David Moyes: Everton can win derby with football

Oct 20 2007 by Ian Doyle, Liverpool Daily Post

DAVID MOYES believes Everton are closing the gap on Liverpool by proving they no longer need to rely on strong-arm tactics to secure derby victory.

The Goodison outfit will aim to maintain local bragging rights when they entertain their neighbours this afternoon in the 206th meeting between the Merseyside rivals.

Everton scored an historic 3-0 win in last season’s corresponding fixture 13 months ago and held out for a goalless draw in the return match in February, a stark contrast to the previous campaign in which Moyes’s men were twice beaten 3-1.

During those defeats, an indisciplined Everton accrued 11 cautions and three red cards with Phil Neville, Mikel Arteta and Andy van der Meyde dismissed.

Only four Everton players were booked during last season’s unbeaten derby meetings, and Moyes reckons his improving team are now capable of challenging Liverpool with both brains and brawn.

“You have to make sure you are out there and you know what you have to do, do the basics very well and not be found wanting,” said Moyes. “We’ve improved. Last season we got the balance correct, competing and playing in the right way.

“There were a couple of games in previous seasons when we had a couple of players sent off, but our discipline is getting better.

“That also comes from a maturity throughout. We are all getting better, not just the players, but the whole staff. We’re all improving.”

Last season’s Goodison Park win, Everton’s biggest triumph over their neighbours in 42 years, was only their second in 10 derbies under Moyes.

And the Scot suggests it was a further sign of how the gap is closing between the Merseyside rivals.

“I think it’s maybe more to do with where Everton are as a football team now,” said Moyes. “When we took over the gulf was vast. We have shut it a little bit.

“We were really not in a very strong position trying to win games. We had to try to stop everything at every

opportunity. Now we’re in a much stronger position to try to win the derby matches.

“We have had to try to hang on to Liverpool’s shirt-tails. It’s not easy because we can’t spend in the same shop as Liverpool can.

“We have to do it our way and I don’t have any qualms. At the end of the day it is still 11 against 11 and I don’t have any gripes about what they do and what we do.

“It’s part of management. You have to work with the players you are given and I’ve always been happy with that.”

Everton could be bolstered by the return of long-term injury absentees Tim Cahill and Thomas Gravesen this afternoon.

Both returned to full training this week, and Moyes said: “There’s a chance they can play, and they are getting a lot closer.

“Tim can bring us runs from the middle of the park, goals on many occasions and he can unsettle the opposition when he plays.

“He has a good goalscoring record in the derby and he can worry the opposition. We have missed Tim giving us that kind of option.

“We look forward to getting them all back, they are vital to our team and the sooner they are back the better.”

James Vaughan is also closing on a return, but Everton will bide their time before throwing the youngster back into the first-team fray.

Everton’s squad have this week been settling in to life at their new Finch Farm training complex in Halewood. And Moyes believes the lack of wholesale international call-ups could work in his team’s favour today.

“We have not had as many away on international duty as normal – we have been quite fortunate in this period,” he said. “The Nigerian players weren’t away and that helped us. We have had four or five away but not as many as normal.”

Meanwhile, Andrew Johnson should return to full training next week with Moyes expecting the striker to be available in “maybe three weeks”.