Moyes bids to keen run going
17 Mar 2006 - 08:49:53
Resurgent Everton welcome Aston Villa to Goodison Park as they seek to continue an excellent recent run of form that has banished fears of a relegation battle.
The Toffees have lost just once in their last ten league games and saw off Fulham 3-1 on their last outing.
That run has also dismissed suggestions that manager David Moyes was under pressure, the Scot having now been in charge of the Toffees for nearly four years.
Moyes admitted: "Everton have not been in the top ten many times, about two or three times in the last 13-14 years.
"Suddenly in the three-and-a-half years I've been here, we've been in the Champions League and just missed out on the UEFA Cup with a record points total.
"With some of the criticism we were getting this season, I thought to myself that Everton must have had some great success if people want this all the time, but the facts are Everton haven't had much success in recent years."
Moyes also has one of the Premiership's in-form marksmen at his disposal, with James Beattie having netted four times in his last four games.
In contrast, Villa are not yet 100 per cent certain of Premiership survival, while their FA Cup hopes were ended in midweek by a 2-1 fifth round replay defeat at Manchester City.
Boss David O'Leary was left to rue another bad night, especially on the injury front.
"We got to the training ground and found out Juan Pablo Angel (ankle) and Lee Hendrie (stomach bug) were unable to travel," he said.
"Then we lost Patrik Berger in the warm-up as he injured his Achilles and Milan Baros went off after turning his ankle.
"I've said to the players that we still have nine games left and we can't afford to let the season drift. We want to finish as high up the table as possible."
On Boxing Day Villa powered to a 4-0 victory against Everton in the Midlands, with goals from Mark Delaney, Angel and two from Baros.