Phil Neville insists new signings are essential if Everton are to keep up

May 13 2008 by Ian Doyle, Liverpool Daily Post

PHIL NEVILLE believes Everton are facing a crucial summer if they want to realistically challenge the Premier League’s established top-four in the coming seasons.

The Goodison Park outfit confirmed their status as ‘best of the rest’ by clinching fifth place and UEFA Cup qualification at the weekend.

It continued a steady curve of improvement under David Moyes by building on the previous campaign’s sixth-placed finish.

The Everton manager will sit down with chairman Bill Kenwright in the next week to plot his future plans and discuss spending options in the transfer window.

And skipper Neville reckons it would be a “major disaster” if the club failed to capitalise on the momentum that ensured lengthy runs in the League and UEFA Cups and a highest-ever points tally in the Premier League era.

“The table doesn’t lie – we’re the fifth best team in England and the fact we’ve not been out of it since around Christmas time proves we deserve it,” said Neville.

“We’ve had two good seasons on the run now and we’re showing improvement every year. Sixth, then fifth – the next step is fourth and I think that there is miles more to come from this team.

“It is a very important summer for the club. We have to press on and in footballing terms it would be a major disaster if we didn’t push on and keep progressing as a club.

“We have to bring in the right players, better players than we have already, and there’s not too many out there now. We need the players who will get us into the top four.”

Despite their record-breaking league campaign, Everton still finished 11 points adrift of the Champions League qualification places.

And Neville admits that only by competing for the standard of player Manchester United, Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool will pursue this summer can the Goodison outfit sufficiently close that gap.

“This is a position the gaffer should enjoy, going out and being able to attract players with European football and the consistency of a side which will be in the top five or six, and now pushing for fourth,” said the 31-year-old.

“We just need that little bit extra now.

“In the big games, especially against the top four, maybe we have missed that special player a little bit, and that’s what we need to find this summer.

“Now we have to be competing for players with the clubs above us. To catch them we have to be looking at the same players they are. If not, fifth will be the maximum we can expect.

“Coming fifth is still a minor miracle, a tremendous achievement, because there is still fierce competition below us.

“There’s not much to choose between Tottenham, Newcastle, City, Villa and Blackburn. They’re all spending £10-15million, so it’s very competitive. But at the moment we look the likeliest to break into the top four.”

Neville added: “You sometimes think where your career is going and what’s the next step. Being here, with this team, in front of these fans, proves I’m at the right club, in the right place.

“I have two years left on my contract, I signed a five-year one when I came, so there’s no need for talks for me. But money is not my motivation, it’s whether the club is looking forwards. If I thought it wasn’t, I’d leave tomorrow. That’s how strongly I feel about wanting success.”

Meanwhile, Manchester United’s Premier League success has provided a cash fillip for Everton.

A series of performance-related payments were part of the deal that took Wayne Rooney to Old Trafford in August 2004, with the Goodison club now profiting from a £500,000 windfall.

United’s forthcoming Champions League final appearance means Everton are entitled to a further £500,000 payment which will become £1million should the Old Trafford side lift the trophy.