David Moyes in bid to lift the blues at struggling Everton

Time to get tough: Moyes knows he can only back failing players for so longDavid Moyes fears he will be forced to write off Everton's season unless his players show a dramatic improvement over the next month.From being tipped by Sir Alex Ferguson on the eve of the Barclays Premier League campaign as being dark horses for a Champions League place, Everton head into Christmas teetering on the brink.Moyes still has great faith that the squad he has painstakingly assembled can deliver. But the manager is aware the time has come for the faith invested in them to be repaid.Everton face Manchester City tonight and, while Moyes enjoys a harmonious relationship with his board of directors, he is aware of his duty to provide good results.'I'm not quite at the point yet of giving up and I am still thinking that I can have a good year,' said Moyes. 'But that point is going to come shortly if we do not pick up.'It's not just Christmas which will determine that. It's how you do after Christmas and where you are going into January and a bit further down the line. 'If we get a few good wins and start moving forward, we will have a bit of a better idea. I believe we can still get to the level where we want to go but, if not, then we will look at it differently.'So how has it reached this stage? Everton are two points off the relegation zone, and three wins from 17 League matches is clearly unacceptable, given the players Moyes has at his disposal.The most worrying aspect for Moyes, though, has been the manner in which Everton's strikers have malfunctioned and how reliant they have become on Tim Cahill.The Australian midfielder has always been a huge influence on Everton but the statistics this season have been extraordinary. Hard to replace: Cahill has scored eight goals this seasonHis tally of eight goals dwarfs the contribution of forwards LouisSaha, Ayegbeni Yakubu and Jermaine Beckford, and Cahill is effectivelyresponsible for 10 of the 18 points Everton have accrued.No wonder, then, Moyes is frantically trying to find a way ofsolving the issue, particularly as he could be without Cahill for allof January due his commitments with Australia in the Asia Cup.Even if Moyes does manage to find cover he wants to bring in 'twoor three' players on loan there is nothing to say Everton willsuddenly be revitalised.Some have wondered whether Everton have lost their ability tosurprise opponents and, certainly, there is reason for believing theirplay has become a little too predictable. The manager said: 'Until I find out whether it is just the strikers,I won't know whether the squad need breaking up. 'I might get a greatstriker in January and find that something else is wrong.'But I have got to plug that gap first. I hope somebody other thanTim Cahill can score goals for us. 'He leaves us early January so weneed others to step up to the plate.' David Moyes says Everton do not fear Manchester City - with or without Carlos Tevez'I've no sympathy for Man City's star problems', says Everton boss MoyesMan City v EVERTON: Steven Pienaar facing last fitness test ahead of Manchester tripEVERTON FC

Source: Daily_Mail