Source: liverpool_echo
Nikica Jelavic’s form will make or break Everton’s season, says David Moyes
NIKICA Jelavic’s form will make or break Everton’s season, admits David Moyes.
The Blues boss is desperately hoping his struggling striker recaptures his prolific edge in time to fire the club into Europe.
Jelavic has not scored in the Premier League since his late winner against Spurs on December 9, and Moyes believes that the Croatian’s luck must turn if this season is to be a success.
Nikica Jelavic's Opta stats for the season so far
The former Rangers forward will get the chance to lead the line against Norwich at Carrow Road today, and Moyes said: “Undoubtedly he can be the difference for us between now and the end of the season.
“I think that if he fires again and scores we can have a really strong end to the season.
“Ultimately if he doesn’t then you know it could be hard going between now and the end. We are going to have to keep grinding results out and plugging away.
“Last year at this time of year nearly everything he touched went into the net. I do think that you need your forward to be in good form, so we hope we can get him back into some level of where he was before.”
Moyes admits that the 27-year-old’s barren spell is certain to have knocked his confidence – even if he doesn’t quite realise it.
“I don’t really have any great thought on it,” he said of the man he signed for £5m in January 2012. “I just hope he can find his way again. It is always confidence in things like this but sometimes you don’t realise that until you come back into form.
