What The Papers Say - Jan 11

A round-up of Wednesday's papers

The views below are taken from the local and national newspapers and do not necessarily reflect those of Everton. 

 

 

Everton's Phil Neville reckons is about to try to stop the best winger in Europe.

The former England defender will arrive at Tottenham on Wednesday night charged with the task of keeping Gareth Bale quiet - something many defenders have failed miserably to do this season.

The Welshman is one of the big reasons behind Spurs' transformation into genuine title contenders, and veteran right-back Neville is under no illusions about what is in store for him at White Hart Lane.

“Gareth is maturing into an outstanding left-winger, probably the best in the Premier League if not in Europe. We are going to have to be at our best to stop him,” Neville admitted.

“I see a better player than the one from last season. He is adding things to his game every year.

"When I was young, each year I was told, ‘You have got to add something new to your game, you have got to try to improve five or 10 per cent.'

“I see him doing things now that he wasn’t doing 12 months ago. Teams have tried to block him on the flanks, but he has started coming into the middle.

"He has scored a lot of goals and that is something he has added."

Everton have seen Spurs overtake them in recent years, as the team most likely to break open the monopoly enjoyed by the elite big-money clubs at the top of the Premier League.

And both Neville and his boss David Moyes think the Londoners deserve their current status as the men most likely to make the title race a three-way fight.

“I think Spurs are genuine contenders," said the defender. "The outstanding two are City and United, but the result that has impressed me most about Tottenham was the 1-0 against West Brom. That showed a real determination.

“That is what you have got to do to win championships. You can't always win by three or four and play free-flowing football.

"Maybe with the additions they have got, they have got the doggedness that they may not always have had. Wednesday will be a real test for both teams, coming out of the Christmas period.”

Moyes too, believes that Spurs have got what it takes – thanks to the qualities of their canny manager, Harry Redknapp.

“What Harry has done is to give his side a bit of a British identity, but to combine that with the fluency of some of his foreign signings," the Blues boss said.

“We were up there with Spurs, challenging to break into the top four. But they have kicked on because they’ve spent a lot of money, and Harry has done that wisely.

"When he took over they were in a bad position, despite the money they spent, but he has given them a real style.”

 

 

STEVEN PIENAAR insists he has no regrets about quitting Everton because he was going stale.

The South African has been plagued by injury at Tottenham since he quit Goodison in a £3m move last January, but he could start against his old club at White Hart Lane tonight.

Pienaar, 29, was linked with a loan back to David Moyes’ side but is determined to make his mark at Spurs.

He said: “Everton will always have a special place in my heart. At Everton we had a great manager but the squad was a bit smaller and sometimes you get to a point where you don’t push yourself any more.

“For me, I just needed to move on and challenge myself. It’s always good because you can push yourself. You have to make sure you reach your limit.

“I would love to play against Everton because it’s always a special feeling to play against your old club.

“David Moyes gave me an opportunity to show myself in England and I’ll always be grateful to the club and the supporters.”

 

GARETH BALE has been told to expect a few whacks tonight as Spurs crank up their title bid against Everton.

Bale was shackled by Phil Neville last season at White Hart Lane when the Everton defender showed just why Spurs boss Harry Redknapp tried to sign him.

Wales star Bale is up there among the most fouled players in the Premier League.

But Redknapp believes Bale's turbo-charged pace will always make him a target no matter what protection is given by referees.

Redknapp admitted: "I am sure Phil Neville will give Gareth a dig or two on Wednesday. That is part of what you expect.

"No player played Bale better than Neville last season. I even tried to bring Neville to White Hart Lane but we couldn't make the transfer work.

"The problem for defenders is that Bale is just so quick running with the ball.

"Against West Brom, three of the yellow cards given for fouls against him were for mis-timed rather than malicious tackles — although the last caution was cynical when Gareth was brought down from behind."

Neville believes he will face an improved version of 22-year-old Bale.

He said: "When I was young, each year I was told 'You have to add something new to your game, improve five or 10 per cent if you can'.

"And in Bale I see a better player than the one from last season. He is adding things to his game and doing now that he wasn't 12 months ago.

"Teams have tried to block him on the flanks but he has started coming into the middle, scoring lots of goals. He is maturing into an outstanding left-winger, probably the best in the Premier League if not in Europe. We are going to have to be at our best to stop him."

Spurs can move level on points with Manchester United in second place tonight if they beat Everton, a game postponed in August because of the riots.

 

HIS usual touchline dress code of football boots, tracksuit and padded coat would not normally befit a job interview.

Yet rather than a panel of faceless inquisitors, there is likely to be an audience of 35,000 Tottenham fans picking over David Moyes’ credentials.

When he takes his Everton side to the capital tonight, there is every reason to believe the visit could become rather more significant than simply a Premier League game between two rivals.

Should Harry Redknapp succeed Fabio Capello this summer in accepting the opportunity to shape England’s fortunes, Moyes is likely to find himself on the shortlist to fill the vacancy in north London. An audition under the bright lights at White Hart Lane beckons.

The irony that Scot Moyes has also had his name mooted in the FA’s corridors of powers as a potential national coach is testament to his acumen at a time when, with his 10th anniversary at Goodison Park looming, he is in danger of being taken for granted on Merseyside.

Football will always come back round though and, hopefully, some day they will be looking at the back of us

Progress has slowed and it is Everton who now view Tottenham and dare to dream when, not so long ago, the roles were reversed. “It is only three or four years ago that it was Tottenham and us who were fighting for European places,” said Moyes.

“But they have continued to kick on and they have brought in some really good players over the years.

“When you are close and competing with teams, you never like to see them go away from you, but we are looking at them going away from us at this time.

“Football will always come back round though and, hopefully, some day they will be looking at the back of us.”

Moyes, aware that postponement of this fixture from the opening weekend of the season due to the London riots not only coincides with a crippling Everton injury list but with his opponent’s early-season wobble out of the way, continues to doggedly fight his corner with an enthusiasm that is likely to appeal to Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy.

 

David Moyes will not be splashing the cash during the transfer window as Mikel Arteta's transfer fee has already been swallowed up to service Everton's debt.

Arteta joined Arsenal in a £10million move on deadline day last summer and manager Moyes maintains it was his decision to allow the Spanish midfielder to leave.

But when asked if he would have access to the cash to strengthen his squad, the Scot said: 'I don't think that is going to be the case. I think everybody knew at the time that the bank wanted the money. People knew that really.'

Moyes had hoped to use the loan market to add a striker and midfielder but a defender is now his priority after Phil Jagielka was sidelined for up to six weeks with a knee injury.

The Toffees face Tottenham at White Hart Lane on Wednesday night in the rearranged fixture from the opening weekend of the season.

Moyes' men are 18 points behind their opponents and he admits he is frustrated at failing to keep pace with Harry Redknapp's Spurs.

He said: 'It is a little bit sad they are starting to pull away from us a little bit more than I would like. I think it was only three or four years ago us and Tottenham were competing neck-and-neck for European places.

'It is frustrating because all managers will tell you when you are close and competing with teams you never like to see them go away from you, but we are looking at them going away from us at this present time.'

Referee Martin Atkinson, who sent off Jack Rodwell against Liverpool in October, takes charge of the game in north London while Mark Clattenburg will be the man in the middle for the weekend trip to Aston Villa.

Clattenburg has not refereed an Everton match since the controversial Merseyside derby at Goodison in 2007.

Clattenburg angered the home support when he sent off Tony Hibbert for a professional foul on Steven Gerrard after appearing to initially take out a yellow card before the Liverpool midfielder had a brief word.

He chose not to send off Dirk Kuyt for a high challenge on Phil Neville and turned down an Everton penalty appeal in injury-time with the hosts trailing 2-1.

'I don't pick the referees so it is not up to me and I don't think it is right that managers should choose who the referees are. It is up to the PGMO (Professional Game Match Officials) to choose.

'It is not my job I have to go with the people who pick them, but it would be interesting to see if they (Atkinson and Clattenburg) got the jobs at Goodison instead of away from home.'

 

David Moyes could be forgiven a wry smile at the refereeing appointments for his Everton side's two fixtures this week, with fate – or at least the refereeing body the Professional Game Match Officials Limited – providing him with successive reunions with his two bêtes noires.

At White Hart Lane tonight, Martin Atkinson will handle his first Everton match since October's Merseyside derby when he sent off Jack Rodwell for a textbook tackle on Luis Suarez after 23 minutes. Liverpool won 2-0, and the FA's subsequent overturning of Rodwell's ban only highlighted Atkinson's error.

The West Yorkshire official's prior Everton engagement 13 months earlier against Manchester United had ended with Moyes confronting him on the pitch after he blew the final whistle as Phil Jagielka broke through on a late counter-attack.

Moyes, mindful perhaps of the £8,000 fine he received for criticising Atkinson then, was pointedly tight-lipped when asked yesterday about both Atkinson and the even more intriguing reunion Everton face at Aston Villa on Saturday with Mark Clattenburg. The Tyne and Wear referee has not officiated an Everton match since his hugely controversial handling of a Merseyside derby in October 2007.

Clattenburg dismissed two Everton players, but let Dirk Kuyt – scorer of Liverpool's 90th-minute penalty winner – escape with a yellow card for a two-footed leap at Phil Neville. In injury time he then ignored an Everton penalty shout when Jamie Carragher dragged down Joleon Lescott.

Moyes also suggested at the time that Steven Gerrard had influenced Clattenburg's decision to send off Tony Hibbert as he appeared to switch from a yellow to a red card after the Liverpool captain spoke to him.

Moyes noted that it is at Villa Park, and not a grudge-bearing Goodison, that Clattenburg will step out on Saturday. "It would be interesting to see if they gave them the job at Goodison instead of us getting them away from home," said the Scot of the two appointments. Clattenburg has taken charge of 121 domestic matches since but not one involving Everton and only two featuring Liverpool.

 

DAVID Moyes has admitted he is unlikely to be able to spend the £10million he recouped in the Mikel Arteta transfer on new Everton FC players – because most of it has gone to the bank.

Everton FC's hierarchy have always insisted that the Spanish midfielder’s summer departure to Arsenal was not sanctioned in order to ease their £45m debt or other pressures on the club from banks.

And although Moyes stands by his assertion that he ultimately made the decision to allow Arteta to leave on transfer deadline day in August, he believes the money has gone to satisfy the demands of the club's bank.

Asked if he would be able to spend the £10m as he scours the January market for a striker, creative midfielder and central defender, the Blues boss said: “I don’t think that is going to be the case.

“I think everybody knew at the time that the bank wanted the money. People knew that really.”

A defender had not been on Moyes’ list of priorities until last week when Phil Jagielka was ruled out for up to six weeks with knee ligament damage.

The England defender will be one of several key players absent as an injury-hit Everton travel to Tottenham Hotspur for their rearranged Premier League fixture tonight.

As well as Jagielka, Everton are likely to be without Leon Osman (foot), Jack Rodwell (hamstring), Tony Hibbert (groin), Tim Cahill (groin) and Ross Barkley (knee), while Seamus Coleman exited the FA Cup win over Tamworth on Saturday with a recurrence of a thigh injury.

However, Sylvain Distin is confident Everton’s fit defenders can cope with the threat of Spurs’ attacking talent, and still marvels at how Phil Neville marshalled Gareth Bale at White Hart Lane last season.

“I don't understand how he did it because he's so slow!” joked Distin, recalling his captain's performance during the 1-1 draw that afternoon. “It's just mad. I still don't get it. Maybe they must be friends or something like that!

“No, he did a great job and we're going to have to do it again. And maybe they've got more individual quality throughout the team now, so it's not only stopping Gareth Bale, it's the other players as well.”

The referee for tonight’s game is Martin Atkinson, who officiates his first Everton game since dismissing Jack Rodwell in October’s Goodison derby – while the official for Saturday’s visit to Aston Villa is Mark Clattenburg, ending a 131-game wait since his controversial handling of Everton’s home derby defeat in October 2007.

“I don’t pick the referees so it is not up to me and I don’t think it is right that managers should choose who the referees are,” said Moyes. “It is up to the PGMO (Professional Game Match Officials) to choose.

“It is not my job I have to go with the people who pick them, but it would be interesting to see if they (Atkinson and Clattenburg) got the jobs at Goodison instead of away from home.”