FOR any Evertonian who thought their team had it tough en route to Wembley last year, David Moyes has some bad news.

Because the Goodison manager believes it has become more difficult than ever to lift the FA Cup.

Everton faced four of the Premier League’s top six teams last season, seeing off Liverpool, Aston Villa and Manchester United before falling short in the final against Chelsea.

With Liverpool and United having both been dumped out in the third round this year – you have to go back to 1959 for the last time that happened – the competition has opened up at an early stage.

But Moyes believes the money that is being pumped into English football and the desperation for a tangible reward for such investment has increased the clamour to lift the famous old trophy.

And while the Goodison manager stopped short of mentioning Manchester City and Aston Villa by name – the pair could face each other in the Carling Cup final – the inference was clear.

“The focus is always on the Premier League,” says Moyes. “The first task is always to survive in that, people laugh at that sometimes, but it’s always the first task, and to finish as high as you can.

“But we want to try and win a cup if we can. It’s always been difficult because look at the teams who are spending hundreds of millions just to win a cup. It puts it into perspective. It’s not an easy thing to do.

“I think the FA Cup has become harder to win now. Everybody is trying to win the cup competitions.

“If you’re in the Champions League you might try and get through the early rounds of the League Cup with a lesser side, but in the FA Cup I don’t think there’s one team in the Premier League who doesn’t want to win it and would say it isn’t important to them.

“You can’t take winning the league or the Champions League for granted, so everybody wants to win the FA Cup.”

Everton aim to take another step towards a return to Wembley when they entertain Birmingham City in this afternoon’s fourth round.

And Moyes is determined his team aren’t added to the list of major scalps to have already fallen by the wayside.