wembley when Martin was Leicester City manager. I was in goal for Crystal Palace and with a penalty shoot-out seconds away, Martin took off their goalkeeper Kevin Poole and brought on the giant Australian Zeljko Kalac. I think the reasoning was that the 6ft 8in keeper would be a more intimidating obstacle to face for the penalties – and with only 20 seconds left he wouldn’t have anything to do anyway. He didn’t, because Steve Claridge buried one past me in the top corner with four seconds left and there was absolutely nothing we could do about it. It was a shattering feeling. At least Everton have another game coming up very quickly to try and get Sunday’s sickener out of their system. We had to wait all summer to bounce back from ours.
NO POINT MOANING ABOUT REFEREE
DAVID MOYES might have questioned the referee’s time-keeping on Sunday, but I think it was probably his intense disappointment coming through rather than any serious criticism of the match official. The referee is the sole arbiter of a match’s duration, and there’s absolutely nothing anybody else can do about it. Halfway through the second half I saw David pointing to his watch and shrugging at Martin Atkinson, as Villa laboured over a throw-in. I think he was hoping to convince the referee to add a few extra seconds on at the end. Unfortunately, he did just that.
Striking out for crucial deal
EVERTON’S financial problems have been well documented, but that doesn’t conceal one inescapable truth. The Blues have to bring another striker in during the January transfer window. No matter how it’s achieved, the Blues can’t afford to go through the second half of the season with Victor Anichebe and Louis Saha as their only two fit strikers.
unsworth backing for jags
Dec 9 2008 by David Prentice, Liverpool Echo
PHIL JAGIELKA can bounce straight back from his backpass horror – says the man who has gone through exactly the same experience. David Unsworth made over 300 appearances for Everton and was an FA Cup winner in 1995, but the moment he will never forget was a wayward backpass in a relegation showdown in 1999. “I did the same thing as Phil in a really important game right at the end of the season against Sheffield Wednesday,” he recalled. “It was just a couple of minutes after Marco Materazzi had done the same and we lost 2-1. “I didn’t speak to anybody for a week afterwards. I was absolutely devastated, but you have to bounce straight back.
“That’s what you’re paid to do and I’m sure Phil will do just that.” Unsworth was a team-mate of Jagielka’s at Sheffield United and knows exactly what kind of individual he is. “He is a strong character and his performance after that moment on Sunday was outstanding,” he added. “He clearly didn’t let it affect him.
“I can guarantee Phil will never make that same mistake again. “In many respects he was unlucky that Villa were playing the system they were, with two wide men pushed on. Any other team probably wouldn’t have had a player in a position to take advantage of a situation like that – and Ashley Young still had to finish, which he did superbly. “But it was good to hear the Gwladys Street singing his name straight after.
“Once the desolation and the devastation he’s feeling has eased that will help him.
“But you could see by his reaction straightaway he wasn’t going to let it worry him. He has been Everton’s most consistent player all season and he won’t let one mistake get to him.” Unsworth currently plays for League One Huddersfield, but is hoping to take the first step on the road to a successful management career. He is on a shortlist for the job at the Galpharm Stadium, made vacant when Stan Ternent was ousted after only six months in charge. “Management has always been an ambition of mine,” added Unsworth. “I’ve been taking my coaching badges and while I’m still very much a player, I’m keen to take the next step.”
Everton Reserves 0, Sunderland Reserves 0
Dec 10 2008
Liverpool Daily Post
EVERTON Reserves were left frustrated by Sunderland as they drew 0-0 in the FA Premier Reserve League Northern Section at the Stobart Stadium last night.
Both sides missed several chances and in the end had to settle for a point apiece.
Andy Holden’s young side started well and Lukas Jutkiewicz fired into the side-netting after being played in by Dan Gosling. The 19-year-old striker went closest on a number of occasions for Everton. The visitors almost took the lead on 23 minutes but, thankfully for Everton an unmarked Jordan Cook headed over from four yards, while Iain Turner twice saved well from Jordan Henderson. Late on Everton almost grabbed a winner but Kieran Agard was off target from Jutkiewicz’s pass
EVERTON RESERVES: Turner, Nsiala, Barnett, Gosling, Craig, McCarten (Spencer 49), Kissock (Akpan 45), Wallace, Jutkiewicz, Agard, O’Kane (McCready 45). Subs: Stubhaug, Codling.
Victor Anichebe fit for Manchester City test
Dec 10 2008 by David Prentice, Liverpool Echo
EVERTON have breathed a sigh of relief over the fitness of Victor Anichebe – the club’s only fit striker ahead of Saturday’s trip to Manchester
The youngster limped off during Sunday’s 3-2 defeat by Villa with a back injury.
But physio Mick Rathbone revealed he has already responded well to treatment, on a problem which has troubled him for years. “It doesn’t seem too bad so we will have to push him on for the weekend,” he said. “He has had it on and off for a couple of years. You will get a spell that lasts three or four weeks then it burns off and it's okay.
“He is quite upbeat and we will work hard with him this week.” Louis Saha is still making progress from his hamstring strain, but the Blues are nervous about pushing the Frenchman and sustaining a more serious recurrence. “Louis is doing a bit of light jogging now,” added Rathbone. “We will have to see, but we have got to be careful. Pushing a player with a hamstring strain too hard and him breaking down is not what we want. “Time is of the essence. We have got to get the players back but we musn't be foolhardy with them.” James Vaughan, meanwhile, is back at Finch Farm again after his unsuccessful trip to the USA for knee surgery. The Blues striker arrived in Colorado, only to learn that renowned surgeon Dr Richard Steadman had suffered a shoulder injury himself and was recovering from surgery. "That was incredible," added Rathbone. "You fly to America for an operation and the guy is taken quite ill. What can you do? We are getting a report on it tomorrow. "James wants Dr Steadman to do it and so do we. We think he is the best at this kind of thing. James is 20 and it is important to us to get the right guy. How long do we wait to get it done? There is a fine line and we are weighing that up now." Tony Hibbert is close to full training following his recent thigh problem, and on-loan full-back Lars Jacobsen has been pencilled in for a January 1 return as he continues to progress well from his dislocated shoulder. "Lars is doing really, really well,” said Rathbone. “I think the record for coming back from this injury is 12 and a half weeks. He was only at the club for a week before he did it playing for Denmark. “He has this year to impress so he is desperate to train and play. He is running hard, his ball work is coming on so he is bang on schedule for January 1.”
Everton Reserves 0, Sunderland Reserves 0
Dec 10 2008 by James Pearce, Liverpool Echo
EVERTON Reserves endured a frustrating night at the Stobart Stadium as they were held to a goalless draw by Sunderland. Both sides were left to rue a host of missed chances, with Lukas Jutkiewicz having the better of the opportunities for the Blues.
Goalkeeper Iain Turner was the only Everton player with first team experience, although Jutkiewicz, Dan Gosling and John Paul Kissock, were all unused substitutes for Sunday's clash with Aston Villa. Instead, boss Andy Holden gave youth a chance and Everton started brightly. Gosling set up an early chance for Jutkiewicz but from a tight angle the striker could only find the side netting. Jutkiewicz looked keen to make an impression and the 19-year-old tried his luck from long range before going close with a towering header. Sunderland should have gone ahead on 23 minutes, but the unmarked Jordan Cook headed over. Turner was well placed to twice save from Jordan Henderson soon after and produced a stunning save to deny the midfielder from point-blank range on the stroke of half time. In the second half, Jutkiewicz and Kieran Agard cut increasingly frustrated figures. Jutkiewicz should have done better from a Nathan Craig corner 20 minutes from time, but headed well wide.
Three minutes later an incisive Sunderland move left David Dowson with a clear run on goal, only for Gosling to thwart the striker with a perfectly timed slide tackle.
Tony Hibbert wins fitness race - Everton FC latest
Dec 11 2008 by David Prentice, Liverpool Echo
TONY HIBBERT is set for a shock return to Everton’s first team squad – after completing his first full training session in a month yesterday. The right-back has been receiving treatment for a thigh strain and last figured at Arsenal on October 18.
But he trained normally yesterday and boss David Moyes said: “He might have to come straight back into the squad at the weekend because we’re so short of numbers.
“But we won’t take any chances. We’ve got a nine day break until the next match after Saturday’s game at Manchester City, but then they come thick and fast over the Christmas period with three in six days. “We want as many players up and running as possible for that spell.” Hibbert suffered a serious knee injury in the penultimate match of last season at Arsenal and spent the summer rehabilitating. He had just made four consecutive appearances this season when he suffered a thigh strain – but his attitude has drawn rich praise from the Blues backroom staff. Reserve team boss Andy Holden said after a run-out against Newcastle reserves last month: “The seniors were top drawer, before during and after the game. “Tony Hibbert is a fantastic defender first and foremost and on two occasions in the first half the younger lads got caught out of position, and before you know it who was there to head it away – Tony Hibbert. He is one of the best defenders in the country.” Hibbert’s return to fitness would offer Moyes the option of using skipper Phil Neville in midfield. The Blues boss is still scouring Europe for potential loan signings, but dismissed the latest round of speculation linking with bids for strikers as diverse as Inter Milan’s Honduran David Suazo, who has scored four goals in six games on loan at Benfica, Zenit St Petersburg striker Pavel Pogrebnyak and Portsmouth’s David Nugent. Young blues goalkeeper Iain Turner, meanwhile, is hoping for a spell on-loan in the new year to add to his senior experience. The 24-year-old – who has made five first team starts for the Blues and one substitute appearance – enjoyed a successful spell with Sheffield Wednesday in 2006/07. He kept a clean sheet for the Blues reserves on Tuesday night against Sunderland and admitted: “I would consider going out on loan, for sure. I’ve still got a few years left at Everton so, for now, I just want to get match practice and as many competitive games as possible – and I’ll go out on loan if that’s what the gaffer wants.
“January’s getting close so we'll see what happens. “I’m just needing games at the moment. I had a bad season last year with injuries so I’m just trying to get my feet back on the ground. “The coaching staff have said the same to me as every young player – keep your head down, keep working hard and wait for your chances.
“Thankfully I have had a run of games and I’m starting to feel more confident. The more games I can get the better.”
Gary Lineker: Everton were the best team I ever played for
Dec 11 2008 by David Prentice, Liverpool Echo
GARY LINEKER will be the face of the BBC Sports Personality of the Year show on Sunday. In a different world, his name would be neatly inscribed on the base of the 54-year-old trophy. Despite a remarkable football career which included a World Cup golden boot, second place in England’s all-time scoring charts and not one caution from a referee, he never won the BBC award. “I was the top scorer at the World Cup finals,” he declared. “If an England striker did that today he’d win the award and probably be knighted. I didn’t even figure in the top three!” Lineker won the golden boot in 1986. The BBC award was won that year by Nigel Mansell – in the long tradition of the general public backing brave losers. Mansell’s tyre exploded 19 laps from the end of the motor racing season and he finished second in the Formula One drivers’ championship to Ayrton Senna. Runner-up in the BBC voting was Fatima Whitbread. Third was Liverpool’s double-winning player-manager Kenny Dalglish.
It was an echo of the Football League season Lineker endured, when he won every personal accolade going – but was in the Everton team cruelly pipped for a League and Cup double by Liverpool. Lineker was a driving force behind that double-bid, scoring an astonishing 40 goals – and he bristles at suggestions he is indifferent about his time at Goodison. “I was only on Merseyside a short time, nine or 10 months in total really, but it was still a happy time personally, while professionally it was one of the most successful periods of my career,” he says. “I still have an affinity towards Everton. “Why don’t I talk about them more often? I do my best, but I’m a presenter rather than a pundit so I have to try and be more objective than some other people!
“But I still try and do it in more subtle ways, and I do try to have a dig at Hansen and Lawrenson whenever I can. “There’s no doubt at all that Everton was the best team I ever played in. “I came from Leicester, then when I went to Barcelona when they were a team in transition. “I had a degree of success at Tottenham – but Everton were challenging for a League and Cup double, and in all honesty should really have won both.” That double disappointment still rankles with Evertonians.
Everton were in the driving seat of the 1985/86 campaign with four games remaining, then drew at Nottingham Forest and – crucially – lost 1-0 at Oxford.
The story about Lineker’s lucky boots going missing that night has passed into Everton folklore. “It’s true,” he admitted. “I had a pair of lucky boots – not that I was superstitious or anything – which I’d been scoring loads of goals with. They’d been repaired about three times so I could carry on wearing them. “For some reason they weren’t in the skip that night at Oxford. I don’t know why. “I wore a new pair and had one or two half-chances which went begging. “We lost 1-0. “My old pair were found in time for the following weekend against Southampton when I scored a hat-trick, but by then it was too late. “We should have won both trophies. We were clear at the top of the league and when we won at Anfield in March I think everyone thought we’d done it. “But Liverpool went on a run where they won the last 10 games or something silly like that. We had the Oxford debacle and that was it. “But I’ll always remember scoring at Anfield in a Merseyside derby – in fact I scored in all three derby matches that year, including the Cup Final. Unfortunately Hansen had the last laugh.”
That FA Cup Final at Wembley was Lineker’s last appearance for the Blues.
It seems absurd that a football club would sell a striker who had just scored 40 goals in his debut season – even for a 200 per cent profit – but that’s exactly what Everton did. “Howard (Kendall) told me the club had received an offer from Barcelona,” explained Gary. “He said he would like to manage on the continent one day so it would have been wrong to stand in the way of a player given that opportunity.
“I wasn’t thinking of leaving, but when a club comes to you and says they have accepted a bid the writing’s on the wall, really. “I think if we’d won the league that year I probably would have stayed for a long time. But Howard was obviously thinking of making changes and it was a great opportunity.” Kendall later explained Lineker had been a victim of his own success, his burning pace forcing a fluent football team to play a more direct style. Lineker, however, rejects that argument.
“I don’t think my presence changed the style of the team at all. Most of my goals came from crosses anyway, or one on ones, a bit like Michael Owen goals. “I don’t ever remember a team talk saying we had to use more long balls to take advantage of my pace. “I think Howard probably decided to make a change in disappointment at missing out on the double.” In addition to the the double being snatched away, Everton also had their first European Cup campaign for 15 years denied by a ban on English clubs - a particular blow which has been sparking endless arguments between Mersey fans. Lineker’s stance is diplomatic. “No-one can ever say what might have happened in a knockout competition, but there’s no doubt Everton would have been one of the favourites to win it,” he said. “The final that year was between Barcelona and Steau Bucharest and Everton were stronger than both those teams at that time.
“But who knows?” Who knows . . . a European campaign might even have meant Everton keeping hold of one of the finest goalscorers of his generation – and Gary Lineker becoming an even bigger idol than the man he replaced. “Replacing Andy Gray wasn’t a problem for me, really,” he smiled. “In some ways the bigger the challenge the better I responded. I sometimes struggled to motivate myself for the less meaningful occasions. “I remember when my name was read out the first couple of times and there were a couple of boos. But then I scored at Manchester United (in the Screen Sport Super Cup), got a hat-trick against Birmingham and a couple at Sheffield Wednesday and I was okay. “That’s what I had to do. You just have to prove that you are better, or at least as good as, the person you’ve replaced.” A little like Gary’s TV career, perhaps? “No, not at all. “I think Andy Gray is excellent at his job. He’s different to me, but he has a different job. He’s a pundit rather than a presenter, but I have a great deal of respect for Andy.” Lineker has earned respect of his own, replacing broadcasting icon Des Lynam as the BBC’s frontline football – and golf – presenter. But he still admits to pre-match nerves. “Sunday night is the biggest Sports Personality we’ve ever done. There will be 9,000 in there and it will be nerve-wracking. “I’m sure the Liverpudlian crowd will create a great atmosphere and I’m looking forward to it.” Even if his name isn’t on the trophy at the end of the night . . .
Gary Lineker factfile
BORN: 30 November 1960, Leicester
Clubs: Leicester City, Everton, Barcelona, Spurs, Grampus 8
Honours: 1980 Second Division title (Leicester), 1986 English PFA & Football Writers Player of the Year (with Everton), 1986 World Cup top scorer (6 goals), 1988 Spanish Cup (Barcelona), 1989 European Cup-Winners Cup (Barcelona), 1990 World Cup 4th Place (England), 1991 FA Cup (Tottenham Hotspur).
Discipline: Lineker was never booked throughout his career.
Favourite crisps: Salt ‘n’ vinegar
World Cup: Only the 8th player in World Cup history to score 10 goals or more.
England: Lineker is second top England goalscorer of all time with 48 goals in 80 matches. Missed a a penalty against Brazil in 1992 which would have equalled Bobby Charlton's record. TV: Has been a team captain on They Think It's All Over, presented BBC's golf coverage of the Open and US Masters and took over from Des Lynam on Match of the Day. Miscellany: A golfer with a four handicap, could have been a first class cricketer and has scored a 134 break in snooker. Has beaten good friend Willie Thorne - "but only with a couple of frames headstart!"
Dec 11 2008 by James Pearce, Liverpool Echo
COACH Neil Dewsnip insists he is taking nothing for granted as the Blues prepare for Monday’s FA Youth Cup third round clash with minnows Nantwich Town at Goodison Park (7.30pm). Everton will be firm favourites to progress against the youngsters from the UniBond Premier Division club who produced a shock 2-1 win over Macclesfield. Dewsnip said: “We’re treating them with respect and preparing for this game as if we are playing against a Premier League club. “Kevin Sheedy and myself went to watch them play Macclesfield in the previous round. “Our research and preparation for this tie have been thorough and we certainly won’t underestimate them.” The Blues go into the game on the back of a 1-1 draw at Wolves in Premier Academy League Group C. Dewsnip’s side wasted a number of early chances and fell behind on the half hour from the penalty spot. The introduction of defender Shane Duffy as a makeshift striker made the difference for the Blues, his aerial threat causing Wolves problems and the equaliser finally arrived late on courtesy of a spot-kick. Hope Akpan was brought down in the box and Tom McCready made no mistake with the penalty. In the closing stages the Blues pressed for a winner but Akpan failed to convert and Ross Barkley was denied by a great save. “We started very brightly with Luke Powell hitting the bar and James McCarten forcing a fantastic save,” Dewsnip said. “They got a penalty against the run of play but in the second half they had a great chance to make it 2-0 and thankfully Lars Stubhaug pulled off a fine save.
“With 15 minutes left we decided to gamble and putting Shane Duffy on up front in place of Lewis Codling worked well. “Shane is 6ft 4ins and very strong in the air. We went a bit more direct and that posed them some problems. “It was the first time we’ve done that and it’s something we’ll certainly keep up our sleeves for the future.
“In the end we were relieved to get a point but it was disappointing not to win. In the last minute we had two unbelievable chances.”
John Oster gets new lease of life at Crystal Palace
Dec 11 2008 by James Pearce, Liverpool Echo
FORMER Everton winger John Oster is enjoying a renaissance at Selhurst Park.
The 30-year-old Wales international was handed an initial six-month deal when he signed for Crystal Palace in August, after being released by Reading at the end of last season. He has now cemented a place in Neil Warnock’s line-up and his impressive recent displays in the Championship have earned him the offer of a new 18-month contract. Oster has rarely held down a regular place at a host of former clubs and was barely used by Reading. But Warnock has converted him from a winger into a central midfielder. He said: “It’s not great when you’ve only got a six month deal, but I knew that when I came. “I could have signed a two year deal somewhere else, but I wanted to prove that I’m worth a longer deal and I’ve done that. “It’s always good when a manager tells you that he wants you to stay longer at a club. “It’s not always easy coming to a new club, getting used to a new way of playing and a different system – it’s been a bit of a change coming here and playing 4-3-3. “I’ve been in and out of the side but now I’m playing more centrally I’ve really enjoyed it.” Warnock added: “I’ve given him one for another year because he deserves it. He’s blossoming.” Oster joined Everton for £1.5million from Grimsby in 1997, moving to Sunderland two years later.
Everton Kirkby inquiry: £52m for stadium ‘a miracle’
Dec 11 2008 by Richard Down, Liverpool Echo
A BARRISTER for Liverpool city council called the additional £52m that Everton FC needs to build its proposed stadium in Kirkby a “miracle of modern economics”.
Stephen Sauvain, cross examining Knowsley council’s chief executive Sheena Ramsey at the Everton stadium inquiry, repeatedly attempted to tie down the link between the profits from the proposed land sale and the £52m the club needs to build an new ground. Ms Ramsey said: “Tesco will fund the £52m through the increase of the land brought about through the development.” But Mr Sauvain argued this was far from clear. He said: “Tesco’s expert doesn’t think the money is coming from Tesco and Ms Ramsey doesn’t think it’s coming from Knowsley, so it’s a miracle of modern economics, because nobody is prepared to tell you what the situation really is.”
Ms Ramsey also faced a series of questions about how much the council was letting the land south of the town centre go for. The Archdiocese, Ms Ramsey confirmed, was getting a land swap and a cash handout as part of the deal to build on primary school land. But the exact nature of how much the council will earn has been deemed commercially sensitive and the figures are not available to the inquiry. Planning inspector Wendy Burden asked whether selling the land with planning permission on the open market would have generated higher values for the council. The present arrangement will see Tesco pay a lower rate for undeveloped land. But Martin Kingston QC, speaking on behalf of Knowsley council, said: “The land is not simply being sold off; it’s being sold within a complex transaction with a series of covenants with Tesco that are being passed on to the club.” Ms Ramsey added that the council had been advised by a series of experts, including the district auditor, that this was an appropriate land deal for this development. She emphasised the key objective for the entire scheme was to help Kirkby undergo a transformation to attract investors and halt a spiral of decline. She drew attention to Kirkby market, which will see £500,000 invested in modernisation.
The Jury: Everton fans on the rollercoaster Aston Villa match
Dec 11 2008 Liverpool Echo
Michael Drummond, Speke
THE ending to the Villa game was as disappointing as the club’s attempt to tackle the credit crunch with a pound off a ticket! I wouldn't have minded losing the three points if we deserved to, but in all fairness, we made a 'top four standard' Aston Villa look ordinary. Any other day and we may have got away with the defensive errors, but I suppose it wasn't meant to be. It's a shame because Villa have now created a gap which will leave us playing catch-up. And in the past, we have never really been able to compete in that way. We need as many points as we can in the festive period because January brings tricky consecutive games against United, Arsenal and Liverpool. Those are games that we won't have a cat in hell’s chance of winning unless we sort our injury problems out.
Debbie Smaje, Upholland
AS DEVASTATING as the Villa game was, at least for the first time this season we were playing well. We were excellent at Spurs last week, and carried that on against Villa. One thing that hasn’t changed, though, is the defensive errors costing us goals. It is something that desperately needs fixing, as once again we have scored goals, and come away with nothing. It is just typical Everton that we get the midfield playing well and we lose all our strikers! For all Anichebe’s good points, he doesn’t score enough goals. Saha could hopefully be back for the weekend at City, but a striker is still desperately needed in January. We have needed more depth up front all season, Yakubu and Vaughan’s long term injuries have simply confirmed that. Even so, do we have enough to buy anyone?
David Wallbank, Huyton
EVERTON’S rollercoaster just seems to have more downs than ups.
The Aston Villa game was at best heartbreaking. The sound levels inside Goodison were raised last Sunday, and again it seemed to be a poor refereeing display that triggered the Blues fans to become more vocal. Everton are a better team when the crowd are passionate, and it’s vital we make Goodison a fortress once again. Maybe hoping for another poor referee isn’t such bad idea each week. Everton travel to Man City at the weekend and, injuries aside, if the lads stick together and fight for each other a win is more than possible at Eastlands. Finally, Andy van der Meyde returned. Could he be Everton’s saviour? I wouldn’t bank on it, but we wish Andy well.
Richard Knights, West Derby
WITH the news that Everton Monopoly is hitting the shops, on Sunday we played our ‘Get Out of Jail’ card but, like a petulant contestant, Aston Villa tipped the board up, scattering the pieces everywhere, and scored with the last kick of the game.
Villa boss Martin O’Neill was given three early, gift-wrapped, Christmas presents but still contrived to look glum on Match of the Day. ‘All I got was a cheap after shave, a pair of socks and a handkerchief’. The game had all the elements of the traditional Christmas pantomime – slapstick (Jagielka’s attempted back pass); tired old performers eking out their declining years with one last pay day (Andy van der Meyde); lame jokes (Martin Atkinson and his team of myopic linesmen) and Baron Hardup (Bill Kenwright). Like the pantomime horse we’re staggering across the stage.
Ross Jack return to Ross County goes sour
Dec 11 2008 by James Pearce, Liverpool Echo
ROSS JACK’S return to Ross County has turned sour. The former Blues striker was appointed assistant boss in June but has been sacked by manager Derek Adams.
He said: “I did nothing wrong and I want everyone to understand that. “Derek told me he didn’t think our partnership gelled.” Jack joined Everton from Ross County in 1975 but struggled to make the grade. He scored on his debut at Middlesbrough in March 1979 but that proved to be his final appearance and he moved on to Norwich City later that year.
Everton's Joleon Lescott shows why it’s not worth tearing a strip off
Dec 12 2008 by David Prentice, Liverpool Echo
IT wasn’t exactly Last of the Corinthian principles, but Goodison Park rose as one in the 94th minute last Sunday to urge Joleon Lescott to volley Ashley Young somewhere into the Family Enclosure. But even if Everton’s immaculate defender had been of such a mind, he couldn’t. Because 30-seconds earlier he had already been booked for the most avoidable caution on a referee’s list. The rules are clear. Remove your shirt and you get a yellow card. Yet every single week players up and down the country rip off their shirts off in goal celebrations. And Joleon Lescott fell victim to the temptation on Sunday. It meant that he couldn’t have ‘professionally fouled’ Young even had he wanted to. The message is clear. Keep your shirt on!
Whelan and dealin’ is on over Heskey
THE transfer window is looming and Emile Heskey remains on the radar of both Mersey clubs. But Steve Bruce doesn’t want to sell. “We've got an England centre-forward and we play around him - where can I find another one like him? Unless it's a mind-blowing offer, we don't want to sell. A £2m or £3m offer, and it's no way,” he rapped. The problem for Steve is that he doesn’t hold the purse strings at the JJB.
Chairman Dave Whelan’s reaction to the same speculation? “Emile is out of contract in summer, but he doesn't want to sign a new one. It could cost us two, three or four million if that goes on to next summer, so we'll have to see what January brings.”
Watch this space.
* AFTER his energetic seven-minute cameo on Sunday, Andy van der Meyde declared: “I wanted to prove something to David Moyes.” May I suggest that if he is finally serious about impressing his manager, he can make a much better fist of it in the following ways: Turn up for training every day. Run himself ragged on the Finch Farm pitches. And knock on his manager’s door each and every day, demanding to know why he hasn’t been included in a first team squad. Sadly, the time for such tactics appears to have long since passed. Andy van der Meyde’s Everton career will go down in history as what might have been.
HOWARD KENDALL: Managers can’t legislate for errors
Dec 12 2008 by David Prentice, Liverpool Echo
DAVID MOYES insisted on sharing the responsibility with his players for Sunday's heart-breaking defeat – but in truth there's not a great deal a manager can do in a situation like that. The changes he made ensured that Everton got back into the match.
He had Marouane Fellaini playing up front, Phil Jagielka almost alongside him and wide players in full-back positions – and the switches paid off when Joleon Lescott equalised a second time. But there's nothing a manager can do about players' lapses of concentration at the back. The most vulnerable period for any team is just after you've scored a goal – and that was cruelly the case at Goodison Park. But there were positives. The performance generally was good, and Phil Jagielka will have been heartened to have heard the Gwladys Street singing his name after his back pass blunder. I used to have a basic rule for defenders that they should always try and carry the ball with them before passing back. It avoided any problems with opposition strikers sneaking in on the blind side. Unfortunately Phil decided to pass the ball straight away, although it still needed an excellent finish from Ashley Young.
Once again, however, we were still left discussing the holding role afterwards.
Mikel Arteta did it very well at Tottenham the week before, but he looked much less suitable against Villa. He is very comfortable with the ball, but that role is about more than just passing well. It is about breaking up opposition attacks, organising people around you and providing a shield in front of the back four. It was ironic that Lee Carsley should be the man who scored Birmingham's winner in midweek, because it reminded us once again of what we're missing in midfield. But that's gone now and Everton must seek the right balance at Manchester City tomorrow without him.
Everton proved at Tottenham they can handle a team with lightning pace on the flanks in the shape of Aaron Lennon, so the presence of Shaun Wright Phillips in the City side shouldn't hold too many fears. If Everton's home form had matched their away form this season, they would have been in the top three.
So they can head to the City of Manchester Stadium with plenty of confidence.
Ex-Blues blooming
I’M delighted to see two Everton old boys doing well at Manchester City these days.
Michael Ball has come back superbly well from a career threatening injury, while Richard Dunne's status as captain of his club underlines just how much he has improved since his Goodison days. Richard always had the ability to succeed, he just lacked a little maturity. He could occasionally be sloppy with his defensive work, but he was never sloppy with his eating and never spilled a drop! We just wanted a little maturity to come along and it did, but unfortunately that wasn't with Everton.
Both have proved themselves to be excellent footballers and have had good careers. I am sure they will both receive good ovations from the travelling Everton fans tomorrow.
* DAVID MOYES will no doubt try to wrap Victor Anichebe in cotton wool until he can get Louis Saha fit again or bring in a new face in January. I was in a similar position in the 1980s with injuries, so I eased off all contact work in training sessions. I let them sharpen up by playing head tennis, and I thought nothing could go wrong.
Until Alan Irvine stood on the stand which supported the net and badly twisted his ankle!
Manchester City boss Mark Hughes' salute to David Moyes
Dec 12 2008 Liverpool Echo
MANCHESTER City manager Mark Hughes believes his Everton counterpart David Moyes has an “exceptional record” at Goodison Park. The two men lock swords tomorrow with both looking for a consistent run of good results from their respective teams. City go into the match on the back of a draw at Fulham while Everton are looking to recover following the home defeat by Aston Villa. Moyes was stunned after Ashley Young’s late winner but Hughes said: “David has been at the club for a few years now and his Premier League record is exceptional. “That is due to his ability as a manager. He has had difficult times but outstanding seasons as well. “He is proven at this level and some of Everton’s results this season show they are in good shape.”
Hughes is quietly confident Robinho will recover in time to face Everton. The former Real Madrid striker has missed the last two matches because of an ankle problem but is due to resume training. Defender Nedum Onuoha could come into contention following a six-week absence because of a leg muscle injury. Onuoha came through a run-out for the reserves in midweek unscathed and that was a boost for Hughes.
“I felt it important to give Nedum a game, ” said the City boss. “He has missed a chunk of training and not had that many games. “He got a good hour for the reserves and looked fine. That will help him. He is a good young player, who gives me options as he can play in a couple of positions.” Micah Richards (ankle) and Javier Garrido (Achilles) are both doubtful for the game while Daniel Sturridge has a virus.
Tim Howard: Everton must keep it tough in training
Dec 12 2008 by David Prentice, Liverpool Echo
EVERTON will refuse to change their Finch Farm training routine – despite an injury crisis which has left Victor Anichebe as their solitary striking option. But goalkeeper Tim Howard has joked that they may have to ask Anichebe to wear an orange bib in training . . . so he doesn’t become the latest victim! The Blues have lost Yakubu, James Vaughan and Louis Saha to injury in recent weeks – although Saha could be fit for tomorrow’s trip to Manchester City – while Anichebe was taken off injured against Aston Villa last weekend. But Howard stressed today: “We do what we normally do in training. We have to take the knocks; there’s only one way to train.
“At the start of the season you can never figure out where injuries are going to come – and the injuries to the strikers all at the same time has decimated us. “We might have to ask Vic to wear an orange bib in training!” Howard paid tribute to Anichebe’s efforts last weekend, and says the youngster has the confidence of everybody at Finch Farm. “In a perfect world we want all of our strikers fit,” he added. “Having said that none of us have hung our heads at the injuries because we know Vic and he put in a really good performance. “He gave their defenders nightmares. We know he’s a good player who works hard. “He’s a strong kid, a tough kid. “So we also know he doesn’t need pampering, either. We encourage him, we hold him to a certain standard and he holds himself up there.” The injury situation means that boss David Moyes is currently scouring Europe for striking reinforcements, but the prospect of Portsmouth’s striker, David Nugent, a boyhood Blue, joining them receded last night.
Pompey boss Tony Adams said: “Everton have not contacted us and David has not said he wants to go. I am not thinking about loaning him out in January. He is too close to the first team and one injury and he is playing. “He has got himself fit and he is training well. I like his attitude, his enthusiasm. He does not stop moving, makes intelligent runs and tries to get in behind defenders. “Two summers ago I saw him play for England under-21s and he and Leroy Lita had an outstanding tournament. He has done well at that level and needs to make the next step.”
Let's have first bell fury - Everton keeper Tim Howard
Dec 12 2008 by David Prentice, Liverpool Echo
TIM HOWARD is urging Everton to get their retaliation in first this weekend.
The Blues have proved expert at bouncing back from adversity this season – after a series of self-inflicted blows. An opening day defeat by Blackburn was followed up by an away win at West Brom, to set the tone for a campaign when Everton have consistently showed their ability to come off the ropes. Response to a 3-0 home hiding by Portsmouth? A character-filled 3-2 away win at Stoke. Reaction to a Monday night horror show at Wigan? A battling backs to the wall win at White Hart Lane.
And their reply to being hit by a 34-second whirlwind against Aston Villa? One of the best home performances of the season – spoiled only by two sloppy goals.
“I’ve said all along that this year for some reason we have needed a smack in the teeth to really get us going,” said goalkeeper Howard. “Instead of setting out to be a bunch of you know whats straight from the start, it’s like we’ve got to get hit first.
“We put a performance together against Aston Villa that would have rivalled any of our performances this season, and it was just unfortunate it finished the way it did because I think the fans would have walked away quite happy with what they’d seen.”
The nature of that devastating defeat by Villa – “it was like having our hearts ripped out” said Howard – means that Everton have some mental repair work to undergo before they can try to bounce back at Manchester City tomorrow. “It is all mental,” said the American international. “Physically we’ll be ready, our bodies are ready to play every fifth or sixth day, but it’s the mental side of it we have to get right.
“There’s inevitably a grace period when you’re allowed to look back and reflect . . . which is probably Sunday night, and Monday night, maybe Tuesday – but then you have to move on because if there’s any lingering affect you screw yourself up for the next game. “We have such a big task on our hands to try and beat City that we can’t afford to have that hangover. “We have to take the positives from the performance against Villa. “We performed really well at City last season on a cold Monday night – and if we look back and think ‘yeah, we went there and did well in those circumstances’ we can do well again. “We stuck together and got a really good result last season and we need to do that again.” The 2-0 triumph at Eastlands last term was Howard’s 15th clean sheet of the season. So far the Blues have only ground out three so far - but two have come in the past month - and it is perhaps no coincidence that Howard was named the club’s Player of the Month for November. He collected the award from sponsors Britannia yesterday and admitted: “If the back four’s playing really well I’m usually playing pretty well. If the back four isn’t performing, I’m usually not performing. It sort of goes hand in hand and so much credit goes to the other guys. “Obviously the reason I get paid is to d keep the ball out of the net and I try and do that. over the last month, particularly after the way we started the season, I really felt that I was coming into my own – I felt good about my training, I felt good about the performances I was putting into games, so it was important to hopefully keep that going.” On Everton’s last road trip, a superbly disciplined defensive display kept a clean sheet at White Hart Lane. The same application and attitude will be required if City’s maverick band of unpredictable internationals are to be kept at bay.
“I don’t know why our away results have been so much better than at home,” admitted Howard. “Maybe one reason is that when we travel away the pressure isn’t on us to perform. You just have to absorb pressure and hit teams, as opposed to at home where you have to entertain as well. “On the road it’s alittle bit of a siege mentality.
“You just kind of absorb what they throw at you and hit them on the break, and that’s a little easier from that standpoint because you don’t have to make the game.”
Everton will take a similar kind of gameplan to City’s cavernous Eastlands Stadium tomorrow, and attempt to silence the City crowd. But despite his obvious Manchester connections, Howard isn’t expecting any personal stick. “I don’t usually get much flak at City,” he said. “The stadium is so massive you’re so far away from the fans . . . and we do have Phil Neville in our side! “I’ll be happy if I don’t have very much to do – not that you’re aware of that at the time. “When a game’s over you sit back and think well I didn’t have a lot to do. But in the game you’re just trying to keep yourself ready. “I don’t mind doing my bit – and the crazy thing is when the whistle blows and the match kicks off you have absolutely no idea what you’re going to be doing.
“You don’t know if you will be sitting there on your hands or flying around, but I think an easy afternoon is always better!”
Tim Howard factfile
Born: March 6, 1979 in North Brunswick, New Jersey.
Clubs: 1997 North Jersey Imperials, 1998-2003 MetroStars, 2003-2007 Manchester United, 2006-present Everton. In 2001 he became the youngest player to win the MLS Goalkeeper of the Year award, recording four shutouts and a league-leading 146 saves. On his Manchester United debut he saved the decisive penalty in a Community Shield triumph against Arsenal. Tim’s dad, Matthew, is African-American, and mum, Esther, was born in Hungary. At High School, Tim was a star midfielder on the pitch, and an outstanding basketball prospect – taking his team to the state finals in his senior year.
Everton striker James Vaughan’s season is over
Dec 13 2008 by David Prentice, Liverpool Echo
EVERTON have suffered yet another striking blow after it was revealed James Vaughan’s knee surgery will rule him out for the rest of the season. The youngster will undergo a knee operation in this country next week – and boss David Moyes warned that his recovery may take more than three months. “He will see a surgeon on Tuesday and it looks like an operation on Wednesday, which will take place in this country,” explained Moyes. “He’s damaged his lateral cartilage. In the past they would take it out and the recovery period was quicker. “But now they try to trim it and preserve as much cartilage as possible for the future. It’s a better way of doing it, but it means a longer rehabilitation. It might be close to the end of the season before he returns.” Vaughan has suffered appalling luck since he broke Wayne Rooney’s record as the youngest goalscorer in Premier League history in 2005. He missed almost the entire 2005/06 season with a knee ligament injury sustained while on international duty with England Under-18s. But after being named the club’s Young Player of the Year the following campaign, he dislocated his shoulder in a pre-season friendly – then severed an artery in his foot. Moyes revealed that Portuguese full-back Nuno Valente would also need a similar timescale to recover after he also underwent knee surgery. With Yakubu already ruled out for the rest of the season Moyes admitted that he may need to try and bring in up to four new faces in the January transfer window.
But he stressed that any new arrivals would have to be on-loan, with no cash available for permanent transfers. “I think the board understands the situation, but I understand their situation too,” he said. “It will be 99 per cent certain it will be loan players.
“I’m sure they will make what money available they can to pay the wages of loan players. “But we possibly need two forward players and maybe some others.”
Moyes will give late fitness tests to Victor Anichebe and Leon Osman ahead of today’s trop to Manchester City, but Louis Saha has already been ruled out with a hamstring strain.
Everton will have to be versatile – David Moyes
Dec 13 2008 by David Prentice, Liverpool Echo
DAVID MOYES has asked his Everton climbers to scale a footballing equivalent of Mount Everest in recent seasons. Now he wants them to do it again – without oxygen.
With Yakubu and James Vaughan effectively ruled out for the season, Nuno Valente joining them on the long-term injury list, Louis Saha still nursing a hamstring tear and both Victor Anichebe and Leon Osman facing morning fitness tests in Manchester today – the Blues boss will be forced to shove square pegs into round holes for the next few weeks. But he has still set a top six target for a depleted squad he hopes to bolster with loan signings in the new year. “They’re having to go on and climb the mountain again – which they did last year – but with maybe less equipment,” said Moyes on the eve of today’s trip to Manchester City. “But they’re capable.
“I think the most disappointing thing about last week’s result was that our performance shows we can still push to be in the top six. I believe we can be.
“The result has given Villa the advantage and a gap I didn’t want to open up. We haven’t got an awful lot here, but I tell you what we have got is a real determination to keep succeeding. That’s a determination to succeed at our level – to try and keep as high up as we can, to try and make the best of what we’ve got. “The disappointing thing from last week was probably knowing we’ve given Villa a head start from where we would have liked them to have been. “But I still think we’ve got a chance. After looking at the Premier League now I think we can do it. “Depending on how things go with injuries I might have to say making the top 10 would be a great achievement, but I’m going to push the players hard and |’ve told them I expect a top six finish from them. “Hopefully if we can hang on in there and strengthen a little in January with loan players that might help us.” With the transfer window not open until January, and the registration rules for the FA Cup effectively ruling any immediate arrivals out of the third round tie at Macclesfield, that leaves the Blues having to negotiate at least five fixtures with their present group of players. Tony Hibbert has just returned to full training and Danish defender Lars Jacobsen could soon be joining him, but the lack of striking options means that a number of players may have to be more versatile than they have been used to. Phil Jagielka may be asked to reprise his latter-day Mickey Lyons role if the Blues are chasing a game again. “I said last week don’t be surprised if we have players used out of position,” added Moyes. “Will players have to go up front for the first time in their careers? Definitely. “We’ll try not to. But when you’re chasing games and you need another way, you have to find solutions and we’re having to find solutions with people who don’t necessarily play in those roles. “Fellaini did it on Sunday, Tim Cahill can play up there, I put Jags up, who knows? I might put somebody else up this week. Ossie played up front as well in the early part of his career. Fellaini has proved a constant threat in opposition penalty areas, and Moyes believes that the giant Belgian’s presence can complement, rather than replace, Tim Cahill’s trademark bursts into the penalty box. “We’ve tried to get the two of them coming in from the middle of the park,” he said. “I think they’ve actually played quite well together. I don’t think Fellaini being there has taken away from him. Tim will get his goals. It’s just a question of him getting back his level of fitness.” One player who is edging back to full fitness is Louis Saha. Today’s game has come too soon for the forward, but Moyes insists he already thinks the gamble to bring in the injury plagued striker has paid off. “Louis has been fine,” he said. “The injury he has got is not as bad as we feared and we’re hopeful that he’s not too far away. Obviously we want to make sure Louis feels good and is ready. We wouldn’t rush him back. “But we’ve always had a situation at Everton where we’ve been short of numbers and a lot of the players have dug really deep and played. “I can tell you numerous occasions when players have put themselves out when they’ve not been feeling 100 per cent or carrying an injury. It’s the way it’s been here at Everton. “We took a gamble, but I think the gamble’s been worth it. We paid no money, or next to no money, he’s already scored some goals in games and got us points. “Now we want to get him fit again and it’s not a serious injury so I don’t see him being out too long.”
BARRY HORNE: Everton boss David Moyes will be put to test on transfer front
Dec 13 2008 by Barry Horne, Liverpool Echo
ONE good thing to come out of last week’s thriller with Villa at Goodison was that David Moyes didn’t have any new injury worries. It looks like James Vaughan is out for the season, but it’s a boost for the Blues that Louis Saha won’t be out for too long.
Nevertheless, December will severely test Moyes’ ability to motivate and manage his small squad. As a result of the shortage of attacking players, over the next few weeks he’s going to have to ask people to play in unfamiliar positions. I can see the likes of Fellaini and Cahill being pushed into more advanced positions and that’s something they should relish. If you are a midfielder you might not be very happy about playing in defence, but everyone likes being asked to play further forward. It’s going to be an interesting time and it’s not as if there is a big light at the end of the tunnel with the opening of the transfer window. I don’t think we’re going to see frenzied activity. Everton are looking for people in the position demanding the hardest skill and strikers are the most expensive players. It’s going to be a real test for Moyes and his scouts to get players in on whatever deals they can. The contrast between Everton and today’s opponents, Manchester City, in terms of funds could hardly be greater. Everton are unlikely to have much cash to spend, while if the speculation is to be believed City will have a bottomless pit. Reports suggesting they are prepared to offer Gianluigi Buffon £250,000 a week made me think back to when I was PFA chairman.
About eight years ago I was invited to the Oxford University debating society when the title was ‘Football Is Coming Home’. At the time, the influx of foreigners was increasing and the expansion of wages was underway. I took a slightly lateral view of the title and suggested what that meant to me was that people should start supporting their local club again. Looking at what’s happening now my thoughts seem to have been quite valid. In terms of finances and crowds the Championship is now the fifth most successful league in the world. Even my second team, Wrexham, had nearly 4,000 watching them last week in the Conference which was great to see. There’s certainly been a reaction to the excesses of the Premier League and the spiralling costs of watching football at that level. I can understand why people find supporting a Championship club more attractive. And if more people go to watch teams in the lower leagues that can only be a good thing for the long term future of the game.
Boss’ frustration was spilling over
DAVID MOYES is a passionate Scotsman but most of the time he manages to keep his feelings in check. However, his frustration about a number of things was evident when Joleon Lescott equalised against Villa last weekend. He threw his jacket towards the touchline in a reaction to some stick he had taken off some Blues fans for substituting Victor Anichebe. But I don’t think he deserves to be criticised for that. It just showed how much he cares and that he gets as frustrated as anyone else.
Everton Kirkby inquiry: Crunch time over stadium
Dec 13 2008 by David Bartlett, Liverpool Echo
Multimedia Background image for 'EFC Stadium: Keep Everton Out of Our Town - campaigners speak out' A PLANNING inspector has given four economic experts three weeks to assess how the recession will hit Everton FC and Tesco’s plans for Kirkby. Closing the first half of the public planning inquiry into Destination Kirkby, inspector Wendy Burden asked for a set of simplified tables showing how the downturn might affect “expenditure growth” in the proposed development.
The information will be provided by Tesco and Everton, Knowsley and their opponents, Liverpool council and the combined authorities. The current economic downturn also played a significant part in yesterday’s cross examination of Mike Hollis, Knowsley council’s witness on retail and regeneration. Roger Lancaster, for the combined authorities opposing the bid, believes a massive investment in Kirkby will hit neighbouring Skelmersdale’s own regeneration plans. Mr Hollis agreed that the Secretary of State would need to consider whether the proposal would have an impact on investment in Skelmersdale. But St Modwen, the developers for Skelmersdale, had indicated they were reviewing their investment proposals in view of the downturn in the housing market. While St Modwen was having to “marshal” its schemes Mr Hollis did not agree the Kirkby proposals would leave the Skelmersdale project “dead in the water”. He went on to say that if the Secretary of State turned down the Kirkby proposals, she would be aware that there was a chance that neither town centre would be redeveloped. Mr Hollis also pointed out that he had not yet seen a planning application for the Skelmersdale development, despite the fact that correspondence had suggested it would be in before the end of this year.
Inspector Burden also asked the main economic experts representing both sides of the case to produce tables setting out the quantitative need for a vast retail park on the edge of the Merseyside town. The inquiry will get under way again on Tuesday, January 6 at 1pm when Gary Halman, a planning expert for Knowsley, will give his evidence.
Everton youngster Lukas Jutkiewicz wants to win a slice of the action
Dec 13 2008 by David Prentice, Liverpool Echo
TEENAGE striker Lukas Jutkiewicz was Everton reserves’ matchwinner in a recent game with Newcastle. And he admitted this week it might have been enough to earn him Everton’s reserve team Player of the Month award for November. The six feet one inch forward has spent more time on the first team bench than on the pitch in the last month and admits the lack of action is frustrating. Collecting the award at Goodison Park on Thursday, from sponsors Britannia, he said: “I’m enjoying my football at the moment, but the problem with the Reserve League is the number of matches. We’ve only got two games this month so you have to make the most of them.” The player of the month awards are a new initiative at Goodison, with Tim Howard collecting the senior prize and Norwegian youngster Lars Stubhaug the Academy award. Also a goalkeeper, Stubhaug’s nomination threatened to embarrass him in front of his mentor. Asked for his ambitions at Everton, he squirmed and said: “To be honest it has to be to take that fella’s first team place over there!” Still only 18, Stubhaug has been a regular in the Academy team this season and covered in reserve outings. He joined Everton from Norwegian side Vard-Haugesund. Jutkiewicz’s journey to Goodison was shorter. After 13 starts and five goals from Swindon in 2006/07, he signed for the Blues for an undisclosed fee. Born in England, he is also eligible to play for Poland, Lithuania and the Republic of Ireland – but in 2007 decided to represent Poland, the country of his grandfather’s birth. His immediate ambition, however, is to try and take advantage of the current striking crisis at Goodison and make his Premier League debut. “I think he has come on,” David Moyes said this week. “It would be tough on the boy to put him in at the level we are asking. “But he is certainly in our thoughts at this present time with the injuries we have. “He is around. Is he the right one to make a difference for Everton or to help us? That will be the thing I have to decide.” Jutkiewicz has been in the senior squad against Standard Liege, West Ham, Wigan and Aston Villa this season, but is still waiting to make an impact. He is set to be in today’s squad, but will have half an eye on the reserves’ next fixture . . . Manchester United’s visit to Widnes on Thursday.
BLUES LEGENDS IN A SPECIAL CHRISTMAS REUNION
A HOST of Everton heroes enjoyed a Blue Christmas at Goodison yesterday.
The Everton Former Players Foundation invited a number of ex-players, coaches and managers to the Brian Labone Suite for a festive get-together.
Managers Howard Kendall and Gordon Lee were joined by Everton idols including Derek Temple, Duncan McKenzie, Gordon West, Alan Whittle, Gary Jones, Alan Ainscow, Jimmy Harris, Fred Pickering, Dave Hickson and George Telfer.
“It’s always nice to see the old players who you either played with, or who I admired before I came to Everton,” said Kendall, the club’s most successful boss. “We meet up quite a number of times throughout the year and it’s great to see them.”
The EFPF is a registered charity which raises money for former players who require medical treatment or have fallen on financial hardship.
I’m not on my way back to Premier, says Larsson
AND another one bites the dust . . . Swedish striker Henrik Larsson updated his blog this week (www.henriklarsson officialwebsite.com/blog) and declared: “It’s amazing I’ve read so many stories linking me with a move to Everton and a move to Aston Villa when I haven’t spoken to either club or any other club in England.
“There is absolutely no truth in any of the stories linking me with a transfer to the Premiership. The details of talks I’m meant to have had are totally made up. I don’t know where these stories have come from, but they are just untrue. “Villa and Everton are two great clubs. I have a great deal of respect for David Moyes and obviously for Martin O’Neill who was my manager at Celtic. “But that does not mean that I’ve had any contact with either club about a move in January because I haven’t. “It’s always flattering that people are interested in you and that I could be linked with clubs like those, but I simply don’t know what my plans are. In an ideal world if I do continue to play football it will be in Sweden and not anywhere else. I’ll keep you all up to date with anything that happens, but believe me there is no truth whatsoever in these rumours.” Sadly . . .
Youngsters set to take on cup’s giant killers
WITHOUT tempting fate, the Blues youth team must travel to either Burnley or West Bromwich Albion if they make it past Nantwich Town into the fourth round of the FA Youth Cup. The youngsters make their bow in the tournament on Monday night against the giant-killers who overcame Macclesfield Town to earn a night out at Goodison Park. Should that game go favourably, a trip to either Turf Moor or The Hawthorns beckons. All fourth round ties are scheduled to take place before Saturday, January 17, 2009.
Manchester City 0, Everton 1: Tim Cahill delivers a money can’t buy gift
Dec 15 2008 by Nick Smith, Liverpool Daily Post
WHO needs centre-forwards anyway? One day you could suddenly have £32million to spend on one and what does that get you? On Saturday’s evidence, one shot on goal in a largely anonymous performance that didn’t even last the 90 minutes.
And for that Everton deserve credit. Robinho was a peripheral figure thanks to a defensive display synonymous with the recent away form that has rescued their season from disintegration. But the main reason that praise should fall on David Moyes’s men like the relentless Manchester rain is their efforts at the other end.
Of all the shortages the Everton manager has suffered this season, Saturday’s was a crisis like no other, with the cruellest injury luck imaginable robbing him of any recognised senior strikers. It could only have been worse if they were playing the game at home. However, there may have been no forwards available – but there was one deadly goalscorer raring to go. Tim Cahill hit his first goal for Everton at the City of Manchester Stadium in September 2004. And since then his scoring record has been like the abdominal muscles he unveiled that day to earn himself a second yellow card – pretty impressive. The Australian was actually suffering a severe drought by his standards before his injury time winner, which was his first goal for three months.
And it’s widely accepted that Cahill thrives on arriving undetected into the area and getting on the end of things from a deeper position. But just like he did four years ago at this same ground, his ability to rise to meet set-pieces is a habit he couldn’t kick even if he wanted to. In fact, if he was asked to play a lone role at the other end of the field, behind the defence and between the sticks, you suspect he would still have ventured up field to meet Leon Osman’s finely floated corner. He deserved the goal for his efforts in ploughing that unfamiliar lone furrow, and the team deserved the three points for the way they applied themselves to the task. With Louis Saha and Victor Anichebe failing to recover in time for the game and Yakubu and James Vaughan likely to be out for the season, that team spirit and togetherness was more vital than ever. It’s imperative two of that quartet regain fitness quickly and having a Monday night fixture next week is something of a blessing. But Saturday was the time for other players to take responsibility, with Marouane Fellaini excellent in his support of Cahill, and both Osman and Steven Pienaar putting in punishing shifts on the flanks. Phil Jagielka was also immense, as he shrugged off last week’s blip against Aston Villa with the same ease he shrugged off Robinho. But Moyes will also take nothing but encouragement from the contribution of Segundo Castillo. The Ecuador international has struggled to settle into English football and find full fitness, so much so that Saturday’s was his first appearance since the Carling Cup exit to Blackburn in late September. But in the holding midfield role that has been such a problem area all season, he remained composed and controlled, extinguishing both City’s creativity and, hopefully, those ‘Everton have never really replaced Lee Carsley’ soundbites.
Given that Moyes often prefers a 4-5-1 formation the lack of a striker, combined with Castillo’s admirable adapting, didn’t prove as disruptive as the team sheet suggested.
And this cause was also helped by the limited opposition – because it wasn’t just the Everton manager suffering from a severe lack of quality up front.
Mark Hughes did his best to rectify the situation by replacing Benjani with Jo but it was like for like, or in terms of the home supporters’ feelings, dislike for dislike. Two overpriced stumblers whose hairstyles are the only outstanding thing about them.
In fact, it was Everton who showed more attacking intent throughout in a refreshing refusal to sit back and play it cautious in such testing circumstances.
Osman was just wide with a low drive after five minutes and when Mikel Arteta’s free-kick crashed back off the bar five minutes after that, the tone was set.
City did have their moments, with Tim Howard having to be alert to deny Robinho and Stephen Ireland, while Shaun Wright-Phillips was also denied by the bar.
But for the most part they looked as though January couldn’t come quickly enough and given the riches on offer who can blame them? The 3-0 win over Arsenal last month is their only league victory in eight games. None of which should detract from Everton’s efforts, however. They deserved the three points but analysing its overall impact is a fruitless exercise. They have been far too inconsistent this season for that and with Chelsea next up at the ground they dread playing at more than any other – Goodison Park – they could be forgiven if they don’t fully capitalise on the confidence Saturday’s showing should give them. It wouldn’t be the first time they have failed to turn the corner this season and a side who have 11 straight wins on the road won’t necessarily help set them on a straight path back into Europe. So Saturday’s win should just be enjoyed despite the shameful scenes in the stands that followed it.
And as for a seeming over-reliance on late goals to secure victories, this has happened so often that it must be due more to attitude and application than just sheer luck.
After all, it was Cahill’s menacing presence and determination to chase a hopeful long ball that forced Richard Dunne to concede the injury time corner that brought him his reward. It epitomised the stamina and staying power of the current squad, whose recent points tally has been boosted by four wins that have come courtesy of goals in the final 10 minutes. Which is why there was a certain inevitability when Osman jogged towards the corner, where many players might have been tempted to ensure that was exactly where the ball stayed for what little time was remaining.
But just like Kirsty MacColl and the Pogues at this time of year, Cahill is always likely to pop up at any moment when you most expect it. The home defending was as hopeless as their subsequent appeals for a penalty for handball against Joseph Yobo in their frantic last fight for an equaliser, the basics of keeping a man on the post for a corner somehow eluding them when it mattered most. Cahill took full advantage and City – like the corner flag bracing itself for the celebration when the ball hit the net – had to accept they were beaten.
Manchester City 0, Everton 1: Blues' agony to ecstasy with late drama
Dec 15 2008 by Dominic King, Liverpool Echo
STOMACH churning lows followed by dizzying highs - if the bigwigs at Alton Towers want to invent a new rollercoaster, perhaps they should ask David Moyes for advice. Having spent six days trying to clamber their way out of the depths of despair after Aston Villa’s last-gasp triumph at Goodison Park, Evertonians will doubtlessly occupy a place on cloud nine following a complete role reversal against Manchester City. Football is a game that triggers many emotions but nothing stands comparison with the elation of a winning an important game in the dying moments and the scenes in the visiting section at Eastlands on Saturday afternoon proved that. But should anyone have been surprised by such wild celebrations when you think about what has happened during the past month? No other team in the Premier League has had to contend with such bewildering circumstances yet managed to stay on an even keel.
Just consider some of the blows the Toffees have had to sustain: a display so bad at Wigan that certain supporters felt compelled to cry “enough!”, all four strikers have been injured to differing degrees of severity, not to mention that defeat against Villa.
Such conspiring circumstances would be enough to break lesser willed teams but Everton, once again, have shown they can roll with the punches thanks to their utterly remarkable team spirit. Indeed, this contest made for fascinating viewing. In one corner, you had a team with all the money in the world and a fabulous ground up against opponents that are struggling to find two pennies to rub together and do not know where they will call home in five years. Evertonians may have cast envious glances down the M62 on transfer deadline day in September when City were taken over by an Arab consortium then, within a couple of hours, had smashed the British transfer record to sign Robinho from Real Madrid. The grass, however, is not always so green on the other side. It’s all very well having an unlimited transfer budget but, on this evidence, City will never be able to buy a team spirit - or a history - to match Everton’s. Yes, Mark Hughes may have been able to name an £18m striker among his substitutes when David Moyes couldn’t even start with one but how the City manager must crave to have a squad as united and determined as his counterpart has at Goodison Park. While City went through the motions here playing as 11 individuals - a number of whom looked as if they wanted to be as far away from the miserable Mancunian elements as possible - the Blues were doughty, diligent and ultimately deserving victors. Many may have feared the worst when Victor Anichebe joined James Vaughan, Ayegbeni Yakubu and Louis Saha on the sidelines yet it is almost as if the more difficult things are, the better this Everton team likes it. What’s more, if any of that quartet watched the man who led the line in their absence, they will have seen the best striking performance by an Everton player of the campaign. Tim Cahill, quite simply, was absolutely magnificent. There is no getting away from the fact he has struggled for form in recent weeks, his plight exacerbated by missed chances against Middlesbrough and Wigan that you would normally expect him to bury with his eyes closed. It’s quite possible the heel injury he has been carrying has had more of an effect on him than we may have appreciated, so it was heartening then to see Cahill put in a shift of relentless running, pestering and pressurising.
He set the tone, never giving Richard Dunne a moment’s peace, so it was fitting that Cahill was the man who rose highest in the 91st minute to power Leon Osman’s corner past Joe Harte to spark pandemonium at the opposite end of the ground.
With his attacking personnel wiped out, Moyes has probably never needed Cahill to start scoring more than he does at present; now a drought that stretched back to September 21 has ended, who knows? Maybe we can expect a Christmas flurry from the Australian. Cahill, however, would be the first to concede he was not the only reason Everton were able to register their sixth away win of the campaign, as all over the pitch there were towering performances. Mikel Arteta bossed the midfield and was desperately unlucky to see a free-kick thud against the bar, Osman ran himself to a stand still, Marouane Fellaini was immense, while the recalled Segundo Castillo was understated but totally effective. The defence, meanwhile, never once looked like being breached. Phil Neville - how he enjoyed milking the celebrations at a ground where he is eternally cast as the pantomime baddie - produced his best performance of the season, never giving Robinho a kick. Likewise, Phil Jagielka made a nonsense of suggestions he would be effected by his mistake against Villa with a faultless display, ditto Joseph Yobo, Joleon Lescott and Tim Howard. “We thoroughly deserved it, there’s no doubt about that,” noted Moyes, who gave each of his players a hearty bear hug as they left the pitch. “It came late but any time the goals come, we’ll take them. We did what we had to do and got our just rewards.” Too true. Desolation one week, elation the next, Everton might not be doing things the easy way yet, in adversity, they are showing they have all the attributes to maintain their place in the top six or seven through Christmas and beyond. All that needs improving now is the record at Goodison but, on that subject, the last time Everton won six of their first nine away fixtures in the league was 1969-70 - and we all know what happened then. It might be fanciful to say the New Year will herald a title challenge but there is no reason why Moyes can’t lead Everton in to Europe again. That said, one thing is clear - it isn’t going to be an easy ride. Get ready to fasten your seatbelts.There is no getting away from the fact he has struggled for form in recent weeks, his plight exacerbated by missed chances against Middlesbrough and Wigan that you would normally expect him to bury with his eyes closed. It’s quite possible the heel injury he has been carrying has had more of an effect on him than we may have appreciated, so it was heartening then to see Cahill put in a shift of relentless running, pestering and pressurising.He set the tone, never giving Richard Dunne a moment’s peace, so it was fitting that Cahill was the man who rose highest in the 91st minute to power Leon Osman’s corner past Joe Harte to spark pandemonium at the opposite end of the ground. With his attacking personnel wiped out, Moyes has probably never needed Cahill to start scoring more than he does at present; now a drought that stretched back to September 21 has ended, who knows? Maybe we can expect a Christmas flurry from the Australian. Cahill, however, would be the first to concede he was not the only reason Everton were able to register their sixth away win of the campaign, as all over the pitch there were towering performances. Mikel Arteta bossed the midfield and was desperately unlucky to see a free-kick thud against the bar, Osman ran himself to a stand still, Marouane Fellaini was immense, while the recalled Segundo Castillo was understated but totally effective. The defence, meanwhile, never once looked like being breached. Phil Neville - how he enjoyed milking the celebrations at a ground where he is eternally cast as the pantomime baddie - produced his best performance of the season, never giving Robinho a kick. Likewise, Phil Jagielka made a nonsense of suggestions he would be effected by his mistake against Villa with a faultless display, ditto Joseph Yobo, Joleon Lescott and Tim Howard. “We thoroughly deserved it, there’s no doubt about that,” noted Moyes, who gave each of his players a hearty bear hug as they left the pitch. “It came late but any time the goals come, we’ll take them. We did what we had to do and got our just rewards.” Too true. Desolation one week, elation the next, Everton might not be doing things the easy way yet, in adversity, they are showing they have all the attributes to maintain their place in the top six or seven through Christmas and beyond. All that needs improving now is the record at Goodison but, on that subject, the last time Everton won six of their first nine away fixtures in the league was 1969-70 - and we all know what happened then. It might be fanciful to say the New Year will herald a title challenge but there is no reason why Moyes can’t lead Everton in to Europe again. That said, one thing is clear - it isn’t going to be an easy ride. Get ready to fasten your seatbelts.
DAVID PRENTICE: Manchester City win massive for makeshift Everton
Dec 15 2008 by David Prentice, Liverpool Echo
DO not underestimate the size of Everton’s achievement at Manchester City on Saturday. The last time Everton won six of their first nine away games in a season, Ball, Harvey and Kendall were creating mesmerising patterns with a football and carving out a clutch of chances for Joe Royle. On Saturday Everton celebrated win number six, with Tim Cahill the closest thing to a striker in their ranks.
It was yet another pointer to the remarkable character possessed by this squad of players. Those away wins haven’t come on easy territory. White Hart Lane, the Reebok Stadium and Eastlands have all held horrors for Everton in previous seasons – but this time they have been the scenes of character-filled triumphs. The Blues might have problems with injuries, their bank balance and trying to find a balanced combination in midfield – but their ability to bounce back from the cruellest of blows is unmatched.
David Moyes hails spirit of Everton players
Dec 15 2009 by Dominic King, Liverpool Echo
DAVID MOYES paid tribute to his players after they bounced back from their Aston Villa heartbreak in the most emphatic manner. Tim Cahill’s header deep into injury time at Manchester City secured the Blues a sixth win from nine Premier League away fixtures and left Moyes beaming. Despite being shorn of all his strikers, the manager’s decision to play Cahill up front reaped rich rewards as the Blues picked up their just rewards. Given the way they had lost out to Villa, it had been a long week at Finch Farm but Moyes was thrilled his team once again answered their doubters in great style. “It took us a few days to get over Villa but I thought we deserved to win after playing so well - they’re great lads and I am delighted with them,” said Moyes.
“We had no fit strikers but we did really well and Tim Cahill did a great job for us in several positions and topped it all with a goal. “When you lose the way we did to Aston Villa last week, you can go one of two ways - you can either go under or do what we did (against City) and bounce back.” While Everton have endured a difficult time at Goodison, it has been a different story on the road. Moyes has seen his players pick up 19 of their 25 points so far on their travels but he does not feel there is a special recipe for their success. “We are scoring goals and being hard to beat,” said the manager. “We were a little bit unlucky not to get something from the game against Villa but it goes like that sometimes. “There have been a lot of games won in the last minute in the Premier League and we like to keep going. There is no doubt City are talented but we were the better side.” Cahill grabbed the headlines with his first goal in almost three months but Moyes felt there were a number of other weighty contributions. “You always judge Tim by his goals but his workrate was tremendous and he did a terrific job,” Moyes pointed out. “There was a lot of movement and that was pleasing. I thought Mikel Arteta was fantastic, as was Fellaini and Castillo in the middle.” With Chelsea next up, live on TV next Monday, Moyes has an extra couple of days to get Louis Saha and Victor Anichebe fit. But if they happen to miss out again, he is unlikely to complain, particularly if the players he selected against City reproduce their latest efforts. Moyes added: “We are very limited in terms of what we can do to change things around but if they can keep playing like that, I’ll be happy.”
Joseph Yobo: Tim Cahill is Everton's 'invisible man' goal hero
Dec 15 2008 by Dominic King, Liverpool Echo
JOSEPH YOBO today hailed the return to form of Everton’s ‘invisible man’ – then backed him to start wreaking havoc once again. Tim Cahill ended a 10-game scoring drought when he ghosted in at the far post to head a dramatic late winner against Manchester City on Saturday. It capped a terrific individual performance and more than vindicated David Moyes’ decision to play Cahill as Everton’s lone frontman in the absence of his four injured strikers. Cahill has not been in the best of form recently but Yobo says his team-mates knew it was only a matter of time before he came good again, as he is a player blessed with special qualities. “Tim is an invisible player because he is so difficult to mark – he is a nightmare for defenders to play against,” said Yobo, who also played a key role in the 1-0 win at Eastlands. “You don’t know whether he is a striker or a midfielder and when he gets a chance like he did at City, you always back him to take it. “You have got to give him great credit because he played up front on his own. He carried the fight to City and spurred us on. He’s a very important player and he has shown that once again. “He is a fighter. Even when he doesn’t play in his best position, he gives everything for the team and he sets an example.” Though the Blues were down to the bare bones in terms of personnel, they fully deserved to get three points with a display that proved they did not suffer a hangover from the heartbreaking loss against Aston Villa. It was also their sixth away victory of the campaign but now Yobo wants to see a dramatic improvement in their home form and can see no better place to start than against Chelsea next Monday.
“We should have got something out of the Villa game but we knew if we played at the same tempo and level then we’d have got our rewards against City,” said Yobo.
“We suffered a blow in losing Victor before the game and we had no strikers but we just believed in ourselves. We are a team that fights for one another and we have great confidence. “We took that belief to City and we deserved to win. We are all so happy and we want to build on that now when we play Chelsea.” Everton, meanwhile, will continue to monitor Michael Owen’s situation, as they ponder making a January bid.
There is no question the Blues would want a player of the Newcastle striker’s calibre but his exorbitant wages would be a stumbling block.
Everton will hit up chase for Europe - Mikel Arteta
Dec 16 2008 by Dominic King, Liverpool Echo
MIKEL ARTETA today set his sights on a fruitful Christmas campaign to keep Everton in the mix for a European place. The Blues have not enjoyed the kind of consistency that characterised their efforts last season, but their fighting qualities have enabled them to keep tabs on the top six. Last Saturday’s victory over Manchester City took Everton to within five points of fifth placed Arsenal, and Arteta knows they have an opportunity to make further inroads next week. A home game with Chelsea gets things underway and the Spaniard believes back-to-back wins for the first time since November would prove they mean business. That’s why he hopes Everton show the same kind of fighting spirit that was evident at Eastlands – and do not make the errors that have been so costly on occasions. “I think we had the same performance as against Aston Villa, but we didn’t make any mistakes,” said Arteta. “We controlled the game, played well and created chances. “I think we deserved to win. We were so happy in the dressing room. The reaction this season has been terrific. Every time we’ve had a bad game we have reacted as nobody could expect. “We played great football and then we scored in the last minute. It was beautiful! We have been so unlucky with injuries through the season, especially to key players. “We showed great spirit with Tim (Cahill) up front and Felli behind. We are still in the mix. That was a really important game because we could have ended up losing three or four positions.
“As it is, we remain close to the top six so hopefully we can keep going and have a good result against Chelsea.” Arteta has been given a new lease of life in the past three weeks, as a switch from the flanks to a more central position has coincided with a vast improvement in his form. He bossed the midfield against City and manager David Moyes has now challenged the 26-year-old to take his performances up another level again. “Mikel was terrific,” said Moyes. “Everyone knows his skill but all round he was good, in the way he defended and stuck with people. “His talent is unquestionable. I’ve got no doubts the consistency will return. Mikel has been very good for us over the years and he’s trying to get back to the standards he’s set.”
How Everton new boy Marouane Fellaini is growing into a star
Dec 16 2008 by Dominic King, Liverpool Echo
MAROUANE FELLAINI may be raising eyebrows with the volume of his hair but it is outstanding performances that are setting tongues wagging. Everton’s record signing has a style and fashion sense all of his own, summed up by an afro which – especially when combined with his 6ft 5ins frame – ensures that he stands out from the crowd. He also has a unique way of getting things done on the pitch, too.
It is, though, extremely effective and in recent weeks, he has shown why David Moyes chose to invest £15m in him in September. There may have been a time when some felt he was going to be an expensive mistake but one of his compatriots thinks it will prove to be money well spent. Manchester City midfielder Vincent Kompany spent much of Saturday afternoon trying, by fair means or foul, to keep tabs on Fellaini and was ultimately left shattered at the final whistle as the Blues pilfered a late winner.
Afterwards, however, there was a part of him pleased to see the 21-year-old do so well and Kompany believes the moment Fellaini becomes fully attuned to the rat-a-tat-tat pace of English football, he will become Everton’s driving force. “It’s good for Belgium to have some players doing well in the Premier League,” said Kompany, a player who attracted Everton’s interest during the summer when he was leaving Hamburg. “It was good to see him again. We had a good laugh on the pitch, we kicked each other a couple of times and I thought he played really well – being in England is helping his development. “He is getting better all the time. We are a good friends.
“He is a very good player and important for the national team. In the future, I can see him becoming Everton’s main man. “I won’t be growing my hair like his – he’s got his own style – but maybe he should keep it that way as if it gets any bigger he’ll start to scare opponents off!” Perhaps in his first few weeks at Goodison Park, Fellaini may have found the challenge of adapting to life on Merseyside scary but, with each passing day, he is becoming more and more integrated into the squad.
Moyes, for one, has certainly noticed an improvement in his demeanour, his furrowed brow being replaced by a smile and it has also helped that Fellaini is now able to speak some English to get involved with dressing room banter. And as the manager points out, it was perhaps unfair to expect instant fireworks. Should the roles have been reversed and a young English player went to a country where he did not understand the language or culture, would he have been able to excel? “I think he is playing really well,” said Moyes, who beat the clock on transfer deadline day to whisk Fellaini away from Standard Liege. “With the exception of Wigan, ‘Felli’ has been as good as anyone in the games we have played recently. “I thought he had a good game at City. It was a better performance all round. He is getting much more used to the game now. And I can see him settling. It's been difficult for the boy because he can't really communicate yet. “But I have seen him in the last week or two trying to have a laugh and joke with the squad. He's getting closer to them. “Maybe he's just starting to see how our group dynamics work. They have got a really good spirit and they look after each other. “I hope he is beginning to see that and it is starting to rub off on him.
“If we put a young player in one of the top Spanish teams who didn't speak the language and expected him to play well, how would that be seen? “I think Felli has come in and done very well. He will continue to develop. He wasn't bought just for the now – he was bought for the future. “We found that if we didn't buy him now, his price would go up or he would have been bought by one of the bigger clubs. We had to do it.”
NIGEL MARTYN: Everton's Joseph Yobo has matured into a defender of highest class
Dec 16 2008 by Nigel Martyn, Liverpool Echo
SOMETIMES the most important players never get the headlines and Joseph Yobo certainly falls into that category. While Joleon Lescott has had his achievements shouted from the rooftops and Phil Jagielka’s outstanding form has led to calls for his inclusion in the England squad, Joseph has occupied a place in the background this season. Time, then, to change all that. There was a time when you almost expected Joseph to make a costly mistake but experience and maturity has ensured those days have been long since banished – quite simply he is a defender of the highest quality.
Just look at his attributes: he’s lightening quick, strong, athletic and reads the game well; on the odd occasion he gets caught out of position, he invariably recovers because he has got pace to burn and he goes about his business in a serene manner.
It used to be funny watching him in training because he is very skilful and you would often see him doing the kind of tricks that midfielders and forwards do, that’s why we were always worried when he had too much time to think about things. You never knew if he was going to attempt an audacious cross field ball or a dragback, so David Moyes and Alan Irvine were forever telling me to keep on at Joe about the need to maintain his concentration – I’m sure it’s the same for Tim Howard now. But there is no getting away from the fact he is blessed with ability and I’d even go so far as saying he’s one of the best defenders I played with during my club career, given he has the same kind of natural talent as Rio Ferdinand. Manchester City may not have threatened us much on Saturday but you can’t put that down to their forwards having an off-day; Joe, for one, was immense at Eastlands, as he is always is when Everton win in such a manner. It was an absolutely terrific result and will have transformed the mood around the club going into the Christmas period; Tim Cahill’s goal also provided further vindication why the manager spends so much time working on set pieces. I know from experience that some of those Friday afternoon sessions can be mundane, particularly when you’re stood out in pouring rain, but when someone pops up with a header from a corner, everything is suddenly worthwhile.
Midfield battle key to stopping Scolari
CHELSEA is our final fixture before Christmas and there is almost a case for wishing it was to be played at Stamford Bridge. We have been so good on the road, while their form at home has been extremely patchy but swop the two elements around and you will see a complete role reversal. There is reason to believe, however, that Everton can inflict the first blemish on Luis Felipe Scolari’s away record, particularly if we can match them in midfield. You need to keep things tight against Chelsea but, provided you do that, there is always the possibility that you will get a chance against them.
Hopefully there will be a good crowd at Goodison Park and we certainly owe them one after the Carling Cup semi-final last season, so what better time to rectify matters? Games are going to start coming thick and fast but a victory over Chelsea would be a dream start to the festive period. WHEN David Moyes said recently that he was interested in signing ‘any’ striker, it was only a matter of time before he was linked with Michael Owen. It’s amazing that whenever his contract is starting to run down or a transfer window is due to open, he starts scoring goals with monotonous regularity again. If you could guarantee he would stay fit, he would be an absolutely tremendous signing and if he wants to play for Everton, as has been suggested, now is the time to get him. But can we afford him? And just say we do sign him – what happens if he gets another serious injury? Then, sadly, you are stuck with an expensive liability.
FA Youth Cup: Burnley are next as Everton kids march on
Dec 18 2008 by James Pearce, Liverpool Echo
EVERTON secured a trip to Burnley in the fourth round of the FA Youth Cup after a comfortable win over UniBond League outfit Nantwich at Goodison. First team manager David Moyes watched from the Main Stand as goals in each half from Lewis Codling and Jake Bidwell secured the Blues’ passage. The margin of victory should have been much greater but Everton wasted a stack of chances. Conor McAleny, Tom McCready and Lee McArdle all went close before they finally broke the deadlock seven minutes before the break. Codling pounced after Nathan Craig’s pass was only half cleared to the edge of the area and the Bootle-born forward fired past Marcus Cooper. Nantwich almost equalised minutes later but Liam Prince fired over after getting in behind the Everton back-line. In the second half Hope Akpan almost finished off a superb move between James Wallace, McCready and Codling, but the midfielder’s shot from the edge of the box whistled just over. McAleny was denied twice in quick succession just before the hour as his looping shot was clawed away by Cooper and then another effort was deflected over by Nantwich captain Adam Dawson. From Craig’s corner Everton finally made it 2-0 as England under-15s full-back Bidwell rose to head home.
Head and shoulders
Dec 16 2008 by Dominic King, Liverpool Echo
MAROUANE FELLAINI may be raising eyebrows with the volume of his hair but it is outstanding performances that are setting tongues wagging. Everton’s record signing has a style and fashion sense all of his own, summed up by an afro which – especially when combined with his 6ft 5ins frame – ensures that he stands out from the crowd. He also has a unique way of getting things done on the pitch, too.
It is, though, extremely effective and in recent weeks, he has shown why David Moyes chose to invest £15m in him in September. There may have been a time when some felt he was going to be an expensive mistake but one of his compatriots thinks it will prove to be money well spent. Manchester City midfielder Vincent Kompany spent much of Saturday afternoon trying, by fair means or foul, to keep tabs on Fellaini and was ultimately left shattered at the final whistle as the Blues pilfered a late winner.
Afterwards, however, there was a part of him pleased to see the 21-year-old do so well and Kompany believes the moment Fellaini becomes fully attuned to the rat-a-tat-tat pace of English football, he will become Everton’s driving force. “It’s good for Belgium to have some players doing well in the Premier League,” said Kompany, a player who attracted Everton’s interest during the summer when he was leaving Hamburg. “It was good to see him again. We had a good laugh on the pitch, we kicked each other a couple of times and I thought he played really well – being in England is helping his development. “He is getting better all the time. We are a good friends.
“He is a very good player and important for the national team. In the future, I can see him becoming Everton’s main man. “I won’t be growing my hair like his – he’s got his own style – but maybe he should keep it that way as if it gets any bigger he’ll start to scare opponents off!” Perhaps in his first few weeks at Goodison Park, Fellaini may have found the challenge of adapting to life on Merseyside scary but, with each passing day, he is becoming more and more integrated into the squad. Moyes, for one, has certainly noticed an improvement in his demeanour, his furrowed brow being replaced by a smile and it has also helped that Fellaini is now able to speak some English to get involved with dressing room banter. And as the manager points out, it was perhaps unfair to expect instant fireworks. Should the roles have been reversed and a young English player went to a country where he did not understand the language or culture, would he have been able to excel? “I think he is playing really well,” said Moyes, who beat the clock on transfer deadline day to whisk Fellaini away from Standard Liege. “With the exception of Wigan, ‘Felli’ has been as good as anyone in the games we have played recently. “I thought he had a good game at City. It was a better performance all round. He is getting much more used to the game now. And I can see him settling. It's been difficult for the boy because he can't really communicate yet. “But I have seen him in the last week or two trying to have a laugh and joke with the squad. He's getting closer to them. “Maybe he's just starting to see how our group dynamics work. They have got a really good spirit and they look after each other. “I hope he is beginning to see that and it is starting to rub off on him.
“If we put a young player in one of the top Spanish teams who didn't speak the language and expected him to play well, how would that be seen? “I think Felli has come in and done very well. He will continue to develop. He wasn't bought just for the now – he was bought for the future. “We found that if we didn't buy him now, his price would go up or he would have been bought by one of the bigger clubs. We had to do it.”
Burnley are next as blues kids march on
Dec 16 2008 by Our Correspondent, Liverpool Echo
EVERTON secured a trip to Burnley in the fourth round of the FA Youth Cup after a comfortable win over UniBond League outfit Nantwich at Goodison. First team manager David Moyes watched from the Main Stand as goals in each half from Lewis Codling and Jake Bidwell secured the Blues’ passage. The margin of victory should have been much greater but Everton wasted a stack of chances. Conor McAleny, Tom McCready and Lee McArdle all went close before they finally broke the deadlock seven minutes before the break. Codling pounced after Nathan Craig’s pass was only half cleared to the edge of the area and the Bootle-born forward fired past Marcus Cooper. Nantwich almost equalised minutes later but Liam Prince fired over after getting in behind the Everton back-line. In the second half Hope Akpan almost finished off a superb move between James Wallace, McCready and Codling, but the midfielder’s shot from the edge of the box whistled just over. McAleny was denied twice in quick succession just before the hour as his looping shot was clawed away by Cooper and then another effort was deflected over by Nantwich captain Adam Dawson. From Craig’s corner Everton finally made it 2-0 as England under-15s full-back Bidwell rose to head home.
Everton Youth 2, Nantwich Town Youth 0
Dec 16 2008
by Chris Wright, Liverpool Daily Post
GOALS in each half from Lewis Codling and Jake Bidwell saw Everton secure a 2-0 victory over Nantwich Town in the third round of the FA Youth Cup at Goodison Park last night. But the victory could have been more emphatic had Everton taken more of the 29 chances they created against the UniBond League side as first-team manager David Moyes watched on from the Main Stand. Coach Neil Dewsnip was relieved his side’s profligacy hadn’t cost his side a place in the fourth round where they will travel to Turf Moor in the New Year to take on Burnley, who also secured a home victory as they beat West Bromwich Albion 3-1 last night. The Everton coach said: “We are obviously delighted we have won the game. First and foremost it is a cup competition and we are through. “But the quality of our work in the final third was poor this evening. And we will have to do better in the future. “Nantwich showed great spirit and kept going right to the end.” He added: “Playing at Goodison may have been a factor in our finishing. But that is the environment they need to deal with. You have to get on with it and score when you get chances. “We had so many chances to score and it has been a major problem all year. We have dominated a lot of games and not got the rewards we deserved from our open play. We need to do better than that. “Our approach play is good, we are quite creative up to the edge of the box and we were tonight. But we will be working on it for the future. “Playing at Goodison is very exciting and our lads will be better for the experience. We go to Burnley in the next round. Turf Moor is a lovely place to play football. They will relish the chance to play us and it will be a tough match. We won’t take anything for granted. But we would be delighted if we could get another chance to play at Goodison.” Everton had numerous opportunities but only four of those were on target. Conor McAleny was wide with a header and a shot early on and although Everton dominated the early proceedings, Nantwich keeper Marcus Cooper wasn’t seriously troubled.
Tom McCready fired a rising 25-yard shot over the bar on 22 minutes, while Lee McArdle also fizzed a low cross-shot across the face of goal. But Everton finally broke the deadlock seven minutes before the break. Codling, who had also had a couple of efforts off target, pounced after Nathan Craig’s pass was only half-cleared to the edge of the area, and the Bootle-born forward fired past Cooper with an excellent low strike.
Nantwich almost drew level minutes later, but thankfully Liam Prince fired over after be broke in behind the Everton back-line.
The second half followed a similar pattern to the first with Everton creating numerous chances, but failing to take them.
Hope Akpan almost finished off a superb move between James Wallace – who has recently been on the bench with the first team, McCready and Codling, but the central midfielder rising shot from the edge of area whistled just over the bar.
McAleny was denied in quick succession just before the hour mark. He saw his looping shot clawed away by Cooper and after Craig played the ball back into him the 16-year-old forward had his effort deflected over by Nantwich captain Adam Dawson.
But from the Craig’s corner Everton made it 2-0 as England under-15s international full-back Bidwell rose to superbly head home. Everton kept pressing, but McAleny scuffed a shot wide on 70 minutes after being played in by his strike partner Codling.
Codling was denied a second goal on the night five minutes when his header was cleared off the line by Dawson. The Cheshire side had been tidy in possession and battled well, but had few chances to trouble Everton’s schoolboy keeper Connor Roberts. But with 13 minutes remaining the youngster had to be at his best to stop Nantwich reducing the arrears. Prince’s curling strike from 25 yards was superbly tipped around for a corner by Roberts. Everton could have scored a few more late on. Codling was denied as Craig Edwards nipped the ball away from him as he was about to shoot. Then McCready should have made it 3-0, but he lifted his shot inches wide after being played in by James Wallace.
EVERTON YOUTH: Roberts; McArdle, Barnett, Duffy, Bidwell; McCready, Akpan, Wallace, Craig; Codling, McAleny. Subs: Nsiala, Kinsella, Sheppard, Powell, Krenn.
NANTWICH YOUTH: Cooper; McKay, Handcock, Dawson, Ledwards; McNichol (Tizard 71), Edge, Mahmood, Prince; Kirkham Stubbs (Turner 64)
REFEREE: SA Oldham.
Dec 17 2008 by Dominic King, Liverpool Echo
DAVID MOYES today paid tribute to the strength of character in Everton’s squad that has enabled them to become credible European challengers once again.
When the Blues have found the odds stacked against them this season, they have invariably answered every question that has been posed of them. The latest example of that came at Manchester City last weekend when, owing to injuries, Moyes was unable to select a striker for duty. What’s more, Leon Osman would not have played if Victor Anichebe had not pulled up lame in training before the game, but battled on through the pain barrier. Such an attitude has made a big impression on the manager and he is convinced such spirit will give Everton an edge when things get tough later in the campaign. “We are resilient and always have been,” said Moyes. “We have got a group of players who are prepared to play with injuries. “For instance, Ossie had a late fitness test and probably shouldn’t have played against City. “The lads in this team will play for you when they are injured. They play out of position and they get on with it when you ask them. It is great when you have a group like that. “I get asked at coaching seminars ‘what is team spirit?’ Team spirit comes from winning games, when there is a real togetherness. “It would have been easy for us to get down ourselves after losing to Villa, and the fact we didn't have any strikers. But these players wanted to bounce back immediately. “They deserve credit for that. It is hard to get out there, roll your sleeves up, play with injuries, play without forwards and not feel sorry for yourselves.” Outstanding away form has enabled Everton to keep tabs on those teams who currently occupy the European places, with 19 of their 25 points being picked up on the road. But Moyes remains adamant that it is only a matter of time before fortunes are reversed at Goodison. “We’ve been a little bit unfortunate, but if we keep winning away it gives us a chance to have a really good season if we start winning at home,” said Moyes. Chelsea are next up at Goodison – tickets are available at new price rates from all the usual outlets – and Anichebe could be involved in that tussle. The young Nigerian has responded well to treatment on a back injury but Everton will continue to monitor his progress.
Youth profile: Kieran Agard
Dec 18 2008 by James Pearce, Liverpool Echo
Name: Kieran Agard
Born: London - 10/10/1989
Position: Forward
Agard joined Everton midway through the 2005/06 season from Arsenal and became a key player in the Academy side. Pacy and with an eye for goal, Kieran scored plenty of goals for the under-18s before becoming a reserve team regular. In May this year he received the Keith Tamlin award for his overall contribution to the Academy set up both on and off the pitch. He was included in the first team’s training camp to Switzerland this summer and appeared in a number of the pre-season friendlies.
David Moyes: Tim Cahill can be our strike star again - Everton FC latest
Dec 18 2008 by Dominic King, Liverpool Echo
DAVID MOYES is prepared to ask Tim Cahill to carry the fight to Chelsea as his two remaining frontline strikers struggle with injury. Though Louis Saha and Victor Anichebe are responding to treatment on their respective hamstring and back problems, Moyes is not overly confident they will be ready for Monday night’s showdown. Anichebe has the best chance of being involved and the fact Everton have an extra 48 hours to prepare for the game at Goodison could work in the Blues’ favour. Moyes, however, has no intentions of jeopardising the long-term well being of either Anichebe or Saha by rushing them back and would be happy to play Cahill as a striker again. The Australian was deployed in that role at Eastlands last weekend and, much to Moyes’ delight, popped up with a priceless winner. “Tim has the ability to play up front and he scored a great header against Manchester City, which he has been threatening to do for some weeks,” Moyes said today. “Both Louis and Victor are making slow progress. If we had a game at the weekend, I doubt if either of them would be involved. “But playing on Monday night gives us a chance of getting Victor back. Louis has got a grade one tear of his hamstring – it’s the least serious kind – and I don’t see him being out long. “What we don’t want to do is bring him back before he is ready. He may be ready for Christmas but we don’t want to push him too hard, too soon.” With Ayegbeni Yakubu and James Vaughan both out for the rest of the season, Moyes wants to bring two strikers in during the transfer window. But that is going to be easier said than done, as Moyes has no intentions of bringing bodies in just for the sake of it if they are not going to make a difference. “We are actively looking to see what is available in the loan market,” Moyes confirmed. “But finding someone who is suitable for us is very difficult. “What we want to do is pick up some players who are going to improve Everton. Yes, I could go out and pick up someone just to improve the numbers. I don’t want to do that, though. I want the kind of player who will improve our play as I want us to be competitive in the second half of the season.”
Bill Kenwright: Everton can make the Champions League again
Dec 18 2008 by David Prentice, Liverpool Echo
EVERTON announced a club record £75.7 million turnover last season – and chairman Bill Kenwright has now targeted a place in the biggest money-making cartel of all. Blues revenues for the year ending May 31, 2008 increased by 47% on the previous year. And Kenwright said: “We have laid claim to a Champions’ League berth already during David Moyes’ tenure and we shall strive to do it again.
“That is what all of us want – that remains our primary, non-negotiable objective.”
The increase in revenue was largely due to runs in the UEFA Cup and Carling Cup, increased sponsorship revenue and a further increase in broadcast revenue from the enhanced Premier League broadcasting deal. Everton made an operating profit before player trading of £6.8m compared to a loss of £0.5 million in the prior year.
Taking player dealings into account, the accounts actually showed a small pre tax profit of £0.03 million, compared to a loss of £9.4m in the previous year.
Gate receipts were up £3.4m on the previous year to £20.5m, while there was a huge leap from £27.5m to £46.6m income from broadcasting due to the improved TV deal.
Everton’s wage bill increased from £38.4m to £44.5, although the wage bill percentage of the club’s turnover shrank from 75% to 59%. Maintenance costs increased from £51.9m to £68.8m due to the European campaign, the move from Bellefield to a new state-of-the-art training complex at Finch Farm and the financial burden of keeping an ageing Goodison Park stadium up to Premier League standards with the latter totalling a sum of more than £1m. The club’s borrowing increased to £39.5m from £29.2m, reflecting investment in the playing squad of £23.1m (£24m in 2007) but repayment is not due for more than five years. Overall this means that Everton’s net debt stands at £36.8m, an increase of £10.4m from last year’s figure of £26.4m. Kenwright added: “As is invariably the case, the last 12 months somehow succeeded in producing a heady cocktail of highs and lows away from the field of play yet the one constant, the true steadying influence, was the performances of a team which continued to mature and grow in stature. “As ever, David Moyes was fully supported, both by myself and my fellow directors – something which I have repeatedly stressed is absolutely crucial if we are to build a future that is both enduring and meaningful. “In successive seasons we have secured the funds to exceed the previous club transfer record and I feel certain that the investment of £15 million on the 20-year-old Belgian international Marouane Fellaini will come to represent sound and sensible business in the years ahead. “Our determination to ensure that our first-team squad is constantly upgraded has had an effect on the club’s balance sheet but, as ever, we have benefited from what I would call sensible and careful fiscal management during a period which was, in pure financial terms, hugely challenging.”
The Jury: Everton fans with their Christmas wishlists
Dec 18 2008 Liverpool Echo
Lee Molton, St Helens
WHO needs millions of pounds and strikers when you have got an Australian dynamo? The Blues showed great spirit to win in Manchester on Saturday and keep in the hunt for a European spot. Arteta was sparkling with Cahill working hard to make the millionaires look like paupers. As it is Christmas, it’s time to give out a few presents. For Bill Kenwright: Any spare change so he can get a new striker for Moyes in January. David Moyes: Any fit striker with two legs. Marouane Fellaini: A new hair-cut. The New Year brings a few wishes too: Evertonians: To win the FA Cup. James Vaughan: To have an injury-free spell. Tony Hibbert: A goal, will he ever score? Here’s to a great Christmas for the Blues and a Happy 2009. Merry Christmas Everton!
Cole Fraser, Litherland
The win at City was just what we need heading into Monday's game with Chelsea.
Joleon Lescott has looked a lot more reliable over the last couple of games, while Mikel Arteta looks near back to his best in the middle (keep him there!)
I also thought I should mention Yobo, Jagielka, Cahill, Fellaini and Pienaar, who have all been putting in some solid displays recently. Hopefully the Christmas period could see us push further towards the European places with two winnable games against Middlesbrough and Sunderland, with anything on Monday also being a bonus.
I had a think about what I would put into the team's Christmas stockings: Hair clippers for Marouane Fellaini, captain's armband for Phil Jagielka, bubblewrap for Louis Saha's legs, a new set of legs for James Vaughan and a big load of cash for the manager!
Tony Scott, Walton
IDEAL gifts for Everton football club this season: Cotton wool to wrap Tim Cahill in, two strikers for David Moyes, new legs for James Vaughan, scissors for Marouane Fellaini and one wealthy chairman. That’s all thanks Santa ! A win against Chelsea on Monday night is not out of the question, especially the way both teams are playing at the moment. A Boxing Day trip to Middlesbrough could prove tricky but games against Sunderland and Macclesfield in the FA Cup should be a formality.
Going into 2009 just below the Champions League spots is an achievement in itself when you look at our home record and the reckless summer we had.
Just think where we would be now had David Moyes had cash to spend last August?
Mike Williamson, Leasowe
THE SEASON has been a really strange affair and while questions remain about how we allowed ourselves to start in such a shambolic manner we can at least look ahead to 2009 with cautious optimism. What Moyes can pull off in the January transfer window will be critical. We need a striker but any quality players we can get in on loan will benefit such a small squad. More important than signings, though, is the fact that Moyes must show the tactical awareness and leadership that justifies a costly five-year contract. He needs to keep Arteta in central midfield and – with a fit again Hibbert – leave Neville on the bench. Castillo has brought vision and control to the midfield and deserves a decent run. A win against Chelsea and we could yet be looking at European football again next season; nobody would have believed that two months ago.
Neil Warnock blunder over Andy Holden was a real gain for Everton
Dec 18 2008 by Dominic King, Liverpool Echo
NEIL WARNOCK is not one of football’s most popular characters, but there are two men at Goodison Park who perhaps owe him a debt of gratitude. While it is well known Warnock played a key role in giving Phil Jagielka his leg up into the big time, his decision to give Andy Holden the elbow from Oldham Athletic in 1997 could not have worked out any better for this affable character from Flint. Though he was worried about what the future would hold for him immediately after leaving Boundary Park, a phone call shortly after from an Everton legend presented Holden with an opportunity that ensured any fears he harboured would soon be eased. Colin Harvey, a man with whom he had worked closely at Oldham, told Holden of an opening at Goodison Park and the rest, as they say, is history. He has gone on to become the longest serving member of Everton’s coaching staff and enjoys terrific popularity at the club. Much, of course, has changed in the 11 years Holden has been employed by the Blues – for starters, he has worked with three different managers – but one thing which hasn’t altered is his passion and commitment. Warnock, as is his way, might choose to say otherwise, yet ask anyone from David Moyes through to David Weir, Alan Stubbs, Lee Carsley and Victor Anichebe and you will invariably get a glowing appraisal of the work Holden does. Warnock’s blunder was most certainly Everton’s gain. “Everything stemmed from my days at Oldham with Colin and Graeme Sharp,” explained a man who is known simply at Finch Farm as ‘Taff’. “I was made reserve manager there when Sharpy got the manager’s job and had Colin alongside him.
“But when Sharpy sadly got the sack, Neil Warnock came in and I knew early on my days were numbered. I’d had an altercation with him - I’d rather not go into the details! - but when Colin came back here, he put me forward for an interview and I thankfully got the job. “Howard Kendall was manager when I came in and the Lancashire League was still going. Colin ran the ‘A’ team and I ran the ‘B’ team but we worked together during the week. We then merged with the FA Youth Cup winning team and went on from there.” It wasn’t long before a promotion was in the offing. Walter Smith, who had replaced Kendall as manager during the turbulent summer of 1998, wanted someone to look after the reserves and when he sought Harvey’s advice, he was pointed in Holden’s direction.“From what I can gather, Walter asked Colin about having a reserve team manager,” said Holden, taking up the story. “He told him I’d done the role before at Oldham and was more than adequate to do the job.
“Colin was a great mentor to me, a father figure from day one. I learned so much from him. He’s forgotten more about the game than most of us will ever know. I’ll always be indebted to him for what he did for me. He’s a fantastic man, an Everton legend.
“Within the first 14 months of being here, we had won the FA Youth Cup and there have been some fantastic young players who have emerged along the way. The reserves won the league in 2001 for the first time in 33 years, so that was another little feather in our caps.” A clutch of promising youngsters, among them the likes of Richard Dunne, Michael Ball, Francis Jeffers, Tony Hibbert and Leon Osman, may have ensured that Everton were flourishing on one level, but they struggled around the turn of the Millennium where it really mattered. It came as no surprise when Smith was sacked, in 2002 but new boss David Moyes had no thoughts of moving Holden on when he took over – particularly after the one time Wales international selected the team that allowed the new manager to get off to a winning start. What’s more, when Alan Irvine departed for Preston North End last November, Moyes had no hesitation in delaying his search for a new assistant as he had a trusted lieutenant in Holden – Everton’s reserve manager, to give him his full title – to rely upon. “The biggest change in my time here is the fact that the Gaffer has solidified us now,” said Holden. “He’s turned us into a team that now looks ahead and fights for a place in the top six rather than looking over our shoulders at the relegation zone. “We may have changed training grounds, but one thing that has never changed is the work ethic of the place. Never more was that evident than against Man City last Saturday. “There was only one team desperate to win that game. We might have a smaller squad than when Walter was here but it has probably highlighted that our team spirit has come even more to the fore. “Things have changed massively. I used to have a lot of the senior lads in the reserves, scattered with a few teenagers. Now I would class the reserve team league as being an Under-21 league. It’s vastly different to what I was used to, but you have got to adjust. “It’s all been a learning curve and I’ve had to reinvent myself to a certain extent because I’m working with a lot of younger players. Yes, my responsibilities increased after Alan went, but so too did those of Chris Woods and Jimmy Lumsden. “We all knuckled down as a team and worked hard to help the Gaffer whenever it was possible and it was a fantastic season. I love match days. I loved being on the touchline, right in the thick of it. So when you could see the players getting their rewards, that was the added bonus.” That almost 12 years have passed in a blink of an eye suggests Holden has enjoyed great job satisfaction and he is never more content than when surveying the scene on Goodison Road five minutes before kick-off from a vantage point in the Main Stand “It’s like a Lowry picture,” he explains. “I did it by chance when I had just arrived and have done it ever since. I thought ‘this is what it is about’. It’s proper people going to see proper football and you can see the tradition and passion. Long may it continue.”
Andy Holden factfile
Name: Andy Holden
Date of birth: 14 September 1962
Playing career: Rhyl, Chester City, Wigan Athletic, Oldham Athletic.
Capped by Wales at Under-21 and senior level Part of the Everton coaching staff that led club to FA Youth Cup win in 1998 Managed Everton’s reserves to league title in 2001
Andy Holden determined to get James Vaughan back in action
Dec 18 2008 by Dominic King, Liverpool Echo
ANDY HOLDEN knows better than most the heartache that serious injury causes for a player. After all, his own career was cut short because of on-going fitness problems – he only played 22 times during a six year spell with Oldham – but he was advised by Joe Royle to pursue a career in coaching at an early stage. So if anyone can appreciate just what James Vaughan is experiencing at the minute, Holden is the man. He has played a key role in the 20-year-old’s development, just as he has done with Victor Anichebe, and was dismayed by his latest setback. However, Holden has no doubt that Vaughan and Anichebe can become potent forces in the years to come, provided they get a slice of good fortune. “I feel so sorry for Vaughany,” Holden said. “He is such a wholehearted kid and he wants to win everything he does. “Hopefully we can get him right this time around and he will be able to put a string of games together.
“When that happens, you will see the real James Vaughan. You will see what sort of player he can become - when he is at his best, he’s unplayable. “We’ve seen Victor to greatest effect in European games so far. Last year he was turning games on their heads because the opposition just didn’t know what to do with him. He’s a big, strong lad but he knows what he has got to do to kick on to the next level.”
Everton under-18s need a deadly streak - Neil Dewsnip
Dec 18 2008 by James Pearce, Liverpool Echo
EVERTON coach Neil Dewsnip wants his under-18s to develop a killer instinct.
The Blues progressed to the fourth round of the FA Youth Cup with a 2-0 win over Nantwich Town at Goodison on Monday but they made hard work of beating the UniBond League outfit. Lewis Codling and Jake Bidwell were on target but a succession of chances went begging. “We were delighted to win but the quality of our work in the final third was poor and we will have to do better in the future,” Dewsnip said. “Playing at Goodison may have been a factor in our finishing but that is the environment they need to deal with. You have to get on with it and score when you get chances. “We had so many chances to score and it has been a major problem all year. We have dominated a lot of games and not got the rewards we deserved from our play. “We need to do better than that and we will be working on it.”
Thomas McCready fired narrowly over early on but visiting keeper Marcus Cooper was rarely troubled in the opening half hour. The Blues took the lead seven minutes before the break when Codling’s 25-yarder flew into the bottom corner.
In the second half Hope Akpan narrowly failed to hit the target before Bidwell made it 2-0 on the hour. Nathan Craig’s corner was deflected into the path of the England Under-15s international who converted from close range. Codling saw his header cleared off the line and McCready shaved the post after finding himself with only the keeper to beat. The Blues’ reward for Monday’s win is a trip to face Burnley at Turf Moor in January. “Playing at Goodison is very exciting and our lads will be better for the experience,” Dewsnip added. “Turf Moor is a lovely place to play football. Burnley will relish the chance to play us and it will be a tough match. “We won’t take anything for granted but we would be delighted if we could get another chance to play at Goodison.”
John Collins takes charge of Sporting Charleroi
Dec 18 2008 by James Pearce, Liverpool Echo
JOHN COLLINS returned to football management this week.
The former Everton midfielder has been appointed manager of Belgian side Sporting Charleroi. The 40-year-old replaced Thierry Siquet and will be assisted by Tommy Craig, who was also his number two at Hibernian. He said: “I have discovered very motivated and enthusiastic people in charge here and a very ambitious club.”
Collins played for Hibs, Celtic and Monaco before signing for Everton in 1998. He stayed for two years before moving on to Fulham and hung up his boots in 2003.
He took over at Hibs in October 2006 and won the Scottish League Cup the following year but quit in December 2007. Collin was the only British candidate interviewed by West Ham before they appointed Gianfranco Zola in September.
Alan Irvine keeps his cool at Preston
Dec 18 2008 by James Pearce, Liverpool Echo
MANAGER Alan Irvine is refusing to get carried away by Preston’s climb into the Championship play-off zone. The ex-Blues number two led them to a late 1-0 victory over promotion rivals Birmingham last weekend. Irvine has overseen a transformation in the club’s fortunes since he took over in November last year. “There is no way we will be getting complacent,” he said. “It is only half-time in the season and we have to do it all over again. It is going to be tough.. “But the top six is a terrific place to be right now.”
Peter Reid’s Thailand success
Dec 18 2008 by James Pearce, Liverpool Echo
PETER REID’S impressive start to his reign as Thailand national boss has continued at the South East Asian Championships. The Thais won all their group matches in the AFF Suzuki Cup against Laos, Vietnam and Malaysia without conceding a goal.
On Tuesday they secured a 1-0 win in front of over 50,000 spectators in the first leg of their semi-final against Indonesia to take into Saturday’s return match in Bangkok.
“They’re playing with pace, they’re mixing it up and they have a desire to win,” Reid said of his team.
Everton Reserves 1, Manchester United Reserves 1
Dec 19 2008 by Our Correspondent, Liverpool Daily Post
LUKAS JUTKIEWICZ’S third minute strike wasn’t enough for victory for Everton Reserves as they rounded out 2008 with a 1-1 against Manchester United.
Jutkiewicz’s strike was cancelled out by United’s Manuch in the second half.
From the Blues’ first attack, Jutkiewicz’s flick-on ricocheted back into his path and the striker’s shot was forced over the line by Kieran Agard. Jack Rodwell reverted to centre-half for the clash and was tasked with shackling Angola striker Manucho.
It was to be a busy opening half for the 17-year-old as much of United’s goal threat was carried by the gangly striker. First, his left foot shot was expertly saved by John Ruddy, then he made a couple of surges through the defence only to be denied by first John Irving, then Ruddy again. Manucho wasn’t done yet though, picking himself up off the floor to fire a free-kick over on the half hour. For Everton, Eunan O’Kane was forced off with injury 10 minutes before the break, to be replaced by Scott Spencer. The change didn’t affect Everton though, as they soaked up plenty of United possession without allowing them a decent sight of goal. Danny Drinkwater’s lob and Manucho’s drive both had Ruddy worried at the start of the second half, with the the forward then seeing a far post header deflected wide by Irving with the goal gaping.
So it was no real surprise when Manucho equalised with a header from Magnus Eikrem’s cross in the 55th minute. Everton’s attempts to re-establish their lead saw John Paul Kissock fire over twice, with an angled drive from Spencer also failing to trouble keeper Gary Woods. Both sides tired and subsequently no clear cut chances ensued until Ruddy superbly tipped Drinkwater’s shot round the post in the last minute. EVERTON RES: Ruddy, Irving, Craig, Wallace, Barnett, Rodwell, Kissock, Gosling, Agard, Jutkiewicz, O’Kane.
Everton boss David Moyes backs Segundo Castillo for Chelsea test
Dec 19 2008 by Dominic King, Liverpool Echo
DAVID MOYES will have no hesitation about pitching Segundo Castillo into Monday’s tussle with Chelsea after his encouraging return to action.
The Ecuadorian midfielder made four appearances in September immediately after completing his loan move from Red Star Belgrade but was dropped after the Carling Cup defeat against Blackburn. But with Everton having a substantial injury list last weekend, Moyes had no option other than to name Castillo for the trip to Manchester City. Any fears the manager may have had about Castillo coping with the pace of the Premier League were quickly dispelled as the 26-year-old went about his business with the minimum of fuss and made a key contribution to that 1-0 win at Eastlands.
With Victor Anichebe and Louis Saha still struggling, Moyes may have to say ‘same again’ when Luis Felipe Scolari’s men arrive at Goodison Park on Monday but Castillo – who needs to prove his fitness after tweaking a hamstring – is certainly in his manager’s thoughts. “I thought Segundo did quite well,” said Moyes. “I’m sure he knew it was a big game and he will have been keen to make an impression.
“He did a job quite similar to the one Lee Carsley did for us. He just wanted to make a tackle and when he got the ball, he gave it simply. “We will need to look at what is required on Monday before we make a decision and see what we have got available but he didn’t do anything wrong. “I certainly wouldn’t be frightened to use him again and having someone like him might ease the pressure because you know he will give you good cover. “He’s a really good boy to have around the place; he’s always smiling, always working hard and is desperate to make a contribution.” James Vaughan, meanwhile, has started out on the long road to recovery after the procedure to repair his damaged right cartilage was deemed a success. “James had his operation on Wednesday and everything went well,” said Everton’s assistant manager Steve Round. “We now wish him a speedy recovery and hopefully he will be fit before the end of the season. “But we will have to keep tabs on that and see how it goes.”
Growing Blues fan base key - Everton chief executive Robert Elstone
Dec 19 2008 by Dominic King, Liverpool Echo
ROBERT ELSTONE has admitted Everton face a big challenge to replicate last year’s record turnover – but has vowed the club will leave no stone unturned in their quest to do so. While the Blues acting chief executive believes the figure of £75.7m which was revealed earlier this week shows they are moving in the right direction, he also conceded it will tough to match that result in 12 months time. The success Everton enjoyed on the pitch last season had many lucrative spin-offs but early exits from both the UEFA and Carling Cups, coupled with the drop in attendances at Goodison Park, means they will have to explore other avenues to generate turnover. Elstone, however, has promised he and his team are ready for the challenge and believes broadening Everton’s fan base holds the key to them producing consistent results in future years, rather than constantly yo-yoing. “Finishing fifth in the league, being on TV regularly and solid performances in Europe allowed the club to capitalise and turn around the financial situation,” Elstone confirmed. “As well as generating nearly £76m income, we have also increased our expenditure on wages. On top of that, we are investing in players. “It shows we are moving in the right direction but we must also be prepared for the fact that season 2008/09 will be tougher. “It’s shaping up that way. We won’t have the UEFA Cup revenues and the last few weeks have shown a deterioration in attendances at Goodison. “That is something we are working really, really hard to plug. However, this season is also the first year of the record Chang deal, which is substantially over and above the old one. “The challenge for the business is to see how we can maintain that growth without the UEFA Cup windfall. “We are trying to grow year on year. We want to improve our business and we are looking to grow our loyal fan base. If we secure more fans, we will have a successful business.” Elstone estimates that the UEFA Cup run was worth between £5m and £6m and enabled them to climb back in the top 20 of the Deloitte rich list, which should give the club greater kudos as they attempt to secure investment. Improvements, though, still need to be made and Elstone says Everton need to address a number of issues in 2009, not least getting attendance figures back to last season’s levels. “It’s a great achievement and we are very pleased with it,” he said. “It demonstrates the line that this club is on and that is a steady growth path. We are stepping in the right direction “The first time we got into the rich list was because we had entered the first year of a new TV deal, which catapulted Premier League clubs into the higher end of the European football listings. “But we were also running our own shop at the time and were getting between £6m and £7m, which allowed us to scrape in to the top 20. “We then did an out source deal and the retail turnover came out, which meant we dropped out of the top 20 but we always hover around from between 25th to 30th place. “We also averaged 37,000 at Goodison Park every week – matchday receipts are a big driver of revenue – and we continued to improve our sponsorship deals.”
HOWARD KENDALL: Everton's chance to home in on glory
Dec 19 2008 by Howard Kendall, Liverpool Echo
AFTER a terrific win against Manchester City, what could be better than heading into Christmas with a victory over Chelsea? I thought Everton were tremendous at Eastlands last weekend and even if the game had finished 0-0, I’d have still said it was an entertaining spectacle, as things were open throughout, but there is no doubt we deserved to shade the argument. Tim Cahill once again proved himself to be one of the best goalscoring midfielders in the business and the way he arrived unnoticed at the back post to score summed him up to a tee but, that said, Mark Hughes must still be tearing his hair out now. Why? Imagine his dismay at seeing no defender protecting the line and leaving a great big gap for Cahill to aim at - I always felt goalkeepers were happier if someone was on the post at a corner but we certainly won’t complain about receiving such gifts. The challenge facing the Blues on Monday, though, is completely different as Chelsea are a top side with a blemish-free record on their travels - the fact they have won 11 straight Premier League games away from Stamford Bridge speaks volumes. It’s turning into an unusual season, as more and more clubs are finding it difficult to flourish at home. Chelsea, Arsenal, Liverpool and Everton, to name a few, are prime examples, but it’s also a compliment to teams who are travelling as tactics are spot on. You wouldn’t have expected to get to this stage of affairs and be talking about Everton only having won once at home, but it means that Chelsea will be hot- favourites to win on Monday. But favourites don’t always win.
Chelsea have strength in depth but you have got to be hopeful of getting result against them. I’d like to see us set a tempo like we did against Manchester United and really get them rattled. Whatever happens, it promises to be a tremendous fixture and our chances of success will improve dramatically if we can stop conceding so many goals at Goodison - we have been great away. We just need to stop leaking them here.
Sam’s chance to survive
IT was not the greatest surprise to see Sam Allardyce make his return to management on Wednesday but you have to have sympathy for Paul Ince. When Blackburn took action, they knew they had to move quickly, particularly as there is still a vacancy at Sunderland. One thing that is for certain is Allardyce will play a direct brand of no-nonsense football to get Blackburn out of the mire, but that style was never accepted at Newcastle. I’m sure Blackburn’s fans won’t mind if it yields the results that will keep them in the Premier League. It seems Ince has been fighting a losing battle for months - at least now Big Sam has half a chance of turning things around.
* MICHAEL OWEN for Everton? He has star quality but I’m not too sure he would be good for the Blues in the long run. It’s funny how he starts scoring goals when it’s time to negotiate a new contract - that’s just an observation - but it might be best to leave him. There will be a time when all four strikers are fit again and signing someone on big money would leave us top heavy - best, then, to go for a loan.
DAVID PRENTICE: Everton's chance to break Champions League mould
Dec 19 2008 David Prentice
“A CHAMPIONS League berth remains our primary, non-negotiable objective,” declared Bill Kenwright this week. “Champions League qualification has got to be your ambition, your dream,” echoed Steve Round, while David Moyes was only slightly less specific when he insisted “we want to finish as high as we possibly can.”
All fine words. But on Monday the Blues have an opportunity to make a physical statement of intent. Several times they have run Chelsea close in recent years, like in last season’s Carling Cup semi-final first leg. Close, but no cigar. On Monday the Blues have a real chance to show they really can mix it with the top four.
The invulnerability which went hand in hand with the Champions League-chasing clubs in recent seasons has evaporated. Arsenal are wildly inconsistent, Liverpool lacking ruthlessness, Manchester United a full five league wins away from the team which had already won 14 league matches by Christmas last year and Chelsea apparently rift by petulant players. It’s over to you, Blues.
* IF Everton do qualify for European competition again next season, they’ll be hoping their luck of the draw improves. Their last flirtation with the tournament saw them pull out eventual semi-finalists, Villarreal. In the UEFA Cup they drew Metallist Kkarkiv – who have just topped a group containing Benfica, Hertha Berlin and Galatasaray, while this season’s conquerors, Standard Liege, have topped their group containing Stuttgart, Sevilla and Sampdoria. Where were FC Midtjylland when you needed them?
With Leon Osman in your corner...
BEFORE last Saturday, Everton hadn’t scored from a corner since the visit to Belgium. But then Leon Osman hasn’t been taking corner kicks until the last couple of weeks. Amazing what can be achieved when the ball beats that first man.
Countdown to Ever-pool 2008
I’LL be hoping for a hard-hat in my Christmas stocking next week – because it’s time for my Ever-Pool Team of the Year. As always, there’ll be one or two surprises.
But no, Jermaine Pennant keeping his place from last year isn’t one of them.
Everton bring Christmas cheer to the children at Alder Hey
Dec 19 2008 by Michelle Fiddler, Liverpool Echo
THE Everton squad made their annual visit to Alder Hey children’s hospital.
David Moyes and his players travelled to Goodison Park after their training session where they boarded the team bus for the short journey to the hospital.
There, they visited children and their families who will spend the festive season in hospital. David Moyes spent time posing for photographs and signing shirts.
The players, accompanied by the now-traditional blue Father Christmas, handed out gifts and signed autographs for the unfortunate youngsters. Leon Osman said: “It’s all about putting smiles on faces.The kids seemed really happy to see us and it's nice as footballers to be able to play our part.” After the Alder Hey visit, the players returned to Goodison Park where they attended the Junior Evertonian Christmas party.
Everton Reserves 1, Manchester United Reserves 1
Dec 19 2008 by Our Correspondent, Liverpool Echo
EVERTON Reserves signed off 2008 with a point from a hard fought clash with Manchester United at Halton Stadium. The Blues took the lead early on through Lukas Jutkiewicz, but Manucho levelled in the second half. Andy Holden’s side got off to a flying start with Jutkiewicz's flick-on ricocheting back into his path to fire home after three minutes. Jack Rodwell, who returned after a bout of illness, reverted to centre-half and was tasked with shackling Angola striker Manucho. It was a busy first half for the 17-year-old as much of United's goal threat was carried by the gangly frontman. John Ruddy made a couple of good saves to deny him, and then on the half hour Manucho fired a free-kick just over. Everton’s Eunan O'Kane was forced off 10 minutes before the break and replaced by Scott Spencer. Danny Drinkwater's lob and Manucho's drive both had Ruddy worried at the start of the second half, while the striker then saw a far post header deflected wide by John Irving. But it was no surprise when Manucho equalised with a header from Magnus Eikrem's cross in the 55th minute. Everton attempted to re-establish their lead, but John Paul Kissock twice fired over from long range. Jutkiewicz had a shot tipped over, while Ruddy saved Drinkwater's effort.
Everton must get home fires burning says Joseph Yobo
Dec 20 2008 by Dominic King, Liverpool Echo
THE team that doesn’t get beaten away against the team that struggles to win at home – it is the equation which has punters scribbling the number two alongside it on fixed odds coupons. Having set a Premier League record for winning their last 11 matches on their travels, Chelsea will arrive at Goodison on Monday expecting to extend that sequence in the hope that it will see them top the table on Christmas Day.
If they are expecting to meet only token resistance, however, they will be given a rude awakening. Luis Felipe Scolari is an advocate of the ancient Chinese military treatise ‘The Art of War’ so he should know that Everton are ready for this particular battle.
Joseph Yobo, for one, is not daunted by the task facing the Blues. Far from it. After all, he was part of the team that defied the odds to end Chelsea’s 10-game winning run at the start of the 2005/06 campaign with a gutsy 1-1 draw and thinks they can repeat that. Buoyed by last weekend’s spirited performance against Manchester City which secured them a thoroughly deserved 1-0 win, Yobo believes Everton are starting to show the kind of form that will enable them to transform their record on home soil.
One win – achieved in a scruffy fashion against Fulham – from nine matches is not good enough, nor is the fact that they have conceded 15 goals in that time, and Yobo accepts there have been occasions when Everton have let themselves down.
On the flip side, though, the last time one of the top four came to Goodison, Manchester United left rattled to the core by a high energy performance which, granted better fortune, should have yielded Everton more than just a solitary point.
That energy and commitment will need replicating and more if Chelsea’s bubble is to be burst, but Yobo is relishing the task which he and his team-mates face. The target, quite clearly, is a first victory over the men from Stamford Bridge since November 25, 2000. “For some reason we have tended to be doing better away from home but we have belief that the results at Goodison are going to come,” said Yobo. “When we have had a bad result, we have reacted positively, but it’s just so happened that those games have been away from home. “We are happy at the minute but we will only be really happy when we transfer what we are doing on the road to back at Goodison.
“It would be great to take Chelsea’s scalp. It’s just important that we follow up what we did against Manchester City. We are all buzzing and we might have a couple of players back to help us. We missed Victor Anichebe at City, as he did a great job when he played against Aston Villa. “We know Chelsea are a top side with a lot of quality players but when we are at home, we are expected to raise our performances against the big teams – if we do that, we have always got a chance of getting something. “It is going to be tough but if we approach the game as we did the one at City, I think we are going to be okay. We will be up for it – we got a good result when Manchester United came here, so why can’t we do it against Chelsea?”
Yobo’s form has noticeably improved in recent weeks and he was outstanding in the win at City. That is something which David Moyes has picked up on and he feels the Nigerian is close to recapturing his very best. The kidnap of his older brother, Nornu, in the summer meant Yobo started the campaign under a cloud, but now that issue has been resolved, Moyes expects to see the 28-year-old go from strength-to-strength.
“Joe has certainly been much better focused in recent weeks than he was at the start of the season,” said Moyes of the first player he signed as Everton manager in the summer of 2002. “His performances have improved accordingly and they are more like what we expect from him. “He has been relatively consistent over the last six years since he has been here and he is getting better with age. He understands the job of a central defender and he knows what is required of him around the club.
“When we signed him, it was something of a coup as a lot of clubs were looking at him. But we gave him his chance and I would have to say that we have been good for him. “He has experience now and is someone that we can rely upon.”
DOMINIC KING: Everton's Alder Hey visit restores fath of us all
Dec 20 2008 Dominic King
THERE is a day in December every year that each member of Everton’s squad looks forward to more than any other. Though their schedule is crammed in during the run-up to Christmas, the annual visit to Alder Hey is a genuine highlight, an obligation that nobody complains about fulfilling. In an age when footballers are accused of being detached from supporters, wrapped up in their own bubbles, a walk around the wards with the players who don the Royal Blue jersey every week would go some way to changing opinions. They may enjoy the kind of popularity of which many can only dream but watch them interact with those children who are battling for health or not fortunate enough to be able to spend Christmas Day at home and you will see what it means to be genuinely overwhelmed. Tim Cahill has visited Alder Hey on many occasions and has done his bit down the years to help promote the hospital’s Imagine Appeal. But that doesn’t mean he has become blasé about the sights with which he is faced. If anything, the opposite is true. “It puts everything into perspective,” said Cahill, who is a father of three. “It’s a special time before Christmas and it’s genuinely one of the highlights for the players. The kids are an inspiration to us. As lovely as it is to see them, we’d obviously much prefer for them to be at home.
“It’s just nice that we can give something back and it’s great to see them with smiles on their faces. I’ve met kids at Alder Hey in the past and it’s overwhelming when they give you a Christmas card and they remember who you are . “I’ve had family members who have been in difficult situations and that’s hard enough but it doesn’t stand comparison to what some of these youngsters are going through. You can’t imagine how these mothers who are in here with babies who are only five months old feel. “I don’t know what I’d do if I was in a similar position. It’s very hard to take all this in sometimes. If I can give some inspiration to the kids just by speaking to them, hopefully they can be a little bit happier.” The Blues visited 24 hours after Liverpool’s squad had also come bearing gifts and Joleon Lescott admitted it was a privilege to walk through the wards – and he would be more than happy to see it become a more regular occurrence. “I’ve been here a few times – last month I came down to a ‘kids club’ and got involved,” said Lescott, who has two sons. “It was a great day with great banter. You can think you’re having a bad day then you walk around here and everything pales into insignificance. “Of course you can empathise with the parents. It’s hard for them, even harder for the kids. We bring gifts for the kids – sometimes they’re not always greatly appreciated, when you give a Liverpool fan something from Everton! “But it always puts a smile on their faces and you can have a laugh and joke. There was one young girl who we saw that wasn’t very well but when we came onto the ward, she sat up and it took her mum completely by surprise. “If we can inspire someone, even if it is only for 10 seconds, then great. “I personally don’t feel we do enough. We could probably do a lot more and maybe come as a group a few more times through the year. If we can inspire people as a group, it’s got to be worth looking into.” And they are sentiments with which everyone will wholeheartedly agree.
Writing is on the wall over tales of reunion
ANYONE who picked up a well-known Sunday tabloid last weekend may have been forgiven for thinking the date was April 1 rather than December 14.
You may remember not so long ago that it claimed Lukas Podolski was on his way to Goodison for £10m, 24 hours after David Moyes had told the world he had no January transfer kitty. For those of you who don’t know, the latest article claimed that David Moyes was considering an audacious bid to re-unite the Neville brothers by bringing Gary to Goodison Park. Never mind the fact that Everton already boast five men capable of playing right-back and have more pressing transfer requirements, namely finding a couple of strikers. But it was absolute hogwash to even suggest that the older Neville would finish his career playing on Merseyside; you can imagine the reaction it received in one particular household. How off beam was the story? Basically Liverpool have as much chance of landing the 34-year-old – in other words, none.
He will see out the rest of his playing career at Old Trafford.
Festive fixtures make no sense
HAVE you ever wondered who works out the Premier League fixture list each summer? Once again, there are a number of contests over the festive period that quite simply defy logic. If you wanted to travel by train to see Everton take on Middlesbrough 150 miles away, forget it as it is not possible. No trains are running on Boxing Day. Equally, Liverpudlians won’t be able to get to St James’ Park next Sunday for a noon kick-off by train, as the only one departing from Lime Street in the morning requires three changes and doesn’t reach Newcastle until 1:45pm – provided, of course, there are no delays. Also it makes no sense to have two games in 48 hours with a week’s break before the FA Cup, when surely the powers that be could have scheduled a game for December 27 and another round on December 30? What’s more, couldn’t it have been arranged for Everton to play Liverpool on Boxing Day and then, say, Bolton, Blackburn or Wigan – or is that too much like common sense?
BARRY HORNE: Howlers that let down the nearly players
Dec 20 2008 by Barry Horne, Liverpool Echo
I WAS at Wigan versus Blackburn last week to see Titus Bramble play in a Latics victory. Earlier he’d been subject of a lengthy newspaper interview which mirrored his performances, good 95 per cent of the time but let down by a howler. The interview gave Titus a chance to speak about his career and misfortunes. He honestly admitted to liking the nightlife at Newcastle a little too much, but didn’t talk often enough of the backing he’s had from a series of managers. Despite occasional aberrations, many managers have backed him to the hilt, notably current boss Steve Bruce. That support underlines Bramble must be a good player. I wouldn’t question that but would question the big section of the article devoted to how hard he finds watching Match of the Day. We all have our opinion on television pundits, but to my memory none of those pundits have ever described Titus Bramble as a poor player. More often they describe him as a “good player, but . . .” TV pundits are paid to give opinions and if a player scores a howler of an own goal, stands on the ball in front of an open goal or drops anyclanger, they have to comment on it. It isn’t their fault Titus has been on the receiving end of some high profile blunders. But even that decision wasn’t the highest profile of this interview.
Titus described Alan Shearer, Alan Hansen, Mark Lawrenson et al as “bitter and resentful” because they’re not seen as “mini-celebrities” earning ridiculous money.
He said: “They might have had successful careers with lots of medals, but they seem bitter because they don’t have much else to show for it.” I haven’t asked , but suspect Shearer, Hansen, Lawrenson, Lee Dixon and Tony Adams wouldn’t swop their shedload of medals for Titus’ wardrobe or garage-full of cars. Alan Shearer is the exception as he only had one League winner’s medal in his career. But so outstanding was that career he can return to three clubs as an absolutehero – and that’s without even talking about his international record. Like Bramble’s career, the interview was 95 per cent impressive, then let down by one dreadful howler.
Passing the true test of character
IF Bramble’s interview underlined the mindset of many modern footballers, it is to David Moyes’ credit that he seems to have enlisted so many in his squad who buck that trend. Everton have done their talking on the pitch recently and the statement made at Manchester City last weekend was eloquent. Against a club celebrated for the extent of its financial riches, Everton showed huge reserves of character. Tim Cahill was pressed into emergency service as a striker and scored the decisive matchwinner.
It spoke volumes for the character and attitude of Everton’s squad and underlined the kind of personalities Moyes has tried to enlist.
Don’t fear Chelsea - Everton assistant boss Steve Round
Dec 20 2008 by Dominic King, Liverpool Echo
STEVE ROUND has urged Everton’s players to ignore Chelsea’s reputation and get their festive programme off to a flyer. Luiz Felipe Scolari’s side have been unbeatable on their travels in the Premier League this season and have won all eight fixtures away. They have also scored 21 goals and conceded only once – a deflected Robinho free-kick against Manchester City – in that period but some of Chelsea’s opponents have gone into games looking beaten before they have started. Round, however, has no worries about Everton suffering stage fright, though that will not prevent him reminding the squad to pay no attention to what Chelsea have done on the road so far.
“They can have that reputation,” said Round. “I remember Arsenal were like that when they had Thierry Henry and Dennis Bergkamp. “You looked at them in the tunnel and you couldn't believe how big they were. They were a really powerful team.
“I think Chelsea can have the same atmosphere about them. On the day you have to defend well against them, defend well against the fast break and the pace up front.
Then you have to take your defining moments when they come your way. But you don’t get many against them.”Victor Anichebe and Louis Saha will be given make-or-break fitness tests at Finch Farm tomorrow to see if they can return to the squad after respective back and hamstring injuries. If they don’t make it, Tim Cahill will play up front again and Everton’s assistant manager expects him to carry on where he finished at Manchester City seven days ago. “It’s not the end of the world if we have to play him there again,” said Round. “It was probably as good a striking performance as we’ve had this season. “He has those capabilities. He’s an international and has played in the Premier League for a while now. The question is whether he can consistently do that as a centre-forward or would it take that midfield game away from him or not?
“But what we know is that he can play both positions. “And the way he works up front, he's our first line of defence.”
Everton scare as Phil Jagielka faces test
Dec 22 2008 by Dominic King, Liverpool Echo
PHIL JAGIELKA has given Everton a major injury scare as they prepare to kick-off their festive programme against Chelsea tonight. Jagielka has been the Blues’ outstanding performer so far this season but he tweaked a hamstring in training over the weekend and is a doubt to face Luis Felipe Scolari’s men. The England international will need to pass a pre-match fitness test to take his place in the starting line-up and will be given every opportunity to prove his wellbeing. If Jagielka fails to pull through, though, boss David Moyes will face a huge selection dilemma, as Victor Anichebe and Segundo Castillo are also major doubts. Should all three miss out, Everton’s squad will be down to the bare bones but Joleon Lescott believes they can defy the odds. Victory against Manchester City last weekend has given everyone at Goodison Park a lift and Lescott is confident of another big performance.
“Chelsea have been flying recently but we are going into the game full of confidence,” said Lescott. “We played really well against Manchester City and got a great result.
“The Aston Villa defeat helped us in a way. Losing in the last minute was such a disappointment but it brought us together and we showed our character seven days later. “People may expect an away win but things don’t go like that in football and our record at Goodison has got to change. If Chelsea happen to have a bad day, we can do that.” Though Moyes has masterminded wins over Manchester United, Arsenal and Liverpool, he has yet to claim Chelsea’s scalp during his six-and-a-half years as manager. There could not be a more opportune time than the present, however, for that to change as Everton look to consolidate their place among the European contenders. Tonight’s fixture starts a hectic week for the Blues and Moyes would love nothing more than to go into Christmas with three points under his belt.
“The games come thick and fast at Christmas time and for us to have three games in six days is a tough programme,” said Moyes. “Chelsea has always been a hard game for us, especially as away from home they have a better record than at home.
“They have dropped points this season which perhaps they wouldn’t have done in years gone by. But the Premier League is like that this season.”
Tim Cahill's eyes on the big prize
Dec 22 2008 by Dominic King, Liverpool Echo
WHEN you marry the names ‘Tim Cahill’ and ‘Chelsea’ together and associate them with last season, an iconic image should instantly spring to mind. The picture in question, of course, was captured on Sunday, November 11, 2007, and shows a footballer playing at the peak of his powers; eyes on the ball, back arched, legs spinning in a scissor kick – it was the moment Cahill scored a quite spectacular goal.
That dramatic intervention enabled Everton to pilfer a point at Stamford Bridge and came during a time when Cahill and his team-mates were building up a head of steam, so much so that they ended up embarking on a 14-game unbeaten run. But that 1-1 draw was a rare moment of success for the Blues. While they have enjoyed varying degrees of success when tackling Manchester United, Arsenal and Liverpool in recent years, Chelsea have been a practically impossible nut to crack. Bar a smattering of stalemates, the men from the Bridge have had things their own way against Everton ever since Danny Cadamarteri and Kevin Campbell secured a 2-1 win at Goodison eight years ago. High time, then, for a change in fortunes and while Cahill is respectful of the talents of Luis Felipe Scolari’s squad, he sees no better time than the present for Everton to finally end the hoodoo which Chelsea have over them.
“We are on a high but we know what we are about to face,” said Cahill, who was Everton’s match winner at Manchester City last weekend. “Chelsea are one of the best teams in the world and we have a big task ahead of us. “Their away record is very impressive. But we are finding our stride and getting into a rhythm and the big thing for me is that we are really starting to enjoying playing football again. You can see that from the way the players are moving around on the pitch. “The work rate has been phenomenal and we are all looking after each other. That’s going to be needed again here. Chelsea have players who can change games with a bit of brilliance and do great things that you have got to cope with. “But if we have 11 players performing to their best and really battling hard, we have got a real chance of getting a result. They are a resilient side with a lot of massive players but we have got to start stepping up to the plate.” There is a feeling in the Everton dressing room that they owe tonight’s opponents one, especially as the manner in which Chelsea dumped David Moyes’ squad out of the Carling Cup semi-finals last season still rankles. “We’d love to produce a great result going into Christmas,” Cahill, who will again be deployed as a loan striker, said. “It has always been the case that we have been so close yet remained so far away from them, so let’s believe that we can beat them.” If Everton are finally going to edge a verdict over Chelsea, keeping Frank Lampard under lock and key will be imperative, as the England midfielder has scored on three of his last five visits to Goodison Park. He, of course, is a player well known to the Blues’ assistant manager Steve Round from the time they spent working together during England’s doomed attempt to qualify for Euro 2008. Lampard may have his critics but Round is not one and he knows that the 30-year-old, along with John Terry, will be ready to put the yards in to extend Chelsea’s outstanding away record. “Frank Lampard is an exceptional player,” said Round. “I used to do little bits of extra work with Frank. He always wanted to go the extra mile. He’s very professional. “He’s the role model for every young player. He has this great work ethic and always wants to be as good as he can be. John Terry is a real leader, a really good guy. He always wanted to learn. He wanted to listen and wanted to put the time and the effort in.” The outcome of this contest, however, is anything but a foregone conclusion and Round will be reminding the players before kick-off that Chelsea are far from invincible – he, after all, was on Middlesbrough’s bench when they thumped Jose Mourinho’s team 3-0.
So while Everton may be short on numbers, there is nothing wrong with their spirit and the win at City was an endorsement for what can be achieved when everyone pulls together. “We looked back to our best against Manchester City,” said Round. “Early on in the season we made a few individual errors. We were not quite ready and the new signings had not slotted in to place. “You could say the Wigan defeat was a kick up the backside. We’d had a good run and we went there feeling confident. But it was a performance that none of us expected. We knew we had to move forward from it. “We didn’t dwell on it too much. Now the whole team is defending well and attacking well. We’re very pleased with the way the team have come through it and hope we can carry it on through Christmas and beyond.”
New injury nightmare for Blues - Everton FC latest
Dec 23 2008 by David Prentice, Liverpool Echo
EVERTON will go into the festive fixture list managing another injury crisis.
The Blues were down to just two senior players on their substitutes’ bench against Chelsea last night – and could now lose Leon Osman and Joseph Yobo for the trip to Middlesbrough on Boxing Day. With Segundo Castillo, Louis Saha and Victor Anichebe ruled out before kick-off, and Yakubu and James Vaughan both long term absentees, David Moyes is down to the bare bones again at the busiest time of the year. “Leon Osman’s nursing a really sore ankle from the challenge, which is going to make him a doubt and Joseph Yobo looks like he’s picked up a hamstring injury,” said Moyes. “I’d already lost Castillo in training to a hamstring injury so we might be hunting about for players soon.” The Blues had no recognised strikers on the pitch last night and after a thrilling goalless draw Moyes added: “You’ve got to remember we don’t have any forwards and that might have just shown tonight on a couple of occasions. “But it wasn’t for a lack of effort and that’s all you can ask.” Everton did get the ball in the net once, but it was ruled out. “I thought the referee and linesman got it right,” said the Blues boss. “I think it was just offside, and it possibly could have been in Petr Cech’s hands when Pienaar kicked it as well. “ I haven’t seen the sending off again. My first reaction from the side, though, was that I thought it was reckless and it was going to be close. “In my day, I’d have enjoyed a tackle like that! But the referee got the big decisions correct.”
Everton 0, Chelsea 0: Cards bring festive cheer – but no gifts
Dec 23 2008 by Ian Doyle, Liverpool Daily Post
TALK of a Christmas card will take centre stage this morning. But for Everton, there wasn’t quite the ideal festive gift of three points and a home victory.
An incident-packed encounter saw David Moyes’s side prevent Chelsea from moving back to the top of the Premier League table with a goalless draw. Yet the point was the very least the home side deserved after they dominated a game which the visitors played more than half with only 10 men following the sending-off of John Terry.
The Chelsea skipper was dismissed for an ugly studs-up challenge on Leon Osman in the 35th minute that left manager Luiz Felipe Scolari accusing referee Phil Dowd of being “afraid” of the Goodison crowd for taking the decision. But the current climate dictated Dowd had no choice but to brandish the red card. In doing so, Terry became the 12th Chelsea player to be sent off against Everton – a record. Had just one of Everton’s recognised strikers been available, then perhaps the Goodison outfit would be celebrating a first win over Chelsea since November 2000. Instead, the nearest they came was a late Steven Pienaar effort contentiously ruled out as Chelsea dug deep to escape with a point, Petr Cech making one excellent save in particular to deny Joleon Lescott. But despite the inability to capitalise on their numerical advantage, and the fact they have still only won once at home in the Premier League this season, there was plenty of encouragement for Moyes. This, don’t forget, ended Chelsea’s magnificent run of eight consecutive wins on the road this season. Everton’s spirit, work ethic and resilience remain in abundance, and even with a full compliment Chelsea rarely appeared capable of breaking through a home defence in which Phil Jagielka again excelled. Losing Joseph Yobo with a hamstring problem midway through the second half was a worrying postscript for Moyes given the forthcoming hectic festive period. Certainly, Everton already have their quota of injury concerns. The continued absence of all his senior available striking options meant Moyes was forced to again employ Tim Cahill as the lone striker with Marouane Fellaini in support. Both possess great quality in the air, a strength Everton were keen to exploit throughout. Early on, Cahill and Fellaini each found space arriving late at the far post to meet consecutive Leon Osman crosses, only to direct their headers straight at Chelsea goalkeeper Cech. Those chances came during a bright opening from Everton, the home side responding well to the early warning of a second-minute drive from Ashley Cole that Tim Howard did well to turn behind for a corner.Chelsea, though, slowly began to enjoy greater possession in midfield as Moyes’s side found it increasingly difficult to retrieve and hold on to the ball. One fine passing move ended with Joe Cole’s near-post shot bundled behind at the near post by Jagielka, the centre-back passed fit after a hamstring scare during weekend training. But with Everton mindful of the pace of Anelka and keen not to leave space in behind their defence for the striker to revel, the game remained a tight, tense encounter.
That all changed with Terry’s red card. Although the challenge that sent Osman pirouetting through the Goodison night air appeared worse than it actually was, that the studs were showing meant referee Dowd had no option but to dismiss the England man.
Terry at least left the field on good terms with Osman after a handshake between the players as the Everton man received treatment. But the ire of the home crowd only intensified shortly afterwards with Michael Ballack’s lamentable attempt to get Cahill sent off, the German collapsing to the turf in agony after the merest of brushes from his opposite number. Cech clutched an angled drive from Joseph Yobo as Everton finished the half the stronger, with Fellaini heading Tony Hibbert’s teasing cross straight at the Chelsea goalkeeper moments after the interval. The inclusion of Hibbert at right-back was the only change from last week’s late, late triumph at Manchester City, Phil Neville pushed into central midfield on his 450th career start with a hamstrung Segundo Castillo absent. Scolari introduced Drogba for the negated Anelka at half-time, and the Ivorian was soon ruffling feathers with his powerful physical presence and pathetic playacting. But it was Everton that continued to attack. From one bout of pressure, Jagielka’s goalbound effort was blocked by Alex and Fellaini then glanced wide Steven Pienaar’s left-wing cross. Ballack was awarded possibly the most amusing caution of the season midway through the second half when referee Dowd, having had enough of complaints Everton had not retreated 10 yards at a free-kick, demonstrated the wall were the required distance then marched back to the Chelsea midfielder to promptly issue a yellow card. Cech did well to palm over after Hibbert’s cross deflected off Lampard and almost dropped underneath the crossbar and then, from the resultant corner, the keeper magnificently clawed clear a Lescott header. Everton went close again with 10 minutes remaining, substitute Leighton Baines – on for Yobo – flashing across a dangerous low ball from the left that Fellaini reached first at the near post but his improvised shot rolled agonisingly across the face of goal. The home side thought they had scored in the 84th minute. Osman fed Fellaini on the right, and the Belgian’s low cross was left by both Pienaar and Cahill to reach Osman, whose shot was partially saved by Cech. Cech, Ballack and Pienaar all stretched to reach the ball as it rolled towards the empty goal, with everything ultimately ending in the back of the net. Amid wild celebration, the goal was chalked off for a marginal offside decision against Pienaar, although in any case the South African may have been adjudged to have fouled Cech, who had both hands on the ball before it was bundled in. This result means Everton have now gone 21 games without a victory over Chelsea, the longest unbeaten run by any club against the Goodison outfit. But that the home supporters left the ground with a sense of regret illustrated it’s a statistic that could easily have been consigned to history last night.
Everton 0, Chelsea 0: Blues so dominant
Dec 23 2008 by Dominic King, Liverpool Echo
IS this how spoilt children feel on Christmas morning when they receive something ample, but still demand more? In normal circumstances, standing toe-to-toe with Chelsea, weathering an early storm and snaffling a point would be cause for Evertonians to feel genuinely satisfied. Yet this is turning out to be anything other than a ‘normal’ season. Everton were terrific last night, full value for holding the preening, posturing prima donnas from Stamford Bridge to a scoreless draw. But the suspicion remains today that things could have been so much better. It seems churlish to quibble after watching David Moyes’ men play with more pace and invention, pass the ball better and show more desire than ‘mighty’ Chelsea, because before kick-off the vast majority inside Goodison Park would have happily taken a point.
This Chelsea team, however, looks to have serious problems and John Terry’s deserved dismissal for a flying first half tackle that nearly chopped Leon Osman in half presented the Blues with an opening to exploit. Unfortunately, they couldn’t grasp it. By hook or by crook, Luiz Felipe Scolari’s men managed to hang on to the end and deprive Everton of the victory their effort and endeavour deserved. Such a shame. Too often since the campaign began with a home tussle with Blackburn Rovers have supporters turned up to Goodison in their thousands only to leave muttering in disgust, so it is hugely ironic that there were mutterings again here. On this occasion, though, there was no malice or venom, just a rueful recognition that one point could quite easily have been turned into three had Moyes not been down to the bare bones in terms of personnel. “We wanted the win even before the sending off,” the manager pointed out afterwards. “But we tried everything we could to get a goal and the boys did all we asked of them. We are short of centre-forwards and maybe that was the key.
“I thought we deserved it, as we kept trying to do the right things. They filled the middle of the park when they went down to 10 men and perhaps we didn’t get to the by-line often enough. The one time we did, we almost scored.” Had Christmas come early, Marouane Fellaini’s back heel from Leighton Baines’ cross – the chance to which Moyes refers – might have crept inside Petr Cech’s post, or a bullet header from Joleon Lescott would have left the Czech keeper grasping at thin air.
We could sit and dwell on ifs, buts and maybes for the rest of the day but that, in reality, offers no mileage and it is best now to concentrate on the many encouraging aspects of this performance, as all over the pitch there were huge contributions.
Take the defence. Phil Neville may have switched to central midfield to replace the hamstrung Segundo Castillo but Tony Hibbert slipped into the right-back berth as if he had never been away and was one of the stars of the show. You know exactly what you are getting from Hibbert when he plays and, once again, he was ultra-reliable, zipping forward with purpose if the chance allowed, but never forgetting his prime duty. In the centre Joseph Yobo put Nicolas Anelka in his pocket until the surly Frenchman was substituted at half-time and Phil Jagielka then did exactly the same to his replacement, Didier Drogba. Although Yobo’s night ended prematurely due to a hamstring problem, Lescott filled in effortlessly in the middle, while Baines was a breath of fresh air on the left flank when introduced, his pace and eagerness to attack giving Chelsea more problems. Indeed, the case for the defence can be made by simply pointing to the fact that after he had beaten an Ashley Cole shot away before two minutes had elapsed, Tim Howard was not forced into making another save.
The midfield, meanwhile, was packed with individuals who made weighty contributions, in particular the energetic Osman. He might not be one of life’s taller individuals but there is nothing wrong with the size of his heart. Lesser souls would have hobbled out of the game if they had been on the receiving end of a tackle such as Terry’s but Osman – despite being in enormous pain – kept running and probing to the final whistle. Predictably, there was much chatter after Terry had been red carded as to whether he deserved such a punishment. But it is now becoming wearying to hear footballers complaining even when they are in the wrong. Take this incident: Terry was off the floor, led with his foot and travelling at such a speed that – had he connected in the wrong place – Osman’s leg would certainly have been broken. How, then, could he possibly plead his innocence? Had an Everton player made such a tackle, he would have been criticised on these pages but, happily, Moyes runs a ship where respect and restraint are very much evident; Chelsea, on the other hand, again portrayed themselves as a classless, unruly mob. What’s more, it is piffle to suggest Dowd heavily favoured Everton. If he had, then surely he would have allowed Steven Pienaar’s ‘goal’ in the 84th minute to stand, rather disallow it for an infringement on Cech. As it was, honours ended even, but it spoke volumes that Chelsea were the happier side at the final whistle, while Everton were forced to consider what might have been. But if the keep playing in such a manner there is no reason why the Toffees cannot become genuine candidates to end the season with a top six place.
And that would more than make up for this.
EVERTON (4-5-1): Howard; Hibbert, Jagielka, Yobo (Baines 61), Lescott; Osman, Arteta, Neville, Fellaini, Pienaar; Cahill.
CHELSEA (4-5-1): Cech; Bosingwa, Terry, Alex, A Cole; J Cole (Ivanovic 46), Deco (Bridge 87), Ballack, Lampard, Mikel; Anelka (Drogba 46).
Bookings - Lampard (42). A Cole (43), Ballack (68)
Sent off - Terry (36)
Referee - Phil Dowd
Attendance - 35,655
Phil Neville: It could have been so much better
Dec 23 2008 by Dominic King, Liverpool Echo
PHIL NEVILLE warned his Everton team-mates that their battling draw against Chelsea will stand for nothing if they slip up over Christmas. The Blues go into the festive period in seventh place after last night’s Goodison Park stalemate and now face games against Middlesbrough and Sunderland at the weekend. Yet Neville feels Everton missed a glorious chance to go into those matches on a high after failing to make their superiority – both in terms of numbers and chances – count. Chelsea had to play 54 minutes with 10 men following John Terry’s red card, but Luiz Felipe Scolari’s men hung on. It left the captain feeling slightly flat. But he knows any disappointment will be banished if Everton get maximum points over Christmas.
“I really don’t think we will have a better opportunity to beat Chelsea than the one we had last night,” said Neville. “They have been our nemesis in the last few years and when I came off at the final whistle, I was disappointed that we hadn’t got one back on them. “We lacked a bit of devilment in the final third and if you want to make that next step you have got to grasp the opportunities when they come to you. “Since we beat Tottenham, our play has had a composure, and we haven’t been rushing the ball from back to front quickly. We just couldn’t find a way through. “We can’t be too disappointed but it will count for nothing if we don’t build on it when we play at Middlesbrough. We have got to be looking to take six points at Christmas.”
Terry’s dismissal dominated post-match discussion and Chelsea were so upset that none of their management or playing staff spoke to the media afterwards.
Scolari’s main gripe was with referee Phil Dowd, but Neville added: “I actually thought the referee did very well.”
David Prentice: Scare-lari feels heat in Goodison cauldron
Dec 23 2009 by David Prentice, Liverpool Echo
THE Keep Everton In Our City campaigners have tried planes with trailing banners.
They’ve handed out leaflets in the streets. And they’ve staged conferences on corners around Goodison Park. But they’re still not sure where Everton’s future lies.
Now, if they could get Big Phil Scolari on side . . . The Chelsea boss struck an unwitting blow to everyone who loves those nights when Goodison becomes a bearpit. “You’re scared of the crowd, you’re scared of the crowd!” he shouted at the officials after his captain had let him down just half an hour into a compelling contest.
John Terry’s lunge on Leon Osman wasn’t malicious, but it was certainly reckless enough to suggest referee Phil Dowd had a decision to make. And it’s worth bearing in mind that Osman finished the match with an ankle so sore he is now a doubt for the Boxing Day trip to Middlesbrough. But Chelsea’s subsequent lack of discipline was alarming. Like little boys with their favourite toy taken from them, they stamped their feet, postured and pouted. “It’s not fair,” screamed the chubby chap, pointing to the crowd, “you’re listening to the nasty grown ups!” While the smallest lad who’d copped for the school heartthrob followed him into the referee’s notebook.
Then Phil Dowd showed that referees really do have a sense of humour, pacing out the 10 yards between a free-kick and Michael Ballack – taking fractionally smaller steps each time – before showing the German yet another Chelsea yellow.
After Ballack’s cynical attempt to have Tim Cahill sent off just minutes after Terry’s dismissal, the Goodison gallery roared its approval. There was a buzz in the air even before kick off. Whether it was the closeness to Christmas, a couple of extra tipples in their pre-match preparation or just Everton’s improved form of the last fortnight, the Goodison crowd was up for it. They let Chelsea’s fans dictate for 20 minutes with their usual unoriginal Christmas covers, then took over with a show of raw, naked aggression. The atmosphere wasn’t the bedlam of Fiorentina or the mayhem of Fergie’s swansong against Manchester United, but it was still enough to unsettle Chelsea. The red card was all they had to roar, though, as Everton’s lack of a frontline striker ensured they couldn’t take full advantage of the absence of Chelsea’s most influential defender. The last time the Blues were handed a numerical advantage against a big four side – at Anfield no less – David Moyes was criticised for not making changes quickly enough. This time the Blues boss had no options.
He was forced to eventually replace the injured Joseph Yobo with Leighton Baines, but his attacking options were restricted to a maverick Dutchman, who was sent off himself when he came on in a similar situation against Liverpool, and the untried Lukas Jutkiewicz. The lack of a genuine front-line striker showed. Tim Cahill and Marouane Fellaini both produced prodigious efforts, but they will always be midfielders with an eye for goal rather than natural penalty box predators.
Cahill’s presence in the forward line, however, ensured that Everton did pass the ball pleasingly on the floor rather than lobbing hopeful, high balls forward.
There was much to admire about Everton’s performance. All that was lacking was a goal. In the end, everyone was just about happy. Everton ended Chelsea’s astonishing run of away wins, Chelsea hung on for a point with 10 men – and Liverpool even retained the top spot for Christmas. While the goodwill to all men might have been absent, the festive cheer was notable – and most of it came from the home fans.
NIGEL MARTYN: Boxing Day should become derby day
Dec 23 2008 by Nigel Martyn, Liverpool Echo
HERE’S an idea. Rather than have supporters traipsing from one side of the country to the other, why not make the Boxing Day fixture list a ‘derby special’?
Football on December 26 is as much a part as Christmas as turkeys and Santa Claus and it’s a tradition that will stand the test of time but it has to be said that your patience can be tested when you are faced with arduous treks when there are games on your doorstep. I’d personally love to see Everton tackle Liverpool every Boxing Day and it wouldn’t matter whether the fixture was played at Goodison Park or Anfield; whatever the venue, the atmosphere would certainly be something special.
You can bet your bottom dollar that the majority of people in Manchester, the north east, the Midlands and London would feel the same – imagine the excitement of City against United, Arsenal v Tottenham and a Newcastle/Sunderland showdown would generate. Sadly, I don’t envisage that ever coming to fruition. Television has such a strong grip on dictating when games are played that they would never agree to that – they would want to show all those contests and it wouldn’t be feasible on the same afternoon. So, as it stands, Everton have to gear up for a trip to Middlesbrough and while it is a time consuming journey, there is no reason why it cannot end up being a fruitful one for David Moyes’ squad. Middlesbrough are a funny team in that they can turn it on against the top four yet fall flat on their faces when it is least expected, so you can never confidently predict which team is going to turn up. I’d imagine, though, that the manager will be looking at Middlesbrough and Sunderland as being a real opportunity for the Blues to take six points and head into the New Year firing on all cylinders. When you have two games in 48 hours, it is impossible to physically recover in between and that is why you often get some funny results around Christmas but at least this year the workload has been halved. Normally you have to play four times in the space of just over a week and had that been the case this season, Everton may have had great difficulty coping, particularly given their injury woes. Getting six points would be a fabulous effort but the main thing is to negotiate the next couple of obstacles without blemish and keeping everyone in good health – then we can start to think about pushing on again in 2009.
Slow but solid the story of Blues' year
THE year will soon be drawing to a close and it has been another solid, encouraging one for Everton. We might not have gone forward at a spectacular speed but we continue to be well respected and the foundations are in place to be built on.
Personally, the most pleasing thing has been the development of Phil Jagielka into a true international class central defender. More England caps can be expected in the future. Easily the biggest disappointment, however, was going out of Europe.
Let’s hope we get a chance to make amends next year.
City and Blues polar opposites
CHRISTMAS is going to be anything but a happy occasion for Mark Hughes and you have to worry for his job in the long term. Manchester City may well be the richest club in the world but money does not mean anything if players aren’t performing and they make a fascinating comparison with Everton at present. I really hope Mark keeps his job as he is a good football manager and, given time, he could make a success of things there. But the lack of patience in the game these days might make it difficult for him. Contrast that, with affairs at Goodison. David Moyes would love a transfer kitty like City’s but surely the overwhelming support of the chairman and the board is worth more in the long run? Everton have been rewarded for showing David patience – I doubt there is another manager in the land who could have got more out of these players – and there has to be confidence of remaining in the top six or seven places.
Yes, everyone wants to win things but there also has to be realism and if City and Mark Hughes happen to part company, there is absolutely no guarantee of future success.
Relief for Everton as Leon Osman only suffers bruising
Dec 24 2008 by Dominic King, Liverpool Echo
EVERTON were today breathing a sigh of relief after scans revealed Leon Osman has suffered nothing other than heavy bruising to his damaged ankle. The Everton midfielder was able to walk unassisted out of Goodison Park following Monday night’s 0-0 draw with Chelsea, but was on crutches at Finch Farm yesterday.
Osman was injured in the tackle that led to John Terry being sent off and, while David Moyes absolved the England captain of any blame, he is concerned for his player.
There was an initial doubt that he would be fit enough to play at Middlesbrough on Boxing Day, but now there is a real chance he will be available for the trip to the Riverside. “Ossie was in a lot of pain,” Moyes confirmed. “For him to go on and play through that after the tackle was terrifi. He showed a great deal of courage.
“Maybe it was one of these challenges that when you take your boot off, you think to yourself ‘gee whiz’. “The longer his boot was on, he could continue, but in the second half he told us he could hardly feel his foot at all.” While Terry did not leave the pitch in a dignified manner after he had been shown the red card by Phil Dowd, Moyes was quick to stress he had no quarrel with the Chelsea defender. “John Terry is a good lad and I admire him because he is wholehearted,” said Moyes, who will definitely be without the hamstrung Joseph Yobo on Friday. “He came to see Ossie afterwards. He asked to see if was okay and had a quick word with him. I don’t think for one minute that John was out to do Ossie any harm.” Manchester City, meanwhile, are ready to test Everton’s resolve when the transfer window opens as they have targeted Joleon Lescott. City boss Mark Hughes is desperate for a left-sided central defender and Lescott is on a shortlist. Moyes has maintained that he does not have any intentions of trimming his squad. But City are ready to bid as much as £10m for the England international. Lescott’s form dipped at the start of the season, but in recent weeks he has caught the eye again. “Mikel Arteta and Joleon – two big players for us – have come right back into form,” Moyes added.
David Moyes hails Everton spirit
Dec 26 2008 by Dominic King, Liverpool Echo
DAVID MOYES today claimed “the spirit of champions” has enabled Everton to stop a catalogue of problems from destroying their season. The Blues boss, whose side face Middlesbrough this afternoon, has a paid a glowing tribute to the camaraderie which has helped carry them back into contention for a European place. Despite having no fit strikers for their games against Manchester City and Chelsea, Everton took four points and were arguably unlucky not to secure a maximum return. Performances have also improved dramatically in the past month and the manager says the way the squad have responded to challenging circumstances has given him enormous satisfaction.
“The lads are digging really deep to give us everything that they can,” said Moyes. “At this moment in time, with what we have got available, we need them to do that.
“The spirit can help us. What I need to do is make sure that when those boys have a dip, I am able to help them. That’s maybe where we need to be adding to the squad to make it stronger. “But that’s one thing we have got (spirit of champions). It’s an attraction about Everton, the crowd and the players. It’s a big pull. People look at the morale here and are impressed. “There is a great harmony and we have got a lot of the players who have been here a while. They know what it is about and what it takes. They also know what to expect from me now. “At the moment, I’m as proud of them as I can be. With adversity, they are working together and are trying to do everything they can to get results for Everton.”Should Louis Saha and Victor Anichebe both fail to recover from respective hamstring and back injuries – of the pair, Anichebe has most chance of playing at the Riverside – Moyes will once again have to fill a round hole with a square peg. Circumstances have meant Moyes has had to do that on numerous occasions throughout this campaign but even when players have been deployed in unfamiliar position, there has been no complaining. “Let’s be fair,” said Moyes. “You could, if you wanted to, turn around and say ‘wait a minute, you’ve got no strikers, why are you asking me to do that?’ but not one of them has done that.
“They are all getting on with it. That’s what makes that spirit and special bond. We would be struggling if we didn’t have that.” Of the challenge Middlesbrough will present, Moyes added: “I’m looking forward to the game. Gareth Southgate has got a good, young side but we want to keep our performances going.”
Everton head to Middlesbrough aiming to defy logic
Dec 26 2008 by Dominic King, Liverpool Echo
IF strength comes from adversity, Everton could become one of the most formidable teams to play during this festive period. The odds have been stacking up against the Blues over the past month as they have had to contend with strikers pulling up lame, defenders making mistakes and a defeat against Aston Villa that could easily have ruined them. Yet despite that apparent catalogue of woe, December has seen Everton rediscover their swagger and character, producing performances and results that have defied logic on many fronts. Nobody gave them a chance of winning their last two away days at Tottenham and Manchester City but, seemingly, the bigger the challenge they face, the better David Moyes’ patched up squad like it. Of course, the doubters will say it can’t continue and eventually being down to the bare bones will catch up with them but Phil Jagielka, for one, feels it would be folly for anyone to dismiss Everton’s chances at Middlesbrough this afternoon. True, the task is complicated by the fact Moyes only has 14 players with first team experience to choose from but that number includes practically all Everton’s major contributors and also enables the manager to stick with his favoured formation. Since reverting to deploying one up front, Everton have kept three clean sheets in five matches, looked comfortable and composed and Jagielka expects that system will bring about further improvement - starting at The Riverside Stadium. “The Gaffer said to us after the Chelsea game that he’s been quite happy with our performances recently,” Jagielka revealed. “It might seem a strange thing to say but we are still getting to know each other and maybe the change in our structure has helped. “Playing 4-5-1 suits us a lot better and there are a few lads who are coming into form. We are keeping clean sheets, minimising the chances teams are getting against us and creating a lot ourselves. “We are getting better and better. After a dodgy start, it’s nice to be progressing again. The squad is a bit diminished at the moment but you know the boys are going to go out there and try their hardest - and we also have a lot of quality in the squad, too. “We have set ourselves high standards again. It has taken us a while to get up to the levels that we know we can play to and maybe we have not kicked on at home in the manner we would have liked to. “But when you look at the problems we’ve had and see where we are in the table - especially considering the start we had - we are reasonably happy. We feel we are getting better all the time and I’m sure we can progress again in the New Year.” Should that be the case, Everton must be involved in the race for Europe and it was at The Riverside on New Year’s Day this year that a 2-0 win saw them throw down a marker that demanded they be taken as serious contenders for a Champions League spot. A shaky start to the campaign means breaking into the top four is likely to prove to be beyond them nowbut if they can notch another victory on the banks of the Tees, they will definitely have a platform to push for the UEFA Cup.
“Middlesbrough are a good team, especially at home,” noted Jagielka, Everton’s top performer of the season. “But we won’t travel with fear. Your back is always to the wall during Christmas, particularly when you have a squad the size of the one we do.
“But we know wherever we go, we have enough senior professionals who are more than capable of winning matches. We didn’t play great up there last season but we dug in, kept a clean sheet and won the game. Let’s hope we can do the same again.”
One thing that is for certain is they will make the trip in good heart following Monday’s spirited performance against Chelsea, that yielded a point but could, granted better fortune, have been so much more. There may have been a sense of frustration in some quarters that Luis Felipe Scolari’s men were not put to the sword after John Terry’s dismissal but Jagielka is quick to look at the wider picture and says the display was another step in the right direction. “We would have taken a draw before the game,” said the England international. “They had a lot of the ball early on but didn’t cause us too many problems but things changed after the sending off and maybe the three points were there for the taking. “In a strange way, it can work to the opposition’s advantage when they do down to 10 men. Chelsea are good enough to defend when they are a man down and have got players who can take advantage of slips if they go on the attack. “But it was a professional performance. We didn’t really give them much of a sniff but we had a few chances of our own and there was something there for us to build on, coming after the win at City.”
Middlesbrough 0, Everton 1: Cahill goal secures win
Dec 26 2008
Tim Cahill pounced at the third time of asking to send Everton on their way to their seventh Barclays Premier League away win of the season and pile more woe upon Middlesbrough boss Gareth Southgate. Cahill needed three attempts to force home the scrappiest of winners in the 50th minute but it was a well-deserved victory for David Moyes’ men against a Boro side facing a bleak new year. The home side have now not won at the Riverside Stadium for almost two months and the displeasure was clear with a chorus of boos accompanying Southgate up the tunnel at the final whistle.
Despite Gary O’Neil bringing a fine save out of Tim Howard and a strong second-half penalty appeals involving substitute Adam Johnson, the visitors were always in control and should have had a second goal through debutant Dan Gosling.
This despite Moyes being forced to once again start a game without a recognised striker and the absence of both Leon Osman and Joseph Yobo increasing their already lengthy injury list. Gosling looked bright as the visitors dominated the opening exchanges, with Steven Pienaar seeing a 10th-minute effort ruled out for a foul in the box by Joleon Lescott. The visitors were enjoying most of the early possession with Marouane Fellaini causing plenty of problems in his rangy role, but Boro had the first shot on target when Tuncay hit a low 14th-minute shot straight at Howard.
Julio Arca’s awful back-header almost gifted the visitors a 27th-minute lead as Cahill raced to pick up the loose ball and set up Pienaar who blazed a rising shot against the top of Turnbull’s right-hand post. Then another mistake by Arca allowed Phil Neville to launch a rare run on goal ended with a low, long-range effort which flashed inches wide of the diving Turnbull’s right-hand post. Boro went even closer in the 33rd minute when Downing’s cross from the right fell to O’Neil on the edge of the box and his driven right-footed shot was superbly turned around the post by Howard.
With the home side enjoying an all-too-rare period of control, Downing’s ball into the box was picked up by Mido whose shot on the turn was blocked at close range by the alert Lescott. Gosling had a shot blocked in the box by Pogatetz but with referee Riley frequently stopping the action for minor infringements it was developing into a niggly and forgettable affair. Cahill broke the deadlock in the 50th minute with a goal befitting such a scrappy tie, poking home at the third attempt from a move started by Mikel Arteta’s right-wing corner. Things should have become worse for the home side after 57 minutes when Fellaini lobbed a cross from the right which found Gosling unmarked on the edge of the six-yard box but the youngster blazed high and wide of target. Substitute Johnson almost made an immediate impression when he ran into the box into the 71st minute and fell under the challenge of Arteta, but referee Riley waved away furious penalty appeals. Boro toiled in their bid to get back into the match with the visitors coping well with what little threat they could muster and frequently offering more danger on the counter-attack. And it was left to Alves to wrap up another woeful afternoon for the home side when he chipped a clear chance over the bar in the 88th minute after being played into the box by Mido.
Middlesbrough 0, Everton 1: Tim Cahill strikes a winning blow for absent friends
Dec 27 2008 by Ian Doyle, Liverpool Daily Post
NO strikers? No problem. A record-equalling triumph ensured Everton’s travels for 2008 ended in the same way they began with three points at the Riverside.
The industrial, unwelcoming setting of a chilly, dismal Middlesbrough is perhaps the least anticipated trip in any supporters’ fixture calendar. So having begun the year by seeing their team secure a 2-0 win on Teesside on New Year’s Day, it was a touch unfair on Everton fans to spend Boxing Day at the same venue. Yet a typically timely Tim Cahill strike made that festive effort worthwhile as David Moyes notched another landmark in his Goodison Park reign. This victory means Everton matched their previous record of 11 away league wins in a calendar year, a feat first achieved in 1984 and equalled 12 months later when three more matches were played on the road on each occasion. Indeed, the last time the Goodison outfit won seven away games at this stage of the season, they claimed the championship in 1969-70.
Their lamentable home form means there’s no chance of a repeat this season. But Everton’s magnificent showing on their travels – only Chelsea have won more away Premier League games this season – has maintained hope of European qualification; Everton stand sixth this morning. As at Manchester City a fortnight ago, it was Cahill’s aerial threat at set-pieces that proved decisive, the Australian bundling the ball over the line after Boro goalkeeper Ross Turnbull had saved his initial header from Mikel Arteta’s 51st-minute corner. And the margin of victory should have been greater as Everton made light of their injury problems to overwhelm a Boro side that, on this evidence, seem destined for a lengthy battle against relegation. The continued lack of a fit striker – Victor Anichebe, still troubled by his back problem, remained an unused substitute yesterday – meant Cahill was once more paired with Marouane Fellaini to form a makeshift forward line. Cahill, the focal point of the attack, is starting to revel in the role and is once again fulfilling the ‘Johnny on the spot’ tag bestowed upon him by Moyes. With Leon Osman ruled out by the ankle injury suffered when on the receiving end of John Terry’s red-card tackle on Monday night, Dan Gosling was handed a senior debut on the right of midfield. It wasn’t wasted.
The 18-year-old, signed from Plymouth Argyle in January, impressed during pre-season and, unfazed by the occasion yesterday, was encouragingly effective and should have finished the game with a goal. Gosling dragged a first-half shot across the face of goal after being put in behind the Boro defence by a Steven Pienaar pass, and then missed an even better chance after the interval when, stretching to meet Marouane Fellaini’s right-wing cross, he somehow put the ball over the crossbar from inside the six-yard box.The youngster also drew a brave save from Boro keeper Turnbull as he sought to convert another probing Pienaar pass late on, and deserved the post-match praise from his manager. Given the dependency on midfielders in the starting line-up, Everton had no trouble in gaining and retaining possession but, with no natural striker in their ranks, were often hampered by a lack of outlet up top and a cutting edge. Instead, Moyes sought once more to capitalise on the aerial threat of Fellaini and Cahill, only for their tactic to be thwarted time and again by the pernickety officiating of Mike Riley. Pienaar had a goal chalked off in the 10th minute after Joleon Lescott was adjudged to have fouled Turnbull, and that set the tone for a poor performance from Riley, who bewildered both sets of supporters with his attempts to turn the game into a non-contact sport. Fellaini fell foul of the referee’s over-officious ways when cautioned for persistent fouling, a ninth booking in 15 Premier League appearances to leave the Belgian one yellow card away from a two-match suspension. That, though, didn’t prevent Fellaini being one of several players to post an impressive contribution in an overall excellent display from Everton.
The stellar performer was Pienaar, who came closest during the first half when he struck the post with an angled drive from Cahill’s lay-off, after which Phil Neville skimmed a shot narrowly wide from 20 yards after being allowed to advance from central midfield. Gosling’s shot was deflected wide after Mikel Arteta and the lively Leighton Baines – making a first start in more than two months – had opened up the Boro right, before Lescott succeeded only in clearing the ball while trying to help Cahill’s header past Turnbull from an Arteta corner. At the other end, Everton needed Tim Howard to be at his best to avoid going behind in the 33rd minute, the goalkeeper diving to his right to save Gary O’Neil’s snapshot after Stewart Downing’s corner was only partially cleared. But the goalkeeper was an otherwise chilly observer as an atrocious Boro rarely threatened Everton’s dominance. The visitors’ reward came five minutes into the second half. Turnbull did well to keep out Cahill’s initial header from an Arteta left-wing corner and Lescott’s follow-up but couldn’t prevent Cahill rattling home the rebound. The natives became restless, particularly when Boro manager Gareth Southgate hauled off Tuncay for Afonso Alves. The Brazilian soon hit the deck in theatrical fashion in seeking a free-kick from Neville which, if not deserving of a yellow card, then certainly deserved a pantomime booking. Fellow substitute Adam Johnson was clearly taking notes when, moments after his arrival, he was rightly booked for falling to the ground far too easily inside the area under the weight of an Arteta tackle. It illustrated the desperate measures Boro were being forced to take by a miserly Everton defence. And when Alves volleyed hopelessly over from close range in the closing moments, a merry Christmas was assured for the visiting team and their loyal followers.
Middlesbrough 0, Everton 1: Tim Cahill strikes a winning blow for absent friends
Dec 27 2008 by Ian Doyle, Liverpool Daily Post
NO strikers? No problem. A record-equalling triumph ensured Everton’s travels for 2008 ended in the same way they began with three points at the Riverside.
The industrial, unwelcoming setting of a chilly, dismal Middlesbrough is perhaps the least anticipated trip in any supporters’ fixture calendar. So having begun the year by seeing their team secure a 2-0 win on Teesside on New Year’s Day, it was a touch unfair on Everton fans to spend Boxing Day at the same venue. Yet a typically timely Tim Cahill strike made that festive effort worthwhile as David Moyes notched another landmark in his Goodison Park reign. This victory means Everton matched their previous record of 11 away league wins in a calendar year, a feat first achieved in 1984 and equalled 12 months later when three more matches were played on the road on each occasion. Indeed, the last time the Goodison outfit won seven away games at this stage of the season, they claimed the championship in 1969-70. Their lamentable home form means there’s no chance of a repeat this season. But Everton’s magnificent showing on their travels – only Chelsea have won more away Premier League games this season – has maintained hope of European qualification; Everton stand sixth this morning. As at Manchester City a fortnight ago, it was Cahill’s aerial threat at set-pieces that proved decisive, the Australian bundling the ball over the line after Boro goalkeeper Ross Turnbull had saved his initial header from Mikel Arteta’s 51st-minute corner. And the margin of victory should have been greater as Everton made light of their injury problems to overwhelm a Boro side that, on this evidence, seem destined for a lengthy battle against relegation. The continued lack of a fit striker – Victor Anichebe, still troubled by his back problem, remained an unused substitute yesterday – meant Cahill was once more paired with Marouane Fellaini to form a makeshift forward line. Cahill, the focal point of the attack, is starting to revel in the role and is once again fulfilling the ‘Johnny on the spot’ tag bestowed upon him by Moyes. With Leon Osman ruled out by the ankle injury suffered when on the receiving end of John Terry’s red-card tackle on Monday night, Dan Gosling was handed a senior debut on the right of midfield. It wasn’t wasted. The 18-year-old, signed from Plymouth Argyle in January, impressed during pre-season and, unfazed by the occasion yesterday, was encouragingly effective and should have finished the game with a goal. Gosling dragged a first-half shot across the face of goal after being put in behind the Boro defence by a Steven Pienaar pass, and then missed an even better chance after the interval when, stretching to meet Marouane Fellaini’s right-wing cross, he somehow put the ball over the crossbar from inside the six-yard box.
The youngster also drew a brave save from Boro keeper Turnbull as he sought to convert another probing Pienaar pass late on, and deserved the post-match praise from his manager. Given the dependency on midfielders in the starting line-up, Everton had no trouble in gaining and retaining possession but, with no natural striker in their ranks, were often hampered by a lack of outlet up top and a cutting edge.
Instead, Moyes sought once more to capitalise on the aerial threat of Fellaini and Cahill, only for their tactic to be thwarted time and again by the pernickety officiating of Mike Riley. Pienaar had a goal chalked off in the 10th minute after Joleon Lescott was adjudged to have fouled Turnbull, and that set the tone for a poor performance from Riley, who bewildered both sets of supporters with his attempts to turn the game into a non-contact sport. Fellaini fell foul of the referee’s over-officious ways when cautioned for persistent fouling, a ninth booking in 15 Premier League appearances to leave the Belgian one yellow card away from a two-match suspension. That, though, didn’t prevent Fellaini being one of several players to post an impressive contribution in an overall excellent display from Everton. The stellar performer was Pienaar, who came closest during the first half when he struck the post with an angled drive from Cahill’s lay-off, after which Phil Neville skimmed a shot narrowly wide from 20 yards after being allowed to advance from central midfield. Gosling’s shot was deflected wide after Mikel Arteta and the lively Leighton Baines – making a first start in more than two months – had opened up the Boro right, before Lescott succeeded only in clearing the ball while trying to help Cahill’s header past Turnbull from an Arteta corner. At the other end, Everton needed Tim Howard to be at his best to avoid going behind in the 33rd minute, the goalkeeper diving to his right to save Gary O’Neil’s snapshot after Stewart Downing’s corner was only partially cleared.
But the goalkeeper was an otherwise chilly observer as an atrocious Boro rarely threatened Everton’s dominance. The visitors’ reward came five minutes into the second half. Turnbull did well to keep out Cahill’s initial header from an Arteta left-wing corner and Lescott’s follow-up but couldn’t prevent Cahill rattling home the rebound. The natives became restless, particularly when Boro manager Gareth Southgate hauled off Tuncay for Afonso Alves. The Brazilian soon hit the deck in theatrical fashion in seeking a free-kick from Neville which, if not deserving of a yellow card, then certainly deserved a pantomime booking. Fellow substitute Adam Johnson was clearly taking notes when, moments after his arrival, he was rightly booked for falling to the ground far too easily inside the area under the weight of an Arteta tackle. It illustrated the desperate measures Boro were being forced to take by a miserly Everton defence. And when Alves volleyed hopelessly over from close range in the closing moments, a merry Christmas was assured for the visiting team and their loyal followers.
DOMINIC KING: Jags and Jack make it a year to remember
Dec 27 2008 by Dominic King, Liverpool Echo
THE final Royal Blue column of 2008 would not be complete if I did not cast a retrospective eye over the previous 12 months and award the annual gongs. There have, of course, been plenty of highs and lows and we can surely expect more of the same next year.
PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Easiest decision I have made in a long time. PHIL JAGIELKA hardly put a foot out of place during 2008 and it was hugely satisfying to see him dispel any doubts about his ability by developing into a genuine international class defender. Expect him to add to the one England cap he won against Trinidad & Tobago in May.
YOUNG PLAYER OF THE YEAR: JACK RODWELL came onto the scene 12 months ago when making his debut as a substitute against AZ Alkmaar and has gone on to make a handful of Premier League appearances. Not yet 18, Rodwell has a bright future and can expect to play a more prominent role in 2009.
GAME OF THE YEAR: In terms of generating every conceivable emotion during a stomach churning two hours, the second leg of the UEFA Cup tie with FIORENTINA in March had it all – bar, of course, the final outcome that every Evertonian craved.
GOAL OF THE YEAR: Only a handful from which to choose but the vote must go to MIKEL ARTETA for the guided missile he unleashed to restore aggregate parity against Fiorentina. When he produces wondrous moments like that, you have to wish he did it more often.
DISAPPOINTMENT OF THE YEAR: The strange thing about 2008 is that for all the progress that has been made, there have been a number of nadirs. Oldham in the FA Cup was bad, likewise the Carling Cup defeats against Chelsea and Blackburn, but falling at the first hurdle in the UEFA Cup against Standard Liege was the worst of all.
HOPES FOR 2009: Quite simple. A trip to Wembley in the FA Cup and/or another top six finish in the Premier League. If we had to choose between the two, Wembley must be the desired option – the club deserves a piece of silverware to recognise its progress.
Don't bank on getting what you pay for
MONEY might make the modern football world go around but Everton have seen at first hand in the past fortnight that it can never buy you class. Games against Manchester City and Chelsea made for fascinating viewing on so many levels, not least because the Blues’ performances in both matches made a mockery of suggestions that the route to success comes with a bottomless pit of cash. Take Manchester City for example. Now funded by the billions of Abu Dhabi Investment Group, they spent a fortune in the summer and £50m was forked out to bring two Brazilians to the club in the shape of Robinho and Jo. David Moyes wanted to sign the latter but didn’t have the cash to compete with City but there is every chance he is now thinking that he has had a lucky escape, as Jo has been branded a dud who is unable to cope with the physical nature of the Premier League. According to reliable figures in Manchester, though, a more accurate assessment is that he simply enjoys the party scene in the city and has no respect for manager Mark Hughes – sentiments which also apply to his compatriot Robinho. City may have recouped a small fortune in shirt sales but he has done little to warrant the 160,000 euros a week wage he receives. Such a lackadaisical, disrespectful attitude has caused discord and resentment in the ranks and it is no surprise to see them struggle at present. Some may think going out and spending a fortune in January will trigger a turn in fortunes but what self-respecting professional would go to a club that is threatened by relegation simply because better wages are on offer? When a club has the spectre of relegation, togetherness, as opposed to finance, is the one thing which is needed – a fractured dressing room only leads to broken dreams and City could well find that if they keep pursuing multi-million pound deals. Now let’s look at Chelsea. There is no disputing that Michael Ballack has been a top player in his time, likewise Deco and Didier Drogba, but did you see any of those three last Monday evening look remotely as if they were interested in being on the Goodison Park pitch? Ballack postured, Drogba pranced and Deco melted, not one of them able to match the energy, conviction or desire that Everton had flowing through their ranks. Similarly, Frank Lampard disappeared when the going got tough and John Terry lost his discipline. Between that quintet, it is estimated they earn in the region of £31m per year – or, to put it another way – £6m less than Everton’s entire annual wage bill. How on earth, you may wonder, can you compete with such resources. But you must then consider this question: Would you rather watch a bunch of mercenaries every week, who may provide odd flashes of entertainment in between kissing their badge, or a team like Everton where every player is at the club for the right reason? The Blues don’t pay ‘massive’ wages and it may cost them from time to time but if it stops them signing players like Jo – or any others of a similar ilk – long may it continue. It may sound cliched but team spirit is needed for success just as much as star strikers. “There is a great harmony and we have got a lot of the players who have been here a while,” Moyes noted. “They know what it is about and what it takes. “They also know what to expect from me now. They know the levels that we want.” It would be a shame, then, if that harmony was jeopardised simply by pursuing a marquee purchase. Money, you see, is not the be all and end all.
BARRY HORNE: Goodison creates a unique occasion
Dec 27 2008 by Barry Horne, Liverpool Echo
I HAD the good fortune to be at Everton’s last home match against Chelsea – when I witnessed the last of a dying breed. A ‘proper’ old fashioned football crowd generating a spine tingling atmosphere. I was delighted to hear Phil Scolari’s comments afterwards that the referee had been “scared of the crowd.” To be perfectly honest, I thought Everton did get plenty of the 50-50 decisions early in the game. But as often happens they didn’t get the one big decision which mattered right at the end.
Plenty did go Everton’s way though, due in no small part to the fantastic atmosphere which only comes from fantastic fans. I have always said that Goodison Park stands alone in terms of football stadia. It’s one of the best, a unique sporting arena.
The only ground which was comparable, for me, was Highbury. Both were hemmed in by terraced houses, with the fans almost on top of the pitch – and perhaps it’s no coincidence that both were designed by famous stadium architect, Archibald Leach.
Night matches, in particular, always seem to generate a very special kind of aura at Goodison. You simply don’t get the same kind of atmosphere that Goodison creates at the City of Manchester Stadium or the Stadium of Light or the Reebok Stadium.
Enormous grounds like Old Trafford are intimidating in a very different way, but certainly not in terms of noise generated.
Goodison is unique and we should enjoy that uniqueness while we can.
I understand and I accept the reasons for Everton wanting to move, and it looks now like it’s only a matter of time before that happens. But until that moment we should savour Goodison’s very special magic while we can. Sunderland are the visitors tomorrow, and will no doubt bring a noisy away following. It may not be a night-match, but the floodlights will be on before the end and the atmosphere will no doubt be lively once again. If it’s anything like it was last Monday night, savour it and enjoy it while you can. Because once it has gone, it will be gone forever.
BARRY HORNE: Goodison creates a unique occasion
Dec 27 2008 by Barry Horne, Liverpool Echo
I HAD the good fortune to be at Everton’s last home match against Chelsea – when I witnessed the last of a dying breed. A ‘proper’ old fashioned football crowd generating a spine tingling atmosphere. I was delighted to hear Phil Scolari’s comments afterwards that the referee had been “scared of the crowd.”
To be perfectly honest, I thought Everton did get plenty of the 50-50 decisions early in the game. But as often happens they didn’t get the one big decision which mattered right at the end. Plenty did go Everton’s way though, due in no small part to the fantastic atmosphere which only comes from fantastic fans. I have always said that Goodison Park stands alone in terms of football stadia. It’s one of the best, a unique sporting arena. The only ground which was comparable, for me, was Highbury. Both were hemmed in by terraced houses, with the fans almost on top of the pitch – and perhaps it’s no coincidence that both were designed by famous stadium architect, Archibald Leach. Night matches, in particular, always seem to generate a very special kind of aura at Goodison. You simply don’t get the same kind of atmosphere that Goodison creates at the City of Manchester Stadium or the Stadium of Light or the Reebok Stadium. Enormous grounds like Old Trafford are intimidating in a very different way, but certainly not in terms of noise generated. Goodison is unique and we should enjoy that uniqueness while we can. I understand and I accept the reasons for Everton wanting to move, and it looks now like it’s only a matter of time before that happens. But until that moment we should savour Goodison’s very special magic while we can. Sunderland are the visitors tomorrow, and will no doubt bring a noisy away following. It may not be a night-match, but the floodlights will be on before the end and the atmosphere will no doubt be lively once again. If it’s anything like it was last Monday night, savour it and enjoy it while you can. Because once it has gone, it will be gone forever.
Dan Gosling takes flight with star quality
Dec 27 2008
EVERTON boss David Moyes singled out 18-year-old debutant Dan Gosling for special praise as his injury-ravaged side secured their seventh away win of the season at the Riverside Stadium. Former Plymouth striker Gosling seized his big chance in style and ought to have added to Tim Cahill’s match-winner wgoal of the game - Tim Cahill’s toe-poked 50th minute strike which proved enough to heap more woe upon Gareth Southgate’s Boro. Moyes said: “Dan was terrific and on another day he might have got himself a couple of goals. It is a big step coming into a Premier League side pushing for Europe so he deserves a pat on the back.” Moyes was also full of praise for the “mucking-in” mentality of his squad as they made light of another week without a recognised centre-forward, with Cahill and Marouane Fellaini leading the line well. Moyes added: “The boys are doing unbelievably with no strikers and with Tim and Fellaini working together sometimes up front and sometimes in the middle. They really caused a lot of problems today. It’s terrific what the players are doing. If we get Victor (Anichebe) and Louis (Saha) back that’ll be a start and if we get a couple of additions that will give ourselves a powerful strong squad for the rest of the season.” “Home form has let us down at times but I think we’ve started doing better. It’s taken us a while to get settled, but I think we’re beginning to look more like ourselves from last year.” Beleaguered Boro boss Gareth Southgate admitted his side looked woefully short on confidence but said he would not shy away from the challenge of turning their season around. Southgate said: “I only know one way of working in my life and in my seven years here and that is to take on every challenge. That’s the kind of determination we need - there’s no easy way out.” “The focus will come on us now and we’ll have a lot to deal with over the next few weeks but I’ve got to make sure that I take that pressure from the players and I’m more than prepared to do that.” Southgate admitted he suspected his players might suffer from a confidence issue after their dismal defeat at Fulham last week and with Everton buoyant on their travels this term. He added: “When you’re on a run like ours you can overlook the problems other clubs have got. Everton have no fit strikers but they came here with the mentality to fight and dig in and come through it. “That’s the mentality we have to develop. How you deal with these setbacks and the difficult times will ultimately determine where you are going to finish in this division.”
Boys in blue go on red alert
Dec 27 2008 by Dominic King, Liverpool Echo
HAVING spent the season lurking on the fringes, opportunity could be about to knock for some of Everton’s young guns. A crippling injury list has meant the likes of Jack Rodwell, Lukas Jutkiewicz, Dan Gosling and John Paul Kissock have figured regularly on the bench but, of the quartet, only Rodwell has managed to get any minutes on the pitch. But David Moyes has hinted he will have no qualms about blooding the remainder in the coming weeks and there is a good chance that a couple could figure at some point in tomorrow’s tussle with Sunderland. Gosling and Jutkiewicz, in particular, have impressed in their work at Finch Farm recently and shown Moyes they are better equipped to deal with the demands of the Premier League now than perhaps was the case in August. A schedule of two games in the space of 48 hours means it is most unlikely the manager will be able to play the same 11 for 180 minutes, so Sunderland’s visit may provide an ideal opportunity to blood those novices. “There were moments against Chelsea when I considered playing them,” Moyes revealed. “But I just felt the rhythm of the game and the tempo was in our favour. I didn’t think there was any need to make those changes. But those lads will be on stand by. “They are on the bench for a reason – they are there to play and there is a chance they might do that. They have come on a bit since August. The next step for them is to keep training with us and keep progressing. “It is a lot to ask for these young boys to come and get us into Europe. That’s what we are asking them to do but most of the lads out on the pitch are experienced and know what it is about.
I’m sure, though, the kids will get their moments and opportunities in the coming weeks. “I hope the experience has done them the world of good. They will have seen the level that they have got to try and get to. They are training regularly with the first team, so it has been a big step up for them.” The return of Sunderland to Goodison Park, of course, will evoke many happy memories from last season, as the Black Cats were crushed 7-1 on one of those rare afternoons when everything went according to plan for the Blues. This time, though, Sunderland return to Merseyside in much different form and they have experienced an upturn in fortunes since Roy Keane quit and Ricky Sbragia took over, highlighted by the fact they scored four times in back-to-back games against West Brom and Hull. If, however, Everton want to qualify for Europe again, it is imperative they start winning at home once again and Steven Pienaar recognises that. His first experience of the festive season on these shores may have left his head in a whirl 12 months ago but now he is attuned to what is expected, Pienaar is hoping to provide the Goodison masses with some Christmas cheer.
“Last year was a bit crazy,” said Pienaar. “Normally I’m with my family in South Africa over Christmas, having a few days off, but here you have to play.
“That’s part of the game in England and something you enjoy as a player. As long as I’m on the field, I will forget about Christmas, I can celebrate with my family later on. First we have got a lot to focus on. “If you look at how we started the season, we must be delighted that we are still up there in the mix and anything can happen over the Christmas period. All we can do is keep taking things game by game and look to continue easing the pressure.”
Middlesbrough 0, Everton 1: Blues continue awaydays bonanza
Dec 27 2009 by Dominic King, Liverpool Echo
TO the kind souls in the Premier League’s fixture planning department who decide Everton should play in Middlesbrough on New Year’s Day and Boxing Day, a Christmas message: Thank you. While there are infinitely easier journeys to be made at this time of year in terms of accessibility and time on the road, Everton’s 2008 away days have been book-ended by two of the most comfortable victories you could imagine. As was the case when they last ventured to these parts on January 1, yesterday’s trip went exactly to plan and Tim Cahill’s winning goal means the Toffees won 11 of the 18 Premier League fixtures they played away from Goodison in the calendar year. The personnel may have changed considerably in the past 51 weeks – of the 11 that started in the 2-0 win on New Year’s Day, only six figured yesterday – but the insatiable appetite for victory that was evident back then was just the same.
When they left Teesside almost 12 months ago, thoughts began to turn to qualifying for Europe again and David Moyes and his players must be harbouring similar feelings after treating Middlesbrough with contempt. The only disappointment was that their dominance was not reflected by them scoring a hatful. But no matter. Everton are down to the bare bones but once again their remarkable spirit has served them well. Having been chopped in half by John Terry only four days ago, it was no surprise that Leon Osman failed to figure, but the identity of the man whom David Moyes chose to replace him was, perhaps, something of a shock. To say that Moyes was taking a leap of faith in asking Dan Gosling to patrol the right flank, though, would be wrong as the 18-year-old has been in and around the first team squad for the past five months and seen exactly what it takes to be an Everton player. Like so many of his age who have been thrust into the unforgiving arena that is the Premier League, Gosling’s game has a number of rough edges, but his strength, stamina and eagerness to get forward are attributes which will prove eternally useful. If there were any nerves early on, they certainly weren’t visible and Gosling – or ‘Goose’ as he is known at Finch Farm – almost fashioned an opening for Tim Cahill with one gallop into Middlesbrough’s area. Another surge just after the half hour mark might, with a touch more composure, have yielded a first goal but after skipping beyond Middlesbrough’s defence, Gosling dragged his effort wide. Not to worry – this was a highly encouraging start. Mind you, the way Everton started this contest could only have given him plenty of belief, as they dominated from the first whistle, their superior passing and movement leaving the home side dizzy and dazed. Everton could have been in front after 10 minutes, but only the fastidiousness of the match official whose name ensures shivers down the spine – Mike Riley – prevented them getting off to a flyer. Steven Pienaar actually had the ball in the net but his strike was cancelled out after Riley had spotted an infringement by Joleon Lescott on goalkeeper Ross Turnbull to ensure celebrations were cut short. Riley gets a lot of negative publicity and while television replays showed that decision to be correct, he made a number in the opening 45 minutes that baffled and bemused both sets of players and supporters in equal measure.
Football is a game that requires contact to be made, its physical nature adds to the excitement yet Riley, for some reason, blew his whistle that much you would have thought all physicality was outlawed.
The more he tooted his whistle, the more enraged certain individuals became.
And it was no surprise when Marouane Fellaini was booked after going for, in Riley’s eyes, one challenge too many. That means the Belgian’s tally of cautions since his £15m move from Standard Liege now stands at nine in 15 matches and if he picks up another in the not too distant future, he will face a two-game ban. Given he has not made one tackle which you would describe as malicious, that is a staggering statistic and adds weight to the notion that Fellaini is simply an easy target for referees thanks to his size and unique hairstyle. Fellaini, however, was not the only Evertonian to feel frustrated at half-time. As Moyes turned on his heels and headed down the tunnel, he was clearly aggrieved that his side did not have a lead for their efforts. Pienaar rattled the frame of Turnbull’s goal after good work by Mikel Arteta, Phil Neville – who only tends to find the target at this time of year – fizzed a drive inches wide and Lescott inadvertently prevented a Cahill header from sneaking in. Happily, it wasn’t long before the Toffees deservedly poked their noses in front and, as was the case in their last away game, the manager’s ‘Johnny on the Spot’ once again came up trumps.
Any questions about Cahill’s form have been emphatically dispelled in the past few weeks and the Australian again displayed his striker’s eye for goal by bundling in Mikel Arteta’s corner in the 50th minute. This point was made after the win at Manchester City but it is worth emphasising again – Everton’s strikers would do well to study a video of the Australian’s last three displays which have been in another parish to anything the four ‘regular’ forwards have produced. From that moment, Everton had matters firmly in control and the impressive Gosling might have made the last 30 minutes a walk in the park had he not scooped a shot from close range after good work by Fellaini. A goal from him would have been the icing on the cake.
But if they are being saved up for tomorrow’s tussle with Sunderland, all the better. Should they keep playing like this, 2009 could be very profitable.
Let's have more of the same - Everton's Marouane Fellaini
Dec 27 2008 by Dominic King, Liverpool Echo
MAROUANE Fellaini has called for more of the same as Everton aim to end an encouraging year on a high. The Blues wrap up 2008 with a home tussle against Sunderland tomorrow and go in to that match full of confidence after yesterday’s 1-0 win at Middlesbrough. Though David Moyes has seen injuries decimate his squad in the past month, hard work, team spirit and endeavour has enabled them to climb back into the top six. And Fellaini - who caught the eye at the Riverside - has set his sights on taking three points off the Black Cats to improve Everton’s European ambitions.
“Things are starting to go in our favour and, match by match, it seems as if we are playing a little bit better,” said Fellaini. “We are creating lots of chances and we are passing the ball well. That has helped us get one or two good results. We are working hard in training and on the pitch as well. “We are seeing the fruits of that now. The last few months have shown why I chose to come to Everton. We are playing at the levels of last season.”Fellaini endured a difficult start to life on Merseyside following his £15m move from Standard Liege but he has hit top form in the past six weeks.
He has become attuned to the pace of the Premier League, is integrating more with his team-mates and that has had a positive effect on his performances. “It’s no secret that we did not play very well when I first came to the club,” said Fellaini, who picked up his ninth booking of the campaign yesterday. “But I feel I have done well in the past two months and results have started to go our way. We need to make sure we are in the top six at the end of the season. “To do that, though, we have got to keep winning games. Yes, we are happy after beating Boro but we have got to do it again against Sunderland.”
Everton 3, Sunderland 0: Toffess strike the right note for new year
Dec 29 2008 by Nick Smith, Liverpool Daily Post
WELL it was never going to be 7-1 again was it? David Moyes had that rare species called strikers at his disposal last year when Everton racked up their biggest league win for 11 years over Sunderland. But it’s precisely how Everton have performed without centre-forwards that has given the manager every reason to believe that his team’s form in December will set the tone for a very prosperous new year.
The absence of all four recognised senior front men has coincided with their most consistent period of the season. It’s now 13 points from 18 available since the depressing loss to Wigan, with a third win in four games against the Black Cats cementing their top-six place. They may not have the firepower but they’ve definitely got something fuelling their engines. Mikel Arteta certainly had a few doses of it yesterday, as he doubled his tally for the season by using his famous powers of improvisation on two first half free-kicks to send his side on their way to only a second home win of the season. It was sealed by a player who had only played senior football for Plymouth before Christmas, substitute Dan Gosling. And a sobering thought for anyone who feels each year passes quicker than the last – he was born in 1990. In terms of this year, at least the home fans can finish 2008 on a high – except perhaps the ones who missed Arteta’s goal because they thought it was a 3pm kick-off. Everton’s belated arrival as a force to be reckoned with this season is, however, being perfectly timed. And although the return of short-term injury victims Louis Saha and Victor Anichebe, who returned from the bench yesterday, will be welcome, it’s more for the benefit of the size of a squad well set for a third successive European qualification, rather than the make-up of the team. Two weeks ago, playing Tim Cahill as a lone striker seemed one makeshift measure too far, even for Moyes during this troubled past few months. But now, it’s not only Cahill’s two winners at Manchester City and Middlesbrough that make the tactic seem a stroke of genius – although Moyes would have to admit that this particular one has been thrust upon him. The players have responded superbly to the adversity and many, including Arteta, are beginning to thrive in the winning formula they have hit upon.
The quality of the football played by the front six could well have brought three points against Chelsea but there was never any doubt that struggling Sunderland would always succumb, even against a team for whom victory still merely equalled their fewest number of home wins in a season before December 31. So yes, the opposition was inept – they had Nosworthy but nothing noteworthy – but it was still encouraging to see Everton have little trouble in completing the sort of task that has underpinned their recent forays into Europe. Namely, brushing aside visitors to Goodison with the ease that their respective positions in the Premier League demands.
And given the struggles they have had in doing that so far, nobody was going to quibble about a failure to repeat last year’s seven-goal spanking, even after such a vibrant start. That famous afternoon marked Ricky Sbragia’s first game under Roy Keane after moving from Bolton – and glutton for punishment that he is, he marked another trip to Goodison to kick off his spell as their new permanent manager.
And the Scot must have feared the worst when Everton took even less time to take the lead than they did in last November’s mauling. Leon Osman, who was back in for Gosling after recovering from John Terry’s red-card tackle last Monday, was brought down by Kieran Richardson 25 yards from goal. Arteta only had one penalty to his name since he scored with a free-kick against Blackburn on the opening day of the season, but given another dead ball to line up, he looked anything but a player struggling for goals, such was the confidence in his run-up. And although the members of the Sunderland wall were scattered like pine needles in January, nothing should detract from the stunning power and swerve of Arteta’s shot. It was exactly what has been lacking at Goodison all season – an early goal. The only previous time they had scored first in the league at home during this campaign was also against north east opposition in Newcastle, and the fact that Everton went two up that day and still failed to win sums up the anguish the home faithful have suffered. But when Arteta struck again via another free-kick, this was one 2-0 lead that Everton were destined not to surrender. The second goal could have arrived earlier when Danny Collins inexplicably tried to dribble round his own goalkeeper Marton Fulop before Richardson rescued him with Marouane Fellaini ready to pounce. However, it only took until the 27th minute for the lead to be doubled as Arteta benefited from a huge slice of luck for his next set-piece trick. This time his initial shot hammered the wall but it bounced straight back to the Spaniard, who volleyed low into the net as Fulop was wrong-footed by a deflection off Teemu Tainio. A fine piece of pinball – and although Arteta’s usual wizardry has been somewhat lacking this season, some of the spells he has cast in December suggest the magic is coming back. Which, incidentally, is something Sunderland never looked like doing yesterday. Kenwyne Jones’s header was wayward when his side was still just a goal down but that summed up the lack of quality they had in the final third. The home defence, tweaked recently to account for Joseph Yobo’s absence and Phil Neville’s advance into midfield, remained as resolute as they have for much of the past couple of months, with Tim Howard forced into just the one save from Carlos Edwards. The comfort of the two-goal lead inevitably took some of the urgency out of the Everton game and they dipped in the second half, one supporter informing them he was “falling asleep here.” But it’s time to wake up. Everton have got themselves into a position few thought possible at the end of the last transfer window and storming to their biggest victory of the campaign ensures that the next one, opening in three days, won’t be anything like as traumatic. Certainly not with reserves like Gosling to call on. He followed up his promising display at Middlesbrough by sliding in Joleon Lescott’s low cross with seven minutes left.
If that was an unexpected scorer, Neville almost continued the theme by firing inches over from 30 yards soon after in a rousing finish. All of which leaves Moyes with a renewed optimism and well it might. Yesterday he completed a calendar year haul of 64 points, Everton’s highest since 1987, the last year in which they won the title.
And yet, most fans sign off for the year hoping 2009 will be even better – the criteria for a happy new year here has clearly never been stricter.
Everton 3, Sunderland 0: Majestic Mikel makes merry
Dec 29 2008 by Dominic King, Liverpool Echo
SAME opposition, similar outcome, identical joy.
When Bill Kenwright discovered in the summer that the fixture list had presented Everton with a home date against Sunderland on December 28, he must have known for sure his Christmas and a significant anniversary would be one to remember.
Sunderland, after all, were the team who arrived at Goodison Park the day after Kenwright became Everton’s owner nine years ago and the occasion was marked with the Blues administering a 5-0 thrashing. It was an afternoon when the old ground bounced with a heady atmosphere which befitted the time of year and left Kenwright feeling that ownership of a football club would be a doddle. Of course, it has proved to be anything but. The smile on the chairman’s face yesterday as he left Goodison was just as wide as that day in 1999, but it was no wonder. With the verve and arrogance back in their play, Everton head in to 2009 in style. Taking six points in the space of 48 hours is all Kenwright, David Moyes and every other Blue wanted. But it was the manner in which they dispatched Sunderland that pleased. Though he tinkered slightly with the team that had been so impressive on the banks of the Tees – the fit again Leon Osman replacing Dan Gosling – Moyes was rewarded with a performance that suggests they have no intentions of letting slip their top six place. Everton may be short on numbers but those who are fit are playing out of their skin – each member of the team working as hard as they can to make up for the sloppy start that left many scratching their heads in disbelief. It has taken a Herculean effort to get their campaign back on track and the men who have played through the pain barrier, running themselves into the ground, deserve huge praise. They have set the example that some of their team-mates would do well to follow. Of course, when you are winning the little knocks and niggles become all the more bearable and the win at Middlesbrough provided another significant injection of confidence that was noticeable from the start here.The little flicks and drag backs which were commonplace last season were on show almost from the first whistle. Steven Pienaar – all subtle movement and deft touches – was a particularly prominent figure.
However, it wasn’t long before the South African had to play second fiddle to the man who has been threatening to deliver a performance of utter majesty ever since Moyes switched him to a central position. Mikel Arteta would be the first to admit that his form through 2008 did not reach the levels expected, although there is no doubt a groin injury attributed to that. Clearly, he is eager to make up for lost time. The little Spaniard could easily have been given the man of the match award at Boro, with a performance that elegantly mixed silk and sweat – and he carried it on against the Black Cats. On this occasion, Arteta had something tangible to show for his efforts – two goals inside the opening 30 minutes, which went a long way to ensuring Everton finished the calendar year on a high. His first was a cracker, a right-footed free kick from 25 yards that fizzed and dipped past Marton Fulop, after Osman had been upended by Kieran Richardson. He might have been a little embarrassed after doubling his and Everton’s tally on 27 minutes – his volley from outside the box wrong footed Fulop, thanks to a deflection – but he wasn’t complaining.
If we see Arteta move to the sublime levels of two seasons ago after this effort, so much the better. That said, those two strikes also posed a question: ‘Why doesn’t Arteta shoot like that more often?’ He has shown that his boots are packed with dynamite, so why not throw caution to the wind more often? Given their utter dominance, many supporters inside a packed Goodison – and how nice that was to see – may have anticipated the Blues running up a similar scoreline to that which they registered on Sunderland’s last visit. And, with better fortune, a half-time lead of two could easily have been four – Tim Cahill was inches away from seeing a bullet header end up in the net, while only a heavy touch stopped Marouane Fellaini from getting in on the act. The second period may have lacked the pace of the first half but Everton were still comfortably the better team and they put the gloss on another fine effort when Gosling – on as substitute for Osman – got the third. He showed during his hugely impressive Boxing Day debut that he wasn’t afraid to get into the opposition penalty area and Gosling got his reward for popping up unmarked with the simplest of tap-ins to round the festive period off in style. Finally a word, too, for the defence. After looking sieve-like in the opening months of the season and going through to October 29 before keeping their first clean sheet, it has – with the exception of one aberration – been business as usual since. Five shut-outs in six games is a ringing endorsement for the work they have been doing and if Phil Jagielka has been a figure of constant praise, it is time to give Joleon Lescott credit where it is due for the way he has performed recently. The England international has not put a foot out of place but, then again, nor have the rest of Everton’s team. Maintain this form and Kenwright will not be the only one smiling broadly throughout 2009.
David Prentice: It's like poetry in motion on Blues' day of celebration
Dec 29 2008 by David Prentice, Liverpool Echo
THE sight of Stuart Hall striding purposefully through a Goodison Park press room is a reassuring one. Like Christmas, or the visit of Sunderland, he carries the promise of good things to come. David Moyes has taken charge of an Everton team eight times against yesterday’s Wearside visitors. He has now celebrated seven wins and a draw.
But when you put him into partnership with the BBC’s veteran broadcaster the cocktail is compelling. The venerable Hall provided the media highlight of last season when Sunderland visited Goodison. True, he did have a memorable 7-1 slaughter to work with, but his words were resonant. “Classic, inspirational football that demolished Sunderland, brought Mr Keane to impotence and apoplexy and brought priapic joy unconfined,” he purred like a contented tom-cat. “Keats, ex-School of Science, once said ‘a thing of beauty was a joy forever’. This was his day.” The exuberant Hall was back with a microphone in his hand yesterday, but had much less to work with. If Everton’s play was poetic, it was more Pam Ayres than the great Romantic. But let’s not be churlish. This was the fourth match in succession Everton have endured without a recognised striker on the pitch. Three have been won and Chelsea given an almighty scare. If there were groans of dismay amongst the home faithful when Victor Anichebe’s bad back kept him on the bench until 13 minutes from time, perhaps they should now be tempered by a reappraisal of Everton’s ability to improvise. The lack of a totemic striker has forced Everton into a style of play which is difficult to track and pleasing on the eye. Fluid movement, interchanging personnel arriving late in the penalty box making them almost impossible to mark – and most importantly of all, passing on the floor. That was the style which characterised last season’s Magnificent Seven, albeit an afternoon when Yakubu led the line with pace and power. It was also the afternoon Ricky Sbragia was introduced to a new life at Sunderland. By an unlikely coincidence, Goodison was also the scene of his latest debut, as the Black Cats’ full-time manager. But all he could aspire to yesterday was a spirited bid to keep the score down. Everton were always in control from the moment Mikel Arteta connected with a ninth minute free-kick with the outside of his right-foot, rather than a trademark in-swinger. That was a classic strike, but the little Spaniard got lucky 18 minutes later when his follow-up shot from a charged down free-kick was deflected heavily past Marton Fulop. Perhaps the experience might convince the midfielder to speculate more often. After all, the occasional deflection hasn’t done Frank Lampard’s averages any harm. Everton should have made the game safe with Tim Cahill planting an unmarked header wide and crosses regularly flashing across the face of the Sunderland penalty area.
But the real party moment came seven minutes from time. The sight of a teenager celebrating his first goal in top flight football is a heart-warming one – and Dan Gosling’s reaction when he side-footed Joleon Lescott’s low cross into the Park End net was the Evertonian image of the season so far. There was even time for Lukas Jutkiewicz to make a senior debut with a smart turn and a wonderful crossfield pass, and Phil Neville to come within an inch of his now annual seasonal strike.
This was certainly a day for celebration – and with a new year dawning, perhaps a time for a little reflection. Almost nine years ago to the day Bill Kenwright’s tummy was in turmoil. Even an unexpected 5-0 demolition of the Premier League’s in-form side, Sunderland, couldn’t settle it down. But then the Blues new owner had plenty to worry about. He had just picked up the spectacular wreckage of Peter Johnson’s regime, with no cash, mounting debts and a promise to at least communicate his plans with fans. Nine years on and Everton’s reputation as regular relegation escape artists has been replaced by a club who regularly make it into Europe. And his latest communication announced a record turnover, a small profit and a deficit more manageable than many in the Premier League. There are some, of course, who are still not happy. And that’s their prerogative. But then there are also some who turn the radio off when Stuart Hall waxes lyrical. Goodison Park is a good place to be on the eve of 2009. Evertonians can enter the new year in an optimistic frame of mind.
Dan Gosling: My magic moment - Everton FC latest
Dec 29 2008 by Dominic King, Liverpool Echo
DAN GOSLING was today reflecting on a Christmas to remember, and admitted: "It's going to take a while for it all to sink in." The 18-year-old made an impressive debut in Everton’s 1-0 win over Middlesbrough on Boxing Day. But things got even better for him yesterday when he scored the final goal in the 3-0 drubbing of Sunderland at Goodison Park. Not surprisingly, it left Gosling beaming from ear to ear, and he said: “It was such a good feeling to get the goal, as I had a couple of chances at Middlesbrough and had not tucked them away. “I’m just thankful that Joleon (Lescott) picked me out and I was able to finish it off.” Gosling continued: “When the Gaffer gave me the nod, I was buzzing. “This has been a big step up. Hopefully, the Gaffer knows what I can do now and there will be a few more chances in the future.
“It is hard to get in but once you are in the team, it’s even harder to stay there. You have got to keep performing on a regular basis. I know the hard work is going to start now.” Gosling will not allow his brief taste of the big time to go to his head.
While it has taken a big effort to catch David Moyes’ eye, he knows the challenge to stay in the manager’s plans is even tougher, and has promised to knuckle down to ensure opportunity knocks again. An injury to Leon Osman presented Gosling with his chance to shine at The Riverside Stadium, but he was back on the bench yesterday afternoon as the midfielder recovered from the badly bruised ankle he suffered in the draw with Chelsea. Moyes, though, rewarded him for his efforts on Teesside with a late cameo and Gosling, who moved to Goodison in a £1.2m deal from Plymouth 12 months ago, thoroughly enjoyed the experience, especially when he was mobbed after scoring. “There were no nerves this time. I just really enjoyed it,” said the England under-18 international. “It’s been a long time coming and the Gaffer has been careful with how he has used me. “I don’t think I was ready to play in the Premier when I first got here, but training with the lads has been a tremendous help.”
Dan Gosling earns standing ovation from team-mates after debut Everton goal
Dec 29 2008 by David Prentice, Liverpool Echo
EVERTON'S teenage marksman, Dan Gosling, received a standing ovation from his team-mates after his debut Goodison goal yesterday. Blues' assistant manager Steve Round revealed that the 18-year-old was left embarrassed by his team-mates as he returned to the dressing room following his 83rd minute strike against Sunderland.
"It was fantastic," he explained. "The whole team gave him a standing ovation.
“He looked a bit embarrassed, but he thoroughly deserved it. "That's the way they are – the spirit in this team and the togetherness is fantastic. They cheer each other on in every success and take it on the chin when they lose. "That's a testament to the sort of spirit the manager has developed here." Round added that he was delighted by the performance of the Blues' other marksman, two-goal Mikel Arteta. The Spaniard scored the first with an excellent free-kick and Round said: "He can do that. He has that sort of talent. “We see him do that every day in training, but I was more pleased with his overall performance. He was exceptional, especially second half when the energy of both teams dipped a little bit, and he came to the fore and started to control the game. "He's never really been prolific, but he'll get us an amount of goals. One of his targets at the start of the season was to get more goals and that's his challenge.
"We know he can create and assist and that's probably his number one priority.
"If we play with Phil Neville sitting, he can get forward more, but sometimes we have asked him to sit deep to get on the ball more and try and dictate the game. "It all depends what sort of role we ask him to play." Round added that striker Louis Saha was "nearly fit," but that youngsters like Gosling would continue to be given a first team chance when considered ready. "I think we always have to try and set up our own talent," he added. "It's really important." New Sunderland boss Ricky Sbragia, meanwhile, offered a realistic assessment of his managerial bow at Goodison Park.
"They were far superior to us," he declared. "It wasn't tiredness. They played the same as us, Friday and Sunday, but they were superior in every department. "They get in your faces and they have a great little system which they use well. Overall, Everton were in control of the game."
Let's keep run going - Everton star Mikel Arteta
Dec 30 2008 by Dominic King, Liverpool Echo
MIKEL ARTETA today demanded Everton make their drubbing of Sunderland the norm in 2009 – as he targeted a top five end of season finish. The in-form midfielder scored twice on Sunday as the Blues brushed the Black Cats aside 3-0 to secure what was only a second win of the campaign in front of their own fans. Everton have dropped a startling 20 points at home so far but the manner in which they eased past Sunderland suggests they are going to start making up for lost time in 2009.
They certainly have a number of winnable fixtures on home soil in the rest of the season but Arteta says consistency is required for Everton to throw down a challenge to Aston Villa. “We know it is vital to get results here from now,” said Arteta, whose performances have blossomed since he has been switched to a central role.
“We want to be challenging the top five again. There is no explanation as to why we have done better away from home than at Goodison. “But we had been conceding too many goals here. When you are letting two or three in a game as we were at the start of the season, it is so difficult to win games. “We did play some good games and didn’t always get the luck we deserved but we were composed against Sunderland, we were good on the ball and we need that to continue.” One thing that has not been in question recently is Everton’s team spirit and Arteta feels they would have been left behind had there not been a willingness to pull in the same direction. “Some people have said it’s a miracle to be in the top six,” he said. “We are missing four top strikers and have had a lot of injuries but we keep fighting and that’s to everyone’s credit.”
Having gone 12 games without scoring, Arteta ended a drought that stretched back to October 5 in spectacular style and hopes to swell his tally considerably in the coming weeks. “Playing two games in three days is a big ask, so to score the first goal early on gave everyone a big lift – it’s harder chasing the game as that’s when you start to feel tired,” said Arteta. “But we saw it through, got another goal and finished the job, which was very pleasing. Personally, it was nice to score the goals. “I knew if I hit the target with first one, it would be difficult for the keeper as the sun was in his eyes. I was lucky with the second one but I will be claiming it, as it was on target.”
NIGEL MARTYN: I don’t sense a cup upset this time around for in-form Blues
Dec 30 2008 by Nigel Martyn, Liverpool Echo
ONE Premier League team in form, one League Two side struggling – all things being equal, you would have to expect Everton will be in the FA Cup Fourth round this time next week. Some will examine the tie we have been given against Macclesfield and immediately fear the worst, thinking back to the banana skins of Shrewsbury Town and Oldham which we’ve slipped on in recent years. But I would be flabbergasted if Macclesfield joined that list – having seen them taken apart by Bradford City a couple of days ago, I really don’t envisage Everton being presented with too many problems at Moss Rose this weekend. In all honesty, I would have been more concerned had we been paired with either Wycombe Wanderers or Brentford, two sides who are right on top of their game and would have relished the opportunity to try and take a Premier League side down a peg or two. When teams are full of confidence, they have less difficulty bridging gulfs in class; look at what happened when Histon – who were then top of the Conference – played Leeds at a ground that screamed ‘upset’. Macclesfield will give it everything early on but if Everton play with the swagger and determination that has carried them through Christmas on the crest of a wave, they won’t have any problems. Given he has been on the wrong end of too many upsets, David Moyes will prepare for this tie as if we were facing Arsenal. There is no doubt he will have done his homework. The one dilemma he will face is whether to give Carlo Nash a first appearance or stick with Tim Howard behind a defence that has rediscovered its mean streak – Tim will want to play but Carlo needs a taste of what it is like playing for Everton. That is sure to be in David’s mind and history points to him giving his second string keeper a run in the early rounds of cup competitions but, after five clean sheets in six games, Tim will be desperate to keep going. I’d imagine, however, that will be the only tinkering the manager does. It’s about time we had a long run in the FA Cup and he won’t jeopardise that by making wholesale changes at a place where some people expect him to slip up. Provided the attitude is right from first whistle, I’d be more than confident of an Everton victory before moving on to sterner examinations – and who knows? It may turn out to be the first step on the road to Wembley.
CHRISTMAS COULDN’T HAVE BEEN HAPPIER
CHRISTMAS will have been good to many people but few will have been smiling as broadly as David Moyes after the festive period. Taking seven points from nine available, not conceding a goal and seeing a number of top players roar back to form suggests the New Year can be good to Everton and Europe is definitely going to be in the manager’s thinking again. We have overtaken Hull and ambitions now must be focused on catching Arsenal and Aston Villa – just say that Arsenal become detached from the top three, all of a sudden a Champions League place might become obtainable. It certainly isn’t beyond the realms of possibility but it is also worth erring on the side of caution, as a squad that is stretched in the way ours is at the minute only has so much of a shelf life – by that I mean they can’t keep on running themselves into the ground. But if he can make a couple of additions during the transfer window and those who are injured return, Everton can certainly be a force – and the confidence from their fruitful Christmas can be put to good use.
I WAS POLL-AXED!
NICE of Graham Poll to give an insight into the way referees think after Everton’s draw with Chelsea last week. He said that Phil Dowd “was thinking to himself, I’ve got a big decision to make as I’m about to send the captain of England off” following John Terry’s clash with Leon Osman. Excuse me? It doesn’t matter whether you are England’s captain or Wigan’s left-back. Tackles like that deserve red cards and referees should not be swayed by reputation.
Everton fans can tune in to FA Cup tie
Dec 30 2008 by Dominic King, Liverpool Echo
TICKETS for next week’s FA Cup tie at Macclesfield Town on January 3 may be in short supply, but Evertonians can still see the action from Moss Rose ‘live’.
The game will be beamed back to a giant screen at Goodison Park and admission is free to season ticket holders. “We hope as many season ticket holders as possible take advantage of this free screening,” said acting chief executive Robert Elstone.
“We are constantly looking at various ways of improving our season ticket offering and believe giving access to live FA Cup football demonstrates our ongoing commitment.” Tickets are limited to one per season ticket holder and will also be issued on a reserve seating basis only. Fans are advised to either visit the Park End Box Office or call 0871 663 1878, quoting their customer number. Applications must be made before Saturday.
Steven Pienaar targets FA Cup goal - Everton FC latest
Dec 31 2008 by David Prentice, Liverpool Echo
STEVEN PIENAAR’S only goal of the season so far has been taken from him.
But the Blues’ midfielder has targeted progress in the FA Cup as the best way of bouncing back from that disappointment. The FA’s dubious goals panel has ruled that Pienaar’s matchwinner at Tottenham on November 30 was a Vedran Corluka own goal. There was better news for Louis Saha, whose first strike at West Ham three weeks earlier which also took a slight deflection off Lucas Neill, has been cred- ited to the striker. But Pienaar is focusing on Saturday’s FA Cup trip to Macclesfield.
“I’m looking forward to the FA Cup,” he said. “I think the cup games offer the shortest route to Europe, so we can take it from the first game and try to go as far as possible.” The Blues are still well placed for UEFA Cup qualification via their league placing once again, and Pienaar added: “I think if you look at how the season started, I think we must be delighted that we are still up there in the mix.” But the draw against League Two Macclesfield has given Everton an excellent opportunity of making progress in the FA Cup. Pienaar has prior experience of the competition. He was in the Blues side beaten 1-0 by Oldham last season before jetting off for South Africa’s disappointing African Nations Cup campaign. But this season he feels better prepared.
“Last year was a bit crazy,” he added. “Now I think I’m more aware of what is involved and I know what to do. “Normally I’m off with my family in South Africa just having a few days off over Christmas but here you just have to play. That’s part of the game in England and something you enjoy as a player.” The Blues are hoping that their extensive injury list may finally ease ahead of their first ever competitive trip to Moss Rose. Assistant boss Steve Round revealed on Sunday that Louis Saha was "nearly fit" while Victor Anichebe came off the bench against Sunderland for the final 15 minutes.
Bill Kenwright: David Moyes is one of the great managers
Dec 31 2008 by David Prentice, Liverpool Echo
BILL KENWRIGHT has hailed David Moyes as one of the Premier League’s “great managers”. The Blues chairman celebrated nine years as owner of the club on Boxing Day, but he has given all the credit for the club’s recent on-field resurgence to the manager he appointed in March 2002. "Not a lot has changed in David’s attitude since he arrived, but a lot has changed in the stature of this football club,” he declared.
"I can remember saying within months of him arriving that he was going to be one of the great managers. I think he is one of the great managers now. "There’s no shadow of a doubt about that.” "He is a clever, committed, talented, painstaking, straightforward, thinking man’s football manager. “I can remember ten, 12 years ago, people would, sadly, say ‘Everton were one of the top six’ – and we were.
"When the Premier League was first mooted all those years ago, it was always (talk of) the top six clubs and Everton were one of them. Now, we are, by right, one of the top six clubs again. “We aren’t in terms of money, we are, definitely, in terms of history. If I can take some share in that then fantastic – but it’s not me, it’s David Moyes." Kenwright added that the club changed direction significantly as a result of Moyes’ arrival from Preston North End. "I remember right from the word go, it was his decision to bring the age of the players down," he said. "He said to me, ‘every year make sure you can give me one major signing and I will fill up the rest.’ "What the fans don’t know, and what is my privilege, is how much actual work he puts in to every game.
"You might think all managers do. But this manager is painstaking in his research, in his knowledge of the opposition and getting across to the players what they will come up against.”
Kenwright added that his search for a new owner is continuing, despite the worldwide credit crunch, but that David Moyes would not be forced to sell players in the January transfer window.
There have been reports and rumours linking Manchester City and Arsenal with bids for Joleon Lescott and Mikel Arteta, but Kenwright added: “None of our players is for sale.
"They are a remarkable bunch of lads who really do play for each other. It was tough at the beginning of the season, but even when the going gets tough you have to try like mad to keep your sense of perspective.
"It is very difficult because the game is more than ever about winning and when you are not winning I would be lying to say the worries don't creep in.
"But never ever to the extent of nightmare worries or that we won't sort it out.
"I am not looking to celebrate 10 years as owner.
"Would I like to be chairman next year with the kind of money in place that David needs? Yes.
"But in no way would that be any kind of obstacle to anyone coming into the club. I do think for anyone looking to invest in a football club, Everton has everything you need.
“When I talk to people and I do my 'This is Everton' speech, their jaws drop to the floor.
"Our search goes on. I sort of know why it hasn't happened yet. The economic climate for the last few months means no-one has got the money to invest in football.
"There were a couple of groups that I thought would be really good – one in particular – but the climate means it’s not the right time.”
December 2008