The players have just three matches to convince him they should stay at White Hart Lane.

Everton turned in another accomplished and highly professional performance at Sunderland on Saturday.

Despite several fringe players in the starting XI and facing a side you would have expected to be fighting tooth and nail to stay in the Premier League, the Blues once again showed themselves to be too good for opponents in the lower half of the table.

A common thread throughout this campaign has been the high level of consistency from at least half a dozen Everton players, with different individuals stepping up at various times to play a starring role.

That is just how the balance should be in any good side – any team relying on just one or two players is inviting trouble.

At the Stadium of Light it was Steven Pienaar’s turn to take the plaudits, and not for the first time this term.

The South African’s high levels of energy and enthusiasm are remarkable considering the amount of big matches the Blues have faced with a squad down to the bare bones.

I watched Villa in action recently and they looked jaded, but they still managed a victory against a struggling Hull City to leapfrog the Blues into fifth with a two-point cushion.

But their next two games are away from home and that combined with the fact that Everton play two of their fixtures at Goodison and are playing to maintain their form ahead of the Cup final, I can see Moyes’ men enjoying a successful and dramatic end to the campaign.