Moyes satisfied as landmark looms

13 March 2012 08:17

David Moyes would love to mark 10 years as Everton manager with victory over Liverpool in tonight's Merseyside derby - although he says no outcome will stop him feeling good when he reaches the landmark on Wednesday.

The Toffees, who will leapfrog their local rivals into seventh place in the Barclays Premier League if they claim all three points, are in far better form than the Reds going into the clash at Anfield. They have not won an away game against Liverpool in the whole of Moyes' tenure, though, with their last triumph there coming in 1999.

But however things turn out this evening, the Scot said: "I certainly would (be happy on Wednesday if his team had won), but whatever happens, I'll still wake up with a good feeling because I have done 10 years at a great club like Everton. I feel really privileged and still excited about the job I have got here."

Moyes' only major complaint at the moment is the timing of the contest, which was rearranged due to Liverpool's participation in the Carling Cup final but now comes just days before both Everton and the Reds play in the FA Cup quarter-finals this weekend.

"I think the cup for both teams is a little bit of a distraction," Moyes said. "I don't think anybody would ideally want a game in the week leading up to it and probably more so, I don't think anyone would really want a derby leading up to it."

Everton are unbeaten in nine matches in all competitions, a sequence which has included league wins over Tottenham, Chelsea and Manchester City.

On paper, the chances of them adding the scalp of Liverpool look good, with Kenny Dalglish's men having won only once in eight league fixtures and losing their last three.

Moyes is not reading too much into those statistics, though, saying: "A lot of the years I have gone into the game and Liverpool have been the form team, and folk have said 'who knows in derbies'. You never do know."

Asked if he would be happy simply not to lose the game, Moyes said: "Over the years, I think it would have been a great result for any team to go and do that, because Anfield has been a hard place to go. Liverpool have got really good support and a good team. It has never changed.

" We will go to Anfield and try to win, and then if you can't do that, the next thing you want to do is try to get a draw."

Source: PA