Everton 2, Hull 0: No fear for Merseyside derbies despite missing midfielder
Jan 12 2009 by Nick Smith, Liverpool Daily Post
Marouane Fellaini, celebrates _320
The first time he was shorn of all his strikers, at Manchester City last month, it seemed that he had lurched into an injury crisis even his players’ powers of versatility would struggle to overcome.
But they won that game, as they have every other since, apart from the draw with Chelsea. All without conceding a goal.
Indeed, having no strikers has transformed Everton to the point that Moyes, even with a fit one, left him on the bench. That’s no disrespect to Victor Anichebe. It’s just that even he has to concede that the way the players have pulled together and turned this adverse situation to their advantage has revived the ambitions for this campaign.
All the evidence was there on Saturday. Phil Neville again thrived in a central midfield role, with Tony Hibbert effortlessly shrugging off his injury problems at right-back – Everton have yet to concede a goal since he returned.
On the opposite flank even better news. Leighton Baines has taken full advantage of Joseph Yobo’s absence and his cross for the opening goal was the kind of touch Moyes will be hesitant to be without when the Nigerian is back in contention.
The bench, of course, couldn’t be more fragile if it was infested with woodworm. But in terms of the starting 11 he sends out these days, there’s no reason to believe Everton can’t compensate for the loss of another vital component as they work towards two punishing shifts on the other side of Stanley Park.
Talking of local rivalry, Nick Barmby’s first return to Goodison since switching to Liverpool eight years ago provided further evidence of how the mood has considerably lifted as the season has gone on.
If he had come back in August you’d have struggled to make out the abuse the 34-year-old was being subjected to, buried as it would have been amongst the many howls of derision ringing round the ground in those depressing late summer days.
On Saturday however, the boos rang out as loud and clear as the message Everton are sending out to anyone who doubts their ability to shrug off another setback.
