Moyes convinced Everton have edge for top four

Jan 31 2008 by Ian Doyle, Liverpool Daily Post

UPBEAT David Moyes last night backed his Everton team in the fight for Champions League qualification.

The Goodison Park outfit missed an opportunity to open up a four-point gap on their rivals for fourth place when they were held to a frustrating goalless draw at home to Tottenham Hotspur.

It came on an evening when Manchester City failed to win at rock-bottom Derby County and neighbours Liverpool crashed to an injury-time defeat against West Ham United.

Everton now enjoy a two-point advantage over City and Aston Villa, with Liverpool a further point adrift albeit with a game in hand.

But in the race for a top-four place, Moyes said: “I think I would back myself against any of the teams.

“But in the same breath, Aston Villa are a strong team this year, Manchester City have done exceptionally well and Portsmouth, Blackburn and West Ham can do it.

“A lot of those clubs’ ambition at the start of the season was to make Europe, and between now and the end of the season there will be clubs, including us, that could end up being disappointed.

“If we can make fourth it would be outstanding, but I don’t think there’s any point in me talking about that until a month to go in the season if we are still there.”

As Liverpool struggle under the weight of expectation, Moyes believes Everton are relishing their tag as underdogs.

“There’s less pressure on us because we aren’t expected to be finishing fourth,” he said. “When you talk about the top four, you never talk about Everton.

“There is less expectation on us to finish fourth than there is on Liverpool, and there is less financial pressure too.”

Andrew Johnson spurned the home team’s best chance on the hour, when he shot at Tottenham goalkeeper Radek Cerny after being put clear by Manuel Fernandes.

And Moyes said: “There were opportunities for us to go and win the game tonight and we missed those opportunities, and it was only in the last five minutes that we looked jaded and that we had ran out of ideas.

“We thought we had done enough in the first half to be in front, but in the second half maybe not quite enough.

“We never really made clear-cut chances and when we did get them, we didn’t do quite enough to get them in.

“With what we had available to us tonight and the way Tottenham have played recently, maybe I’d have settled for a point beforehand. But I was disappointed that we didn’t take all three.

“It’s not a bad result. We’ve taken four points off Tottenham, and if you’d have said that at the start of the season I’d have been more than happy with that.”

Moyes added: “I thought the boys did a good job. I couldn’t name a team until right before kick-off as I wasn’t sure how Leon Osman was going to be, and we thought the risk was too great to chance him.

“I thought some of our individual defending, especially from Phil Jagielka and Joleon Lescott, was exceptional against two really good players. I also thought Nuno Valente did a very good job on Aaron Lennon, apart from when he skipped by him right at the end the one time.”

With the transfer window closing tonight, Moyes has not entirely ruled out any activity at Goodison Park.

However, the manager admits he does not expect to see any major incomings.

“Ideally we would like to strengthen, but at this moment in time we aren’t able to do that, either because the players aren’t available or we don’t have it just now,” said Moyes.

“The club and team are in good shape, but with the African boys being away it makes us feel a bit more vulnerable.”