Phil Jagielka warns: Everton haven't run out steam yet

Apr 19 2008 by Ian Doyle, Liverpool Daily Post

PHIL JAGIELKA has dismissed the suggestion Everton have run out of steam during the Premier League run-in.

David Moyes’s side slumped to a 1-0 home loss to Chelsea on Thursday that effectively ended hopes of a top-four finish and Champions League qualification.

And with the Goodison Park outfit now having taken just five points from their last six games, fifth place and a UEFA Cup berth has come under threat from Portsmouth and Aston Villa.

Everton have limped over finishing line during six previous seasons under Moyes, their best tally from their final eight league games being the 12 points they accrued last year.

But while the midweek reverse to Chelsea was Everton’s 51st game of the campaign, Jagielka doesn’t believe the squad are feeling the effects of an arduous season.

“It’s easy for people to assume that but look at the second half on Thursday, Chelsea’s legs seemed to go a lot more than ours,” said the centre-back.

“It depends how the game is going, if you’re chasing after the ball for the whole game you’re going to feel more tired than if you have possession and create a lot of chances.

“But our legs definitely haven’t gone.”

Everton will at least have a chance to recuperate ahead of their next outing, the pivotal home clash with Aston Villa on Sunday week.

“We’ll get a 10-day rest now and come back fresh as daisies ready for Sunday,” said Jagielka.

“It should get a couple of inured players back and we can have a couple of days off to get nice and refreshed now for next week and hopefully come out all guns blazing.

“It’s hard to put our fingers on our form at the moment and if we could we would love to correct it. But you do have ups and downs in the season and maybe we had a lot of our ups back to back and now we’re having a couple of downs.

Portsmouth can close to within one point of Everton with win at Manchester City tomorrow, while Villa can cut the gap to three points with a victory over their derby rivals when they host Birmingham City earlier in the day.

And Jagielka added: “We’ll be looking at the game at the weekend and if (Portsmouth and Aston Villa) both lost it wouldn’t make this week too disastrous.

“But if they win they would still be behind us and with three games to go we can roll our sleeves up and hopefully get the points required.

“Fourth place would have made it a fantastic season but we can kiss that goodbye now.

“We will obviously keep trying until the end but we have to make sure we do finish fifth now and that’s why it will be a very interesting game next weekend against Aston Villa.

“It would feel like a failure if we didn’t get fifth now after such a fantastic season both in the cups and the league but if we don’t finish fifth now it will feel like a disappointing season.”

Everton supporters are reminded that they have until midnight tonight to take advantage of the club’s early bird season ticket prices.