David Moyes: We can start a new era

Jan 23 2008 by Ian Doyle, Liverpool Daily Post

DAVID MOYES has called on his players to produce the performance of their season tonight and usher in a new era at Everton.

The Goodison Park outfit are aiming for their first final appearance since 1995 when they host Chelsea in the second leg of their Carling Cup semi-final.

Everton must overcome a 2-1 deficit from the first game at Stamford Bridge a fortnight ago to seal a Wembley berth against Tottenham on February 24.

Moyes’s men have failed to win any of the six meetings they have had so far this campaign with the Premier League’s supposed ‘big four’.

But with Everton in fine form and having moved directly behind tonight’s opponents Chelsea into fourth place in the table, Moyes believes his team have the confidence to eliminate the holders and signal a fresh chapter in the club’s history.

“The mood in the squad is good, we know we have been playing very well although we’ve picked up a couple of results lately where we’ve had to scrap and squeeze it out,” said the Goodison manager.

“Against Chelsea, we’ll need to have as good a performance as we have had against any other team this season. It’s that level that will probably be required to get us through.

“But what we don’t want to do now is to freeze against Chelsea. We must be composed and patient on the ball. We have played with flair and quality and now we need to show that at the very top level against a team like Chelsea.

“The group of players I have now, I want them to taste success and feel as though they are at a club that are driving towards winning things and it can become more often and more regular.

“If we can get to the final I hope it will signal a new era for the club. It probably means more to us than it does to them with what they have won, it can be our night. But it will take everything we have. We are the underdogs.”

A 1-0 victory would be enough for Everton to progress tonight, although away goals will only count at the end of extra time. And should the game end in a 2-1 home win after 120 minutes, penalties will be required to determine the winner.

With Chelsea having sent back 2,000 of their initial 5,800 allocation, Everton supporters will far outnumber their London rivals.

Mindful of the effect of such vociferous backing, Moyes has called for cool heads on what promises to be a passionate evening.

“We have to be careful,” he said. “Chelsea are a very good counter-attacking team, and can change defence into attack very quickly.

“We need to play with our heads. Hopefully the games

in Europe will have given us a bit of experience, but in the same breath we know we have to get a goal back in the 90 minutes. We know what the crowd will do, they’ll really be behind us.”

Of the first leg defeat, Moyes added: “We’re still in what is a very tough cup tie. But we thought we could have come away with a draw at the least. But that’s Chelsea, that’s why they are so good, they get results and have been there before. We have to make sure we concentrate fully for the 90 minutes.

“Their play was very good in the first leg, but that says something about us. We kept at it, tried to limit them, and matched them toe-to-toe.”

As well as their achievements in the league and the Carling Cup, Everton have also won through to the knockout stages of the UEFA Cup.

But Moyes believes tonight represents a significant hurdle in their growth as a team.

“The next step in our progress is to get to a final because of the level of the competition,” he said. “Somewhere along the line you have to usually meet United, Chelsea, Arsenal or Liverpool. To get to a final you need to beat one of those.

“We are working really hard to get a level here. We are not going to stop, we’ll keep going. And if we have to do the same thing again for the next six years to get there, then we’ll do it. Hopefully our new time will come again, even if it takes another six years to build on what we have now.”

Moyes, already without African Cup of Nations trio Steve Pienaar, Yakubu and Joseph Yobo, has a quartet of injury concerns.

Andrew Johnson (knee), Leon Osman (groin), Tony Hibbert (knee) and Manuel Fernandes (groin) will all undergo fitness tests today.