Source: Liverpool_Echo
NIGEL MARTYN: Deserved victory over Burnley a big boost for Everton
I WAS amazed to hear that Everton were on the brink of equalling an unwanted home record at Goodison yesterday. And just as relieved that they came through and avoided it. Failure to beat Burnley would have seen Everton not win a home game for nine matches, and given the quality of this current Everton squad that's a bizarre statistic.[LNB]Having played for and against Everton at Goodison Park, I've seen both sides of the divide. As an opponent you knew you would always be in for a tough match regardless of where Everton were in the table.[LNB]As an Everton player, however, you always knew the crowd would demand, and usually get, that extra bit of intensity and drive which could help take you to victory.[LNB]That's what happened yesterday.[LNB]The result itself will give everybody a huge boost, but so too will the return to first team action of Vaughany and Phil Neville, who came on for the final quarter.[LNB]Even though Louis Saha and Jo were unavailable yesterday, we still had Leon Osman back in action again and helping knit things together in midfield.[LNB]Leon Osman probably isn't the first name on David Moyes' team-sheet.[LNB]He doesn't figure near the top of fans' favourite player lists.[LNB]But that doesn't bear any resemblance to his value to Everton Football Club.[LNB]You count how many matches he plays in a season. You work out how many games he starts.[LNB]It will be 30-plus, even in a campaign like this one where he has been injured.[LNB]That's because his manager knows he can trust him.[LNB]He played for 80 minutes agsinst Borisov in Europe, managed 90 minutes barely three days later against Birmingham, climbed off his sickbed to run himself ragged against Sunderland and then got through another 80 minutes yesterday, just 48 hours after his Boxing Day bravery.[LNB]It's that kind of attitude which proves infectious and certainly helped Everton over the line yesterday.
