End Of Term Report; Everton
A second consecutive UEFA Cup qualification in 2007/08 represents success for Everton. David Moyes’ side improved their league position by one place having finished sixth in 2006/07, both of which are a significant improvement on the 11th managed in 2005/06. Yet Moyes may still reflect on a missed opportunity to claim fourth spot for a second time under his stewardship, and a place in the much coveted cash cow that is the Champions League. For long periods of the season Everton looked as if they might sustain their challenge for a top four spot. Nip and tuck with Liverpool for that position most of the way, the Toffeemen fell away following a run which saw them pick up only nine points from their last nine Premier League outings. Aston Villa briefly threatened to snatch fifth place away from the Goodison Park side, but their 2-0 loss at home to Wigan Athletic on the penultimate weekend proved their undoing. In truth it would have been harsh on Everton had they been squeezed out. Moyes operates on nothing like what you might consider a top five budget yet still manages to get the best out of his men. He has a few star men like the often masterful Mikel Arteta in midfield and the prolific £11million signing from Middlesbrough Aiyegbeni Yakubu, but his greatest achievement in his six years on Merseyside has been his ability to mould a modest squad into a force to be reckoned with. Yakubu has been a major plus since his move from The Riverside, netting 21 times in all competitions this season including 15 in the Premier League. Not exactly revered for his work rate, the Nigerian nevertheless has few peers when it comes to the art of being in the right place at the right time and finding the onion bag. His form has been enough to force the previously heralded Andrew Johnson into the role of bit-part player, although some niggling injuries and perhaps a lowering of confidence have also played a role in the former Crystal Palace man’s reduced impact. While Yakubu has been banging them in at one end, another inspired Moyes purchase has been shoring up the defence. Joleon Lescott is a versatile defender having operated at both centre back and left-back this term, and his form has been such that he has managed to break into the England team. Overall Fabio Capello’s side is a struggling one, but still it is no mean feat to break into the defensive shake-up in a squad which can call on such luminaries as Rio Ferdinand, John Terry, Jonathon Woodgate and the rejuvenated Wes Brown. Yet Lescott has deserved his place among the English elite, and brings with him the extra bonus of a goal threat having claimed eight Premier League goals and 10 in all competitions this season. Only Yakubu has scored more often for the club in 2007/08 than Lescott, whose tally matches that of Johnson and the injury-prone Tim Cahill. In many ways Cahill’s injury problems have highlighted the shortcomings of Moyes’ squad which eventually cost them Champions League football. The Australian goal-getter has not featured since the middle of March, and has appeared in only 28 of Everton’s 54 competitive matches during this campaign. His goal threat and energy from midfield has been sorely missed, and if he can put in a full shift next season then he could be the key to helping his side push on towards the top four. Moyes is likely to add to his midfield in any case, that after the news today (May 19) that veteran Lee Carsley has opted to join Birmingham City for 2008/09. The 54 matches played by Everton include a fantastic run in the UEFA Cup. The Toffeemen suffered an unfortunate penalty shoot-out exit at the hands of Fiorentina in the round of the last 16, that after having beaten eventual winners Zenit St.Petersburg 1-0 at Goodison Park back in December. That result shows what can be achieved by Moyes’ men on the European scene and it would be unsurprising to find Everton in the latter stages of next season’s competition. They also made progress in the League Cup, reaching a first League Cup semi-final in 19 years before falling to Chelsea over two legs in January. Their FA Cup form was less impressive, suffering the indignity of a third round exit to League One Oldham Athletic in what was easily their worst result of an otherwise positive campaign. Chief executive Keith Wyness recently commented that his club have been over-achieving, but if Moyes has anything to do with it then it might not be too long before top five finishes become the norm in the blue half of Merseyside. And the top four? Well, they’ve been warned. By Stephen Orford 19 May 2008
