Joleon Lescott: Let’s pile pressure on Liverpool

Apr 10 2008 by Ian Doyle, Liverpool Daily Post

Lescott: Let’s pile pressure on Liverpool

JOLEON LESCOTT has urged Everton not to pass up the chance to land a psychological blow in the race for Champions League qualification this weekend.

The Goodison outfit travel to relegation-threatened Birmingham City on Saturday hoping to build on last week’s 1-0 win over Derby County.

With Liverpool not playing at home to Blackburn Rovers until the following day, victory at St Andrews would move David Moyes’s side level on points with their fourth-placed neighbours.

And while accepting Everton are in for a tough afternoon, Lescott believes it represents an opportunity to heap the pressure on their city rivals.

“Birmingham are fighting for their lives for different reasons to our own,” he said to evertonTV. “It’ll be a tough game, our recent form hasn’t been as good as it has been for the rest of the season.

“The performance (against Derby) wasn’t great but they were a massive three points.

“I don’t think it’s an off-chance for us to finish fourth. We’re three points behind Liverpool with five games to go and we’ve both got tough games to play.

“We play before them and we could be level with them when they go into their game on Sunday which puts the pressure on them again.”

Meanwhile, on-loan midfielder Steven Pienaar has called on Everton to reach an agreement over his future in the next few days or he may have to look for a move elsewhere.

Pienaar has enjoyed an impressive season at Goodison since joining from Borussia Dortmund on a one-year deal last summer.

The 26-year-old is keen to stay but, with an option to sign the player for around £2.2million due to expire at the end of this month, time is running out.

“At this stage I’m in the dark,” said Pienaar. “I’m still under contract to Borussia Dortmund until June 2009 and only when they give me the go-ahead can I start to negotiate with any possible club.

“They will only give me this permission when they have reached an agreement with a club that wishes to buy me, but so far I have not been informed by Dortmund that they have reached agreement with Everton.

“I have enjoyed my time at Everton and I’m not looking to move on.

“But the clock is ticking for me because I have a maximum transfer fee of 3million euros [£2.2million] in my contract with Dortmund that is only valid until April 30.

“I cannot allow this deadline to expire because this is a transfer fee that is affordable to a number of clubs, particularly in the Premiership.”