Everton v Derby: Uefa hurricane won't knock us off course says Moyes

Apr 5 2008 by Chris Beesley, Liverpool Daily Post

A PENALTY shoot-out defeat to Fiorentina ensured that Everton’s UEFA Cup dreams ended – but such has been their appetite for Europe this season, David Moyes’s side returned there at the first opportunity this week.

While their Italian conquerors were tackling a PSV Eindhoven side who had also overcome Premier League opposition in the shape of Tottenham Hotspur on penalties, Everton were enjoying a sunshine training break in the Spanish resort of Marbella.

A typically pale-faced Moyes was still sporting far less of a tan than many of the racegoers at Aintree’s Ladies Day and admitted that he’d much rather have been travelling overseas in pursuit of a UEFA Cup semi-final place than the sunshine.

However, given Everton’s circumstances, the manager was happy to get the opportunity to take his squad away from the unpredictable British weather for a few days.

He said: “Mentally it would have been better if we’d have still been in the UEFA Cup because you don’t turn off but we filled the week and made sure we tried to freshen the players up a wee bit.

“We just had a couple of days of training. The boys got there on Monday and I didn’t get there until Tuesday.

“We trained on Tuesday and Wednesday and then it was back home really.

“I think everyone can do with a change of scenery at this time of the year because of the weather.

“It’s been a hurricane for a month near enough but it was the first chance we’d had to get a couple of days away together.

“Normally I’d have done it earlier if I could have but there were no dates available.”

Tomorrow’s visit of Derby County – moved because of today’s Grand National – is the first of four home matches for Everton among their final six fixtures of the Premier League campaign.

The Rams, who will be without veteran defender Alan Stubbs – a January recruit from Goodison – with a calf injury, had their relegation straight back into the Championship confirmed last weekend following their 2-2 draw at home to fellow strugglers Fulham.

Derby have won just one of their 32 Premier League fixtures to date after returning to the top flight following a five-year absence and they lost their corresponding fixture with Everton 2-0 at Pride Park back in October.

Moyes’s side cruised through that particular game thanks to goals from Mikel Arteta and Yakubu, seemingly without having to exert themselves too much.

However, following the departure of Moyes’s friend Billy Davies, there has been a change in management under Paul Jewell.

However, under the Liverpool-born former Wigan manager, results have not improved and Derby are still without a single victory away from home having drawn three and lost 13 of their games on the road.

The record contrasts sharply with Everton, who have won eight away games in the Premier League this season – and 15 in all competitions – but nevertheless Moyes is pleased that two-thirds of his side’s remaining games are at Goodison, starting with tomorrow.

He said: “I’d rather have four out of our last six games at home than four away.

“Some of those games are really hard and we can’t take anything for granted but the advantage of having four at home rather than four away is much better.

“If we can keep our home form going and win the majority of those games then hopefully it will see us finish with a good total.

“I hope Andrew Johnson will be available. He’s not trained all week but he’s done some training today so I’ve got to make that decision.

“The same for Victor Anichebe. Tony Hibbert has trained but he’s got a problem with his hip and Steven Pienaar hasn’t trained at all as he’s got a bad calf injury.

“We’d prefer to go with two up front, we’ve done that for the second half of the season.”

Everton’s 1-0 derby defeat at Anfield ensured Moyes’s side have failed to win any of their three games since their European exit.

The loss also leaves them five points adrift of their neighbours in the battle for the final Champions League qualification spot.

However, with Liverpool away at Arsenal today and Rafael Benitez expected to shuffle his pack ahead of Tuesday’s finely-balanced Champions League quarter-final game against the same opposition at Anfield and Everton having what should be their biggest ‘home banker’ of the season, there has been talk of Moyes’s side having the opportunity to close the gap on Liverpool again, potentially to just two points.

He said: “I’m worried that teams could catch us from behind.

“I’m not going to be daft and say where I think we’re going to finish at the moment.

“Other people have made a lot of the possibility of us finishing fourth and we’ve had to answer questions to it but we’ve not been coming out and making any silly statements.

“Obviously Liverpool are big favourites, they’re five points ahead, but we said they were favourites when we were ahead of them.

“We’ve got to do our job first and try and keep the pressure on Liverpool, that’s all we can do. Whatever Liverpool do we can’t do anything about it.”

One issue that Moyes has not spend much time worrying about was Phil Neville’s frustrated reaction after being substituted during last weekend’s loss at Anfield.

The Goodison skipper, who is regarded as a consummate professional, appeared to snatch at the tracksuit top handed to him on his departure, but Moyes is unconcerned that there was ever a problem with his club captain.

He said: “You know we’ve never even spoken about it. Not once have we talked about it. I didn’t even consider it.”