Everton must be fast learners to stay in Europe, insists Sharp

Oct 3 2007 by Alex Bell, Liverpool Daily Post

GRAEME SHARP knows all about enjoying European glory with Everton – but he admits that the latest crop of players are having to learn fast as they approach tomorrow’s crucial trip to the Ukraine.

The former frontman, back at Goodison Park in his role as fans’ liaison assistant, concedes that David Moyes’s side face a tricky assignment after drawing the first leg of their UEFA Cup tie against Metalist Kharkiv 1-1.

But he is hoping the experience of key players such as skipper Phil Neville will help overcome the club’s lack of matches on the European stages.

Striker Sharp finds himself in a different box at Goodison these days after a playing career that hit the heights back in the celebrated 1980s under the stewardship of Howard Kendall, including the memorable win over Rapid Vienna in the European Cup Winners’ Cup final.

Everton need one of their greatest results in Europe tomorrow night in the 30,000 capacity stadium, a proposed venue for Euro 2012, if they are to reach the lucrative group stages of the competition.

Under Moyes, Everton have shown resolve, ambition and excellent team ethics resulting in some solid domestic form. Unfortunately, after the club’s dismantling of the top four, Everton got caught cold in Champions League quickly followed by first-round UEFA Cup elimination two years ago.

Sharp now believes how quickly the club is learning the lessons of Europe will be vital to their chances of progress this week.

“Europe is new to them as a team,” he says. “They are learning, I’m sure the manager is learning as well. It’s something we’ve not been involved in for a long time.

“Eastern Europe is a difficult place for a football fixture, but we should have enough general experience. The likes of Phil Neville, Andy Johnson and Yakubu are all internationals, and with Mikel Arteta coming back, he brings creativity.”

A successful passage through the Ukraine could rekindle Everton’s ambitions to pit their wits against the giants of European football – with Bayern Munich falling victim to Kendall’s men on the way to the Rotterdam final in 1985.

Sharp was integral in that semi-final comeback and said: “A fixture like Bayern Munich would certainly bring back memories for Evertonians. It would be good to lock horns with a giant of Europe. The club deserves European trips; hopefully the players can give the fans something better than the Ukraine.”

Famously on that glorious night in 1985 Sharp’s equaliser triggered the successful pursuit of Everton’s only European trophy.

In tomorrow’s second leg against Metalist, Everton will start as second favourites after missed chances at Goodison Park left the tie in the balance and putting the onus on the visitors to score.

Metalist also made their mark on Europe in the 1980s. In 1988 they defeated Torpedo Moscow 2-0 in the USSR Cup, gaining direct UEFA Cup qualification. They went on to reach the last 16 before being knocked out by Dutch side Roda JC.

Four years later, after the collapse of the Soviet Union, the Ukrainian League in which they now play was formed. But Sharp believes Everton have enough firepower to go through.

“There’s a lot at stake, the players know that,” he says. “If they go about their jobs properly, there’s enough in the camp to get a result.”

GRAEME SHARP’S autobiography, Sharpy: My Story, is out in a new extended paperback edition.