What The Papers Say - 14 March

Find out what Everton stories are making the back pages.

The views on this page are taken from the local and national media and do not necessarily reflect the views of Everton.

 

 

Joseph Yobo is set to quit Everton during the summer following a bust-up with manager David Moyes.

The Nigerian, a Goodison stalwart since 2002, rowed with the Scot after being left on the bench in recent games with Spurs and Hull.

Moyes had earlier fallen out with the 29-year-old, who injured a hamstring on African ­Nations Cup duty.

A source close to Yobo said: “Joe was upset and went to see Moyes. Things have not been the same since Joe went to the ­African Nations Cup instead of ­staying back and letting his hamstring heal.”

 

 

MANCHESTER UNITED are pushing closer to a £20million move for Everton star Jack Rodwell.

And Sir Alex Ferguson wants to do the double on Everton by taking Dan Gosling to Old Trafford in the summer with him.

Both players scored in the recent 3-1 victory against the champions at Goodison Park.

United want to unveil Chris Smalling, Rodwell and ex-Plymouth youngster Gosling as part of their new generation of stars for next season but are fully focused on adding the finishing touches to defender Rodwell's transfer as a priority.

Although United remain the first choice for the player and his representatives, Ferguson is all too aware that discussions between Rodwell's team, fellow title favourites Chelsea and noisy neighbours Manchester City are still in progress.

There is also some reluctance from David Moyes to part with another of the club's biggest stars after watching former Toffees striker Wayne Rooney set the Premiership and Champions League alight for the Reds.

One option being tentatively discussed that will ease Moyes' decision involves the Merseysiders picking up an initial £8m fee for the player, followed by two further payments of £5m once Rodwell reaches certain appearance benchmarks for United.

That would then be followed by a final instalment of £2m once he completes a full appearance for the England national side. In such a case, however, Everton would insist on receiving a large proportion of the initial fee upfront rather than factoring the cost over more than one season.

It is believed that Moyes wants to use any cash raised in the deal to fund a move for Stephen Ireland.

The Everton boss has been a huge admirer of the Manchester City man for a long time as he could ease much of the midfield goal-scoring burden placed on Tim Cahill.

 

In the race to secure the Premier League's equivalent of a consolation prize, a place in the Europa League next season, no significant progress to report from St Andrew's yesterday.

In the race to emerge from the shadows of their more feted neighbours, again no news of an advance from the second city to cheer the terrace fans of either Birmingham City or Everton.

A match that rarely failed to entertain amid fluctuating fortunes demonstrated why both these teams, though standing on the brink of the division's elite, are unlikely to aspire beyond their present station.

David Moyes opines that this is the best Everton squad he has worked with during his eight years' tenure and for the first quarter of this match, he appeared vindicated in his judgment before Birmingham rallied to claim a point that rarely seemed a realistic target as the visitors cantered into a two-goal lead.

Joe Hart had already saved well from the outstanding Steven Pienaar as Everton dictated when Victor Anichebe turned Liam Ridgewell in the 18-yard-area and powered a left foot shot in to the roof of the net for his first goal of the season. Three minutes later, Pienaar's clever centre from the byline created a routine headed finish for Ayegbeni Yakubu, 2-0 easy as you like.

"They could have blown us away at that stage but this was so typical of what we have done this season," said Birmingham manager Alex McLeish.

The revival, however, required a touch of Lady Luck as Cameron Jerome's faintest of touches diverted Keith Fahey's aimless centre through the legs of Phil Jagielka and beyond Tim Howard to reduce arrears. The Bluenoses' recovery was complete in the 52nd minute as Jerome once more was involved, this time flicking on Hart's long punt into the path of Craig Gardner.

The ball sat up nicely for the former Aston Villa midfield player yet even so, his left foot volley was crisp and precise. Shortly after, the leg-weary scorer was substituted, a legacy of an overnight illness that made him a doubtful starter.

Everton remained the more composed and three reasonable penalty appeals for hand ball proved fruitless. Yet Birmingham's resilience was deserving of a result that extended an unbeaten sequence of home matches that began in September to 12.

 

 

Gardner's goal, the last of the afternoon, snatched a point from an Everton side who had moved gracefully into a two-goal lead in the first 22 minutes.

And its importance was acknowledged by McLeish who said: 'Craig did so well for us. He was really doubtful with a bug. He was expected in for a check-up in the morning but phoned our doctor to say he was fit to play.
'I thought he looked a bit under a cloud early on but after the first 20 minutes or so we upped the pace, the team woke up and Craig drew strength from that and went on to do so well for us.
'I'm pleased for him to score his first for the club but I was equally delighted Cameron Jerome scored after leading our line so well.'

Birmingham crumbled early on to a combination of Everton's power and graceful attacking and seemed ready to take a beating through goals from Victor Anichebe and Ayegbeni Yakubu.
They regrouped well enough to battle back and it was Gardner's 51st-minute equaliser that maintained a superb record by McLeish's team of not having been beaten at home in the league since September.

Everton boss David Moyes could have been furious, but instead praised his side's quality.
He said: 'Our performance was fine, the result was not. It was disappointing when you consider the way we're playing.'

Everton deserved their 18th-minute lead. Phil Neville crossed and 21-year-old Nigeria striker Anichebe used power and the neatest of skill to turn and curl a left-foot shot away from Joe Hart.
Birmingham have not had to cope with a home defeat since the defeat by Bolton seven months ago, and it got worse as Everton scored a second within four minutes.

This time a Steven Pienaar cross looped over every head before landing on Yakubu's and he rose to score.
Birmingham were back in contention within three minutes. Keith Fahey stabbed the ball forward and the lightest of touches from Jerome did the damage.

McLeish resisted the temptation to make changes and his faith paid off when City equalised within six minutes of the restart. A mighty clearance from Joe Hart was nodded down by Jerome to Gardner who hit it first time past Tim Howard.

 

 

THERE is something in the make-up of most Scots that attracts them to the role of the outsider. It was on show here as opposing managers Alex McLeish and David Moyes, whose teams are chasing an unlikely European place, made it harder for each other to attain.

Both could argue that they deserved to win and move closer to hauling in one of the quartet sparring for fourth place. Everton began impressively, scored twice before the half-hour, and seemed about to overtake their hosts in the table. Birmingham quickly reduced the deficit, recovered their bearings at a ground on which they rarely lose and almost went on to win. At the end, the gap to the probable Europa League slot remained at two and four points, but Aston Villa have two games in hand.

“It’s attainable,” said McLeish. “But we have tough games and probably don’t have the strength in depth of the other teams. But stranger things have happened.”

Moyes was not impressed. “The performance was fine, the result wasn’t,” he said. “We’ve not been talking about seventh place, we’ve just been talking about finishing as high as we can.”

Both managers hold positions of strength. McLeish is using the offer of a contract extension to establish the true intent of Birmingham’s new owners. Hong Kong-based president Carson Yeung promised heavy spending in January but failed to deliver the £12m needed to buy Roman Pavlyuchenko from Tottenham.

The priority for Moyes is to retain the players with whom he has achieved sustained success. He has asked that the youthful talent of Jack Rodwell, Dan Gosling and Sean Coleman be secured by new contracts, and key performers be awarded improved ones.

At first his team played with a pleasing fluidity. Moyes’ formation allowed Steven Pienaar and Victor Anichebe to push high on either wing, while granting the former freedom to interchange with Everton’s central midfielders. Lee Bowyer found it hard to counter, cutting Pienaar down 30 yards from goal, then starting a fight after his own handball.

The South African remained impressively unaffected, sliding off his marker once more to curl a shot at the bottom corner. Though Joe Hart parried and kept out a Tim Cahill header there came a limit to his resilience when Phil Neville sent Anichebe into the area. One-on-one with Liam Ridgewell, the attacker was too agile, spinning inside his opponent before firing the ball home. Within three minutes the lead was doubled as Pienaar dragged Bowyer to the far side of the box and his cross was headed in by Yakubu Ayegbeni.

Urged to up their tempo by McLeish, Birmingham got back into the game with a fortunate effort that seemed more attempted cross than attempt on goal. Keith Fahey delivered from the left, Jerome tried to hook on to it in the six-yard box and the ball skimmed through Phil Jagielka’s legs into the net.

Everton weathered a squall of home attacks one side of halftime and appealed for two handball penalties the other. “I’ve seen them, they hit the hand. But whether the referee gives them is another matter,” said Moyes.

Instead, what McLeish recognised as “a pretty much long-ball” goal levelled the game as Hart’s clearance was headed on by Jerome for Craig Gardner to finish elegantly on the run.

Moyes brought on Landon Donovan for a last appearance before flying back to LA Galaxy, but the lead could not be recovered. Two stubborn Scots had ground each other out.

Star man: Cameron Jerome (Birmingham) Yellow cards: Birmingham: Bowyer Everton: Yakubu.
Referee: T Probert Attendance: 24,579

Birmingham: Hart 7, Carr 5, Johnson 6, Dann 6, Ridgewell 5, Gardner 6 (Larsson 59min, 6), Ferguson 6, Bowyer 5, Fahey 7, Benitez 5 (McFadden 72min), Jerome 7
Everton: Howard 6, Neville 6, Jagielka 6, Distin 5, Baines 6, Heitinga 6, Anichebe 7 (Gosling 79min), Cahill 6 (Rodwell 76min), Arteta 7, Pienaar 7, Yakubu 6 (Donovan 67min)

DONOVAN IS KEY
Will he stay or will he go? Everton supporters are desperate to keep Landon Donovan on Merseyside — and it is not difficult to see why they want their American international playmaker, who is due back in his own country this week, to extend his loan spell at Goodison Park. Everton have accumulated 20 points from a possible 30 with the US captain either in the starting line-up or coming on as a substitute. The threatened Major League Soccer players’ strike could allow Donovan to extend his 10-week loan spell at Everton

 

 

KICKING his heels on the bench for 69 minutes was not the way Landon Donovan wanted to say goodbye to Everton.

The on-loan American striker had been lighting up Goodison Park big-time during a cameo two-month spell on Merseyside.

So much so that even yesterday, only 24 hours before he was due back at LA Galaxy, David Moyes was still trying to persuade the Californian club to let him stay longer.

Yet, despite non-stop accolades from the Everton boss since his arrival in January, Donovan found himself out of the starting line-up for the second game running.

Anyone wondering why did not have to wait long for the answer as his replacement Victor Anichebe underlined his return to favour with a stunning opener. And when fellow Nigerian Yakubu made it 2-0 midway through the fi rst half, the visitors appeared on course for a vital victory in their late charge for European qualifi cation.

But that was to ignore Birmingham’s unwavering ability this season to defy the odds - with goals from Cameron Jerome and Craig Gardner bringing them level.

A point apiece, though, did nothing for either side’s Europa League ambitions. If their chances of finishing inside the top seven were slim beforehand, they are now all but gone after this stalemate.

Yet, even leaving that particular race to one side, a number of players on show here need to wrap up the campaign in style - with their World Cup dreams very much on the line.

Birmingham’s on-loan keeper Joe Hart looks a cert to be among Fabio Capello’s England squad, while Everton duo Leighton Baines and Phil Jagielka are on the fringes.

And it was Hart who stepped up to the plate fi rst in that respect yesterday as he made a fantastic fingertip stop to keep out Steven Pienaar’s 10th minute piledriver.

There was nothing the young stopper could do, though, to prevent Everton breaking the deadlock in the 18th minute.

There seemed little danger to the miserly defence of Alex McLeish’s side when Anichebe was slipped into the box by Phil Neville.

But that all changed in a split second with the lanky hitman spinning and then thrashing a left-foot peach into the top corner.

And just three minutes later shell-shocked Birmingham were reeling again when Yakubu rose unmarked at the far post to head home Pienaar’s deft chip.

Game over - or so we thought. Yet right out of the blue, and totally against the run of play, they hauled themselves back into contention with their fi rst serious attack.

Barry Ferguson delivered the cross which Jerome clipped in fi rst time past an unsighted Tim Howard. That was the striker’s eighth goal of the season – and third in two games – but the former England Under-21 man should have improved that tally before the break when he headed straight at Howard.

Resuming where they had left off, McLeish’s men grabbed an equaliser inside nine minutes of the re-start. A long ball from the back was fl icked into the path of Gardner – and the ex-Villa man opened his account for the Blues with a neat low finish.

That should have led to a grandstand fi nish but instead the contest petered out disappointingly.