David Moyes warns Liverpool: Everton will keep on your heels

Apr 7 2008 by Chris Beesley, Liverpool Daily Post

EVERTON manager David Moyes has vowed to keep on Liverpool’s heals right to the last game of the season as the Mersey rivals battle to secure Champions League qualification.

A 1-0 home win over Derby yesterday cut Liverpool’s lead over them in fourth spot to three points, although Rafael Benitez’s side have a significantly better goal difference.

With Liverpool taking a point at the Emirates Stadium against Arsenal on Saturday, Everton went into this clash six points adrift.

But Moyes remained defiant with five matches left after Leon Osman’s second-half strike clinched the three points.

He said: “We are optimistic, we believe we can still catch Liverpool.

“That’s 60 points and we have won 18 games in the Premier League, and with five to go we can end with a very healthy tally in an excellent position.

“We are having to push them towards the end of the season, to keep them going. It has been a long, hard campaign.”

Moyes added: “It was not a terrific display, but we have had some great performances at home this season and are still in with a shout.

“It was a hard game, but the only thing important was three points and another victory.

“We can put pressure on Liverpool, and if we do that and win at Birmingham next weekend it will be our highest points tally in the Premier League, that is the first objective.”

Moyes also hailed the display of match-winner Osman, believing that the midfielder’s performance was the difference between the two sides.

He said: “It was a lovely pass (from Manuel Fernandes) and a lovely finish.

“I thought Leon Osman made the difference to the team when he moved into the middle of the park. The 20 minutes or so that he spent in there was probably the difference.

“I think his best position is central midfield, but for a lot of the time he has been in the wide positions.

“He can score goals as he did today – and he nearly got a second. He did well.”

The goal took Osman’s tally for the season to seven – equalling his career-best tally in 2004-05 – but Moyes is demanding even more from the 26-year-old.

He said: “I expect more goals from him. I think he has to add that. I think consistently he plays well for us and he is reliable when he plays.

“I move him around into three or four different roles and he does it without a murmur.”

For Derby’s Liverpool-born manager Paul Jewell it was a hugely improved performance with the club already relegated from the league.

He said: “That was better, in fact it was not just a little better but miles better than when I first arrived.

“I felt we deserved a point, we passed the ball really well and we lacked that bit of quality in the box. Maybe a bit of believe, and care at times. But the work we put in was good throughout.

“We took the game to Everton, we tried to attack and move the ball.

“Everton started hitting it long, which suited us. We kept the crowd quiet.”