David Moyes: I’ll take top six over a cup win

Nov 3 2007 by Ian Doyle, Liverpool Daily Post

DAVID MOYES will not allow Everton’s cup progress to jeopardise their priority of another top-six Premier League finish this season.

The Goodison outfit won through to their first quarter-final under Moyes’s five-and-a-half-year tenure by defeating Luton Town in the Carling Cup in midweek.

Although Everton are also well placed to win through to the knockout stages of the UEFA Cup, those successes have come as Moyes’s men lost their way in the league.

Last Sunday’s win at Derby County arrested a run of four defeats in five top-flight games that saw them slip into the bottom half of the table.

And as he prepares his team for the visit of Birmingham City this afternoon, Moyes is adamant he will not sacrifice further league success for the pursuit of silverware in the competitions.

“To be honest it’s not a big achievement reaching the quarter-finals, as it’s where we’d expect to be,” said the Goodison manager. “But we will always be judged on what the league position is and we want to be seen as one of the big sides.

“The big one is the Premier League and we are striving to stay in and among the top teams, even though finishing is the top six will be really difficult.

“We are doing okay in the UEFA Cup and Carling Cup, but it is the league that is more important.

“We have always wanted cup runs, but I would not sacrifice a place in the top six for winning a cup. You are always judged on your achievements in the league, not in cups.

“But for me, as far as the fixtures go, the more the merrier because we want to be challenging in everything.”

Moyes yesterday reiterated his belief this is the strongest squad of his reign, and reckons that depth can help Everton consistently challenge for a top-six place.

“We have been up and down in the league, but we’ve only had only season here where we’ve had a really bad years,” he said.

“But we have to make sure the ‘big’ Everton turns up, not the one we have maybe had at times before.

“The goal has been to ensure this club stays away from the bottom six and this is probably the strongest group I’ve had.”

Nevertheless, Moyes revealed he will have no qualms in bolstering his personnel during the January transfer window.

“We may well look to strengthen the squad in January, if the right players are available,” he added. “We will assess that at the time and see what we can do.

“In the past it may well have been loan deals for us at this time of year, but a lot will depend on where we are and how things are going.

“That will play a part. But I have not been told that there will not be money to spend in January.”

Victor Anichebe has suffered a cracked bone in his hand and could miss out this afternoon.

Steven Pienaar (ankle), Alan Stubbs (knee and ankle), Nuno Valente (calf) are all doubtful while Leighton Baines and Andrew Johnson are missing with ankle problems.

However, Mikel Arteta should be available after recovering from his own ankle injury that ruled him out of the Carling Cup win at Luton in midweek.