Source: Liverpool_Echo
Everton FC's fixture jam is like Christmas
FOR Everton's exhausted players, Christmas came early this week - but no-one was celebrating.[LNB]Injured skipper Phil Neville likened the Blues' schedule of three matches in six days to the traditionally frantic festive fixture list.[LNB]And he insisted nobody at Goodison was using the intense schedule as an excuse.[LNB]'People might say it's an excuse, but it is a fact,' he declared.[LNB]'It is a bit like playing over Christmas where you play Boxing Day then two days later then two days after that.[LNB]'It does catch up with you so at Tottenham we played really well again, we were in the game but when the second goal goes in I think it just knocked the stuffing out of us.[LNB]'The last 20 minutes we looked a tired team again. We can't feel sorry for ourselves though, we've to pick ourselves back up. We have to face a massive team in Aston Villa.[LNB]'They are probably our nearest rivals in terms of competing for fifth place. We have to win on Saturday; there is no question about it. We have to be mentally right and recover from the games we've just had.'[LNB]Neville admitted he was at a loss to explain the current spate of serious injury being sustained by so many Blues stars - amongst them himself.
