Leighton Baines feels the benefit of Everton move

Sep 17 2007 by Ian Doyle, Liverpool Daily Post

Everton FC left-back, Leighton Baines _158

LEIGHTON BAINES believes he is already reaping the benefits of his summer move to Everton.

The left-back was the star performer for David Moyes's side during their undeserved 1-0 defeat against Manchester United at Goodison on Saturday.

Nemanja Vidic's 83rd-minute header consigned Everton to their first home defeat of the campaign, a result which saw them drop out of the top four.

Until the goal, United hadn't seriously threatened debutant Everton goalkeeper Stefan Wessels thanks to a defensive display in which Baines was the outstanding performer. And the leftback, who arrived from Wigan Athletic in the close season, reckons there is still room for improvement from both himself and the team.

"The more I play, the more I will get an understanding with the other players around me," said Baines. "With training, you get to
know certain aspects but until you are playing regularly with others around you, you can't get to know each other that well. Hopefully, we can soon do that and blossom.

"My link-up with the other defenders will improve and we will get better in the future. Hopefully, as a team, we can do well throughout the season and I can do better as an individual.

"Things have gone pretty well for me at Goodison. But there is a lot of quality here. The lads did brilliantly last year, getting into Europe and finishing well in the league so with the new faces coming in, that has strengthened the squad and the team.

"They have brought something else in, after doing brilliantly last season and we have a stronger squad this time around so hopefully we can improve."

Baines's performance helped negate the threat of United winger Cristiano Ronaldo, and he added: "Playing against Ronaldo is always going to be tough. It was nice to start positively, get a couple of tackles in and try to get forward.

"Whoever we play at home, we are looking to win, so we are disappointed not to win or take anything from a decent performance.

"We are quite pleased with the performance, just disappointed with the result." United have now beaten Everton 24 times in 31 Premier League meetings, of which 13 have come in 16 clashes at Goodison. But a disappointed Baines reckons Moyes's side should have taken at least a point from the game.

"We definitely could have got something," he said. "We really limited United and they are such a good side. When you stifle them as much as we did, you have got a chance of getting something. So to not take anything is disappointing. "We probably didn't create a lot but we definitely made sure that they didn't. We had a few breakaways and a couple of other chances.

"We've come a long way in the last few years and the lads have set a benchmark. We are looking to surpass that this year." Baines's performance drew praise from manager Moyes, who said: "He (Baines) has done everything we have asked of him and, with due respect to Wigan, this has been a step-up for him. "We have been delighted because we have always felt that he is a
really talented player.

"He has a good touch and is a good defender who is good going forward as well - he has all the makings of a very good left-back. He is still feeling his way into things."