What The Papers Say - 21 November

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

Everton manager David Moyes has dismissed suggestions teenage midfielder Jack Rodwell could be on the verge of leaving Goodison Park amid reported interest from Manchester United, Manchester City and Chelsea.

The Scot’s Stamford Bridge counterpart, Carlo Ancelotti, was thought to be keen to sign the 18-year-old midfielder in January in case FIFA uphold the transfer ban, currently suspended, imposed on Chelsea for the Gael Kakuta affair, while Sir Alex Ferguson has been tracking the player’s progress for more than a year.

But Moyes insists he has had no contact with any club over Rodwell, who signed an improved five-year deal earlier this season, and made it perfectly clear he would do everything in his power to keep Everton’s crown jewel out of the clutches of the Premier League’s predators.

“You could come and look at my desk, check my phones to see if I have had any calls from Manchester United, or Chelsea, or whoever,” said the Everton manager.

“We have had nothing. It is hard for me to turn round and say he will not be leaving, because I said I would not sell [Joleon] Lescott, but have we had any contact with a club, or are we sitting on an offer? No.”

David Moyes has warned Manchester United to keep their eyes - and hands - off Jack Rodwell.

The Old Trafford club have been linked with a massive bid for Everton's brilliant teenage star, and will undoubtedly put him under the microscope when the two sides meet at Old Trafford tonight.

But Blues boss Moyes is angry and frustrated at suggestions there is already a bid on the table from United or Chelsea for the England under-21 midfielder.

And instead he flatly declared that the sale of Rodwell is not even an option up for discussion, never mind a transfer that could happen imminently.

"Of course Jack is a talented young player who is English and already established in the Premier League at a top-six club, so there is bound to be interest from other clubs," Moyes insisted.

"But that is hypothetical, for the future, and yet people are saying it has come now. It hasn't. We are not sitting on an offer, and really, what is the point in answering, because there is nothing there at all.

"I could say I want Jonny Evans or Jack Wilshere, but people will say I've no chance of getting them, and that's how I feel about Rodwell. It is frustrating because it has been presented as fact, when it isn't.

"I don't doubt he is on other teams' radars, but he's on ours, and we have had nothing, and that's the end of the matter."

Moyes knows that any denial will be taken with a hint of cynicism because he insisted that Joleon Lescott wasn't for sale, but then ended up moving to Manchester City.

But he is genuine when he says that Everton aren't interested in selling, because the player has a long contract and is totally committed to the club.

Figures as low as £12million have been quoted as potential offers, but given that Rodwell could yet go to the World Cup with England, and is an attractive proposition because he is a home-grown talent with restrictions on foreign players set to be implemented, that is laughable.

Everton would want to keep the technically-gifted midfielder until he matures, and then - if he continues to progress at his current rate - would only listen to offers if the figure is at least three times the money currently being mentioned.

But Moyes was adamant that it is not even on the agenda, when he added: "You can check my phones, you can come and sit at my desk and have a look, and there has been nothing, not a call, not a conversation and certainly not a bid on the table," he said.

"He has a five-year contract and he's very level-headed. There's no point in me turning round and saying he's not for sale, because we said that with Lescott and had to sell in the end. But what I can tell you is - 100 per cent - we have had nothing.

"It's hard for me to talk about these things because of Lescott and, to be honest, I don't even want to go there because it's rubbish."

Moyes has his usual injury nightmare for the visit to Old Trafford, with Tim Cahill and Louis Saha the latest names on the doubtful list, but both are expected to shrug off problems to face the champions.

He had to settle for a watching brief from the bench last season but, as Everton prepare to cross swords with Manchester United again on Saturday evening, Jack Rodwell is surely heading for his first appearance at Old Trafford. One way or another, it won't be his last.

Still four months short of his 19th birthday, Rodwell's status as an automatic pick at the heart of midfield has unsurprisingly made its way on to Sir Alex Ferguson's radar. It raises the possibility of another Everton prodigy moving from Merseyside to Manchester.

Wayne Rooney blazed the trail five years ago and many an informed onlooker is tipping Rodwell to tread the same path next summer.

Everton will do their best to resist, naturally, but an air of inevitability attends most transfer manoeuvres involving Ferguson. The day £20million changes hands to provide a new showcase for Rodwell's talents may not be far off.

It could edge a step nearer if the versatile midfielder continues his quest to make Birkdale a byword for football as well as golf by further stalling United's drive for another Barclays Premier League crown.

A tall order for a fresh-faced 18-year-old, perhaps, but Rodwell has been making light of daunting challenges all his life.

He was six when Liverpool advised him to forget football as a career opportunity and just turned 10 when a team of oversized, over-aged adolescents threatened to trample him underfoot in a tournament in Belgium.

The way he survived both ordeals speaks volumes for a widespread belief within Everton's coaching staff that he can go on to fill Rio Ferdinand's boots in central defence. He has England in mind, but his old boss at Birkdale United won't be the least bit surprised if he does it at Old Trafford as well.

'They're getting on a bit at the back at United and I can see him not only going there but eventually moving to centre half,' said Steve Cattlin. 'You can be sure he'd take it in his stride because he has been like that since he started training with us as a six-year-old. I took one look at him and recommended him to Everton straightaway.

'I remember taking him to their Bellefield training ground with his mum and dad and hearing how Liverpool had told him he wasn't good enough. There was never any chance of that happening at Everton. After that first session, Ray Hall, who's now their academy director, told me he would happily pay £50million for him. It may have been a bit tongue in cheek, but it told you what an impression Jack made.

'It was like watching a younger version of how he is now. He concentrated on the simple things but did them so well. There was a calm assurance about the way he kept the ball and passed it and even then he was very athletic. Ray made it clear he had a future at Everton and that really counted with Jack's family when Liverpool came back in soon after.

'They realised they had made a mistake and offered him a fresh start, but his dad Malcolm told me, "Everton have been really good with Jack. We're sticking with them". There was so much that impressed me about Jack then. I used to watch from the touchline and think he was going to be like his uncle, Tony Rodwell, who had one of the best left feet in the game when he played for Blackpool nearly 20 years ago.

'Then another of the coaches would join me and rave about a pass he'd pinged with his right and it suddenly hit me that he was one of the most two-footed kids I'd ever seen. It was unusual for a lad his age, but it just felt natural to receive the ball on either side and play it with that foot.

'Nothing fazed him, either, and that was never more evident than when we went to a tournament in Belgium. It was supposed to be for 10-year-olds, but the locals seemed to make the rules up as they went along, because the team we faced were a good five years older.

'They all had sideburns and at least one of them had grown a beard! They towered over our boys and I thought, "Oh no, here we go". You could see the apprehension on a few faces, but not Jack's. He was never one for saying much, but he didn't bat an eyelid. Never flinched. He went out and ran rings round lads who were virtually grown men. We only lost 3-2, which was incredible given the difference in size, and Jack got the man-of-the-match award.

'He has always had that steeliness about him and that's one reason why I'm sure he would thrive at Old Trafford. If you are ambitious, you want to better yourself and it would be a natural progression. Size and strength wouldn't be a problem at the back, either. He'll carry on growing for a couple of years yet. It's not the be all and end all anyway - not when you can read the game like Jack can.'

An irate Everton boss David Moyes insisted there had been no contact from United but stopped short of claiming Rodwell would never be sold, following the saga of Joleon Lescott's acrimonious move to Manchester City.

'Why is it inevitable Jack will go?' he asked. 'I can't turn round and say it will never happen because I said that about Lescott, but we have heard nothing so far. I haven't had a single phone call and I can tell you we are not sitting on any offer.'

FRUSTRATED David Moyes admits his under-performing players are being spared the axe by Everton’s chronic injury problems.

And those fitness concerns are showing no signs of abating with Tim Cahill a major doubt for this evening’s journey down the East Lancs Road to take on Manchester United.

Moyes had hoped the recent international break would offer a chance for some of the absentees to return, with Leon Osman, Steven Pienaar and Phil Neville slated for a possible comeback at Old Trafford.

However, the Goodison manager is likely to be without all three with Cahill in danger of joining the trio on the sidelines after suffering a groin strain while playing for Australia.

Everton resume Premier League hostilities having earned their first win in eight games with the 2-1 victory at West Ham United a fortnight ago.

But Moyes fears the current lack of competition for places is making it difficult to punish players for poor performances.

“Steven Pienaar and Phil Neville are not close to playing,” said the Goodison manager. “I hoped after the West Ham game that the break would give us a chance to go into this game with no new players out, so from that point of view it makes it difficult trying to find a team out of what we have got.

“We’re having to play people out of position, who are not in good form, people who ideally we would give a rest to. The hardest thing is that if people are not performing well, they are getting rewarded with the next game.

“Normally we would not get that but we don’t have any options, and we’re trying to find a winning formula out of 12 or 13 players.”

The injuries have given opportunities to several players including Dan Gosling, who netted the what was ultimately the winner at Upton Park.

And despite reiterating the 19-year-old is being over-utilised at present, Moyes reckons the teenager has shown an appetite to learn.

“Dan’s stepped up to every challenge,” he said. “It’s a big stage and if he plays tomorrow I think he will be able to handle it.

“We are asking a lot of him. He’s playing regularly, but in an ideal world he’d be getting a game here or there.

“He did really well a couple of times, got his name in during the Liverpool games, but at the moment the injuries to the wide boys means he has to play. He sees himself as a central midfielder but we have to play him where we think we can get something out of him.

“He can get himself the odd goal, he has that in his locker.”

Jack Rodwell is another Everton youngster to have become an integral part of the midfield in recent months, with his performances reportedly drawing interest from Manchester United and Chelsea.

Moyes, though, has dismissed suggestions of any contact from potential suitors.

“Look, what I can say on Rodwell, is that we have had nothing, no calls, no enquiries, and there is certainly not a bid on the table,” said the Everton manager. “You can check my phones, you can come and sit at my desk and have a look, and there has been nothing.

“He has a five-year contract and he’s very level-headed. There’s no point in me turning round and saying he’s not for sale, because we said that with Lescott and had to sell in the end. But what I can tell you is – 100% – we have had nothing.

“Of course Jack is a talented young player who is English and already established in the Premier League at a top six club, so there is bound to be interest from other clubs.

“But that is hypothetical, for the future, and yet people are saying it has come now. It hasn’t. I don’t doubt he is on other teams’ radars, but he’s on ours, and we have had nothing, and that’s the end of the matter.”

Diniyar Bilyaletdinov is absent this evening as he serves the second of his three-game suspension, while Phil Jagielka, Mikel Arteta, Victor Anichebe and James Vaughan are all still out.

Everton manager David Moyes has dismissed suggestions teenage midfielder Jack Rodwell could be on the verge of leaving Goodison Park amid reported interest from Manchester United, Manchester City and Chelsea.

The Scot’s Stamford Bridge counterpart, Carlo Ancelotti, was thought to be keen to sign the 18-year-old midfielder in January in case FIFA uphold the transfer ban, currently suspended, imposed on Chelsea for the Gael Kakuta affair, while Sir Alex Ferguson has been tracking the player’s progress for more than a year.

But Moyes insists he has had no contact with any club over Rodwell, who signed an improved five-year deal earlier this season, and made it perfectly clear he would do everything in his power to keep Everton’s crown jewel out of the clutches of the Premier League’s predators.

“You could come and look at my desk, check my phones to see if I have had any calls from Manchester United, or Chelsea, or whoever,” said the Everton manager.

“We have had nothing. It is hard for me to turn round and say he will not be leaving, because I said I would not sell [Joleon] Lescott, but have we had any contact with a club, or are we sitting on an offer? No.”

YOU don’t need a razor-sharp memory to see similarities between the beginning of the end of Wayne Rooney’s Everton career and recent rumblings about Jack Rodwell.

Although time continues to heal the wounds of the former Croxteth boy-wonder’s departure from Goodison, it is still fresh enough in the memory to concern Evertonians when the clamour over Chelsea and Manchester United’s interest in their latest young prodigy heightens.

Both players flourished in the Everton first teams, scoring spectacular goals and grabbing attention despite their tender years. Emerging from the same impressive youth system, their respective talents defied age.

Both were born and brought up in Merseyside, and Rooney was as settled in the region as the quiet Birkdale player is said to be.

But the comparisons between the pair do not continue deeply beyond the superficial. Not yet.

At 18, the promising England Under-21 midfielder is a year younger than Rooney was when he made the big-money switch to Old Trafford after that tearful telephone plea to Bill Kenwright.

Although selling a player of Rooney’s world-class ability should never become acceptable, or indeed ‘policy’, for Everton, it is generally accepted that the transfer fee saved the club from financial dire straits.

More importantly, Rooney was already doing things on the pitch for Everton that marked him out as one of the best.

He was already beyond the ‘prospect’ stage, and had been fully capped by England. Manchester United bought a player who, even then, was a consistently exciting Premier League performer, and his natural ability progressed in tandem with regular Champions League football to make him one of the best in the world.

On the other hand Rodwell is a startlingly good prospect, but he is still a prospect.

His manager admits he has had to use him more than he would have liked this season, due to an injury crisis that continues to make physio Mick Rathbone’s treatment room look like the Royal’s A&E on a Saturday night.

Rodwell, his family and his advisors should be under no illusions - Everton is the right club for him at this stage in his career.

He is getting opportunities he simply would not have at Old Trafford or Stamford Bridge. A premature move to either club would see him kicking his heels on the bench. It has happened to other similar players.

Glen Johnson’s youthful big move to Chelsea stalled, and he wasted precious time before having to move to re-ignite his career. Ditto Scott Parker and Shaun Wright Phillips.

Rodwell’s performances so far this season have purred and shown promise of a midfielder who can grace a world stage.

Understandably Rodwell still has rough edges, and they can be smoothed to perfection under the patient and watchful eye of David Moyes, away from the glare and over-exposure of the so-called Sky Four.

I do not want this to sound like I’m suggesting Everton should nurture Rodwell only to release him when he is ready.

The perfect outcome for club and player would be that both progress to the extent that, like Gerrard across the park, he can spend his career thriving on Merseyside.

DAVID Moyes readily admits that in theory he has the strongest squad at Everton in 10 years ahead of today’s North-West show-down with Manchester United.

But the Everton boss continues to feel like he is banging his head on a brick wall, as injuries pile-up to the point of complete exasperation.

With Tim Cahill adding his name to the list of casualties, having returned from international duty with an injured groin, the Everton boss is even running out of square pegs to fit in round holes.

Slight hopes that Steven Pienaar, Phil Neville and Leon Osman may have made a late re-entry into the squad to play the champions have also been dashed.

So as he attempts to plot Everton’s first win at Old Trafford for 17 years, the Scot must contend with so many selection headaches he could be forgiven for seeking a darkened room to go and lie down in.

Questioned by one journalist about Everton having suffered “ a few” injuries he raised an eye-brow.

“Just a few?” said the Scot with the faintest hint of a smile. “We’ve had injuries since last February so we’ve had to deal with this situation for nearly a year. There is a lot more made of other clubs’ injuries than ours.

“I believe we have got a real strong squad and good players and what we need is to get them back, but at the moment we’re just not.

“If other clubs lose one or two really key players it makes it hard for them to get results. We’ve been in that situation for too long.

“I though the break after the West Ham game might have given us time to get some of the lads back but it hasn’t.

“We are trying to find a team out of what we’ve got and we’re having to play people out of position and people who are not in good form. Equally people we would like to give a rest to.

“The hardest thing is that if people aren’t performing well they are getting rewarded with a place in the next game which normally we wouldn’t. We’re trying to find a winning formula with maybe 12 or 13 players.”

But it has been far from all doom and gloom around Everton’s Finch Farm training ground in the run-up to the game.

While Moyes admits Diniyar Bilyaletdinov returned deeply crestfallen at Russia’s last-ditch failure to qualify for the World Cup, Joseph Yobo and Ayegbeni Yakubu are quite the opposite.

“I think it looks as if they’ve come back really pleased to have qualified,” he said.

“ In their country it was something which the people weren’t happy with that it was a situation where they were coming close (to not qualifying). You can see it has given them a big lift and they have an added spring in their step. It was a weight off their shoulders because it was quite a stressful situation for them to be in.”

He is also buoyed by the terrific form of former Manchester United striker Louis Saha who has made his best ever start to a Premier League season in terms of his goal return.

“We undoubtedly took a gamble when we signed Louis,” he said. “He had been injury prone but as well as that we had to take a gamble and didn’t have money to buy a centre forward and Louis was available.

“It was a risk because of his injuries, certainly not his ability and it was a case of ‘is this an on going thing?’ but he convinced me that he wasn’t and he has gone on to prove that.

“He has played world cup semi-finals and been transferred to Manchester United. He is a top player. I think everyone at Manchester United would probably admit that Louis Saha was a match for any player there in terms of talent.

“He is in the top three of players I have worked with in terms of ability. He has got some incredible ability.”

He added that the deal was a financial coup, with the Blues not having to pay any fee for the classy forward, and he remains on pay-as-you play terms.

“Louis is included in every France pre-squad on standby. The French have got some good centre forwards but if he goes on scoring goals he will be noticed.

“I don’t think he is turning around and saying playing for France is the be all and end all though.”

Moyes added that the squad have shared some banter with Saha after his country’s controversial qualification for next summer’s World Cup thanks to Thierry Henry’s hand-ball.

“We’ve given him some stick. Him and Sylvain over the last day or two,” he said.

Meanwhile, Moyes does not believe Alex Ferguson’s touchline ban will have any effect on his fellow Scot.

Today is Ferguson’s last game before he serves a two-match ban for saying referee Alan Wiley was unfit to officiate his club’s match against Sunderland in October.

And the Toffees boss thinks a suspension for the United manager will have less of an impact on Ferguson than it would on other top-flight coaches.

“It is important a manager gets the chance to be on the touchline if he wants so I do think it is significant if a manager is banned,” said Moyes.

“But there are some managers who sit in the stands and are quite happy to do so.

“Sir Alex sits in his seat and can sit back and enjoy the game because he has got a really good team.

“In the main they win so he can sit back, unlike some other managers.

“We are jumping up and down on the touchline trying to motivate and keep getting the right result as much as we can.

“I don’t think it will be too big a hindrance to Alex. He’s experienced and I’m sure he will be happy to sit in the stands.”

Critics of Ferguson’s punishment - which also includes a further two-match ban suspended until the end of next season - argued it did not send out a strong enough message about respecting officials.

Moyes claimed members on the disciplinary panel often did not have detailed knowledge of the game and he would prefer to have people from inside football making the decisions.

HE was the man supposedly not worth taking a risk on. But now Louis Saha has become the player Everton cannot afford to be without.

Barely 18 months after leaving Manchester United, the France striker has reinvigorated his career after spending more time out of the treatment room and on the pitch.

Saha makes his first return to Old Trafford this evening while in the midst of his best-ever start to a Premier League season.

The 31-year-old’s strike against West Ham United a fortnight ago was his seventh league goal – and ninth in all competitions – of a productive campaign that has seen him become an integral part of David Moyes’s plans.

Not bad for a player that many were warning Moyes against taking on given an injury-ravaged four-year spell at United that led even Sir Alex Ferguson to cut his losses.

Everton brokered a pay-as-he-plays deal with their North West counterparts, and it’s a price the Goodison outfit are happy to play if Saha continues to deliver on such a regular basis.

“We paid nothing for Louis,” says Moyes. “There wasn’t a nominal fee. All we do is pay Manchester United when he plays for us. It was nothing.

“But we took a gamble on Louis, undoubtedly. He had been injury-prone but as well as that we had a situation where we had to take a gamble because we didn’t have any money to buy a centre forward.

“Louis at that time was available and it was a risk, not because of his ability but because of his injuries. We had to decide whether it was an ongoing problem at this stage of his career and Louis convinced me that it wasn’t, and he’s gone on to prove that.

“He’s a highly-strung athlete who wants to be at his best, wants to feel his best, and because of that sometimes he doesn’t quite make it for games but he’s been very good for us.”

Moyes adds: “I don’t think he’s got anything to prove. He’s played World Cup semi-finals and he’s been a top player who got a transfer to Manchester United. I think he would like to turn around and say he isn’t injury-prone and he’s over his injury problems now.

“I think everybody at Manchester United would probably admit that Louis Saha was a match for any player there with the talent and ability he’s got.

“I’m still relatively young but he’s certainly in the top two maybe three players I’ve worked with. He’s got some unbelievable ability as a football player, incredible. His talent is exceptional. He really has fantastic ability.”

Keeping Saha fit has become an imperative for Moyes, but the player himself has pushed himself through the pain barrier to help Everton’s cause this season.

The striker continues to be troubled by a calf problem despite once again returning for France for a period of rehabilitation during the international break.

Nevertheless, Saha is expected to figure at some stage tonight with Everton aiming to end a dismal run of three points from 48 in their last 16 visits to Old Trafford.

“He’s got a calf strain at the moment and didn’t train the week before West Ham because of it,” says Moyes. “He’s still struggling with it, he’s not 100% fit, and while I said he’s a highly-strung athlete who needs to be feeling his best, he has also dug in for us.

“He might have pulled away from it in the past but with us he’s got no choice because we don’t have enough players.

“He went back to a clinic for four or five days at the start of this international break as part of his rehabilitation.”

Saha’s scintillating scoring sequence has prompting a growing call for his reinstatement to the France squad, particularly given they now qualified for the World Cup.

However, Moyes believes the striker’s time may have passed with the French turning to the new guard.

“He has been included in every pre-squad when he’s been fit, he’s always been on stand-by,” says the Goodison manager. “They have good centre-forwards now, Benzema sat on the bench the other night, but if he continues scoring goals he’ll be noticed.

“It maybe that France are now looking to bring through a new wave of player, that era of Louis’s might be at the back end now. I don’t think it’s a driving force for him now. He would love to be involved, but I don’t think it’s the be-all and end-all for him.

“We have been giving him and Sylvain stick about the handball this week. Several French players have been involved in incidents lately so we have let them know about it!”

And the forward still has a fan in United manager Ferguson, who believes there are no better strikers in the Premier League than a fit Saha.

“It is not that he has developed in any way since joining Everton, it is just that he is more consistently free of injury than he was with us,” says Saha.

“We wouldn’t have sold him if he had been a regular performer with us. But unfortunately for Louis and us he kept getting injuries.

“It is just sod’s law. It has worked out well for Louis in the sense he is fitter. There is no doubt that but for his injuries Louis certainly had the talent to make a real impact here. He proved it at times when he was fit.

“He is as good as anything in the league when he is fit. He’s a very good player. He’s two-footed, he’s quick, he’s good in the air, he’s brave, he’s got a fantastic physique. He ticks all the boxes in what you looking for in a striker.”

FOR someone who had spent more time tormenting doctors than defenders, Louis Saha was supposedly not worth the risk when he joined Everton from Manchester United 18 months ago.

Fast forward to the present day, however, and he is now the player David Moyes cannot afford to be without. Louis Saha returns to Old Trafford tonight having made his best-ever start to a Premier League campaign and his importance is such that Everton will be duty bound to consider extending his stay on Merseyside in the coming months.

“We took a gamble on Louis, undoubtedly,” said Moyes. “He had been injury-prone but, as well as that, we had a situation where we had to take a gamble because we didn’t have any money to buy a centre-forward.

“We paid nothing for Louis. There wasn’t a nominal fee. All we do is pay Manchester United when he plays for us. It was a risk, not because of his ability but because of his injuries.”

United boss Sir Alex Ferguson added: “We wouldn’t have sold him if he had been a regular performer with us. But unfortunately he kept getting injuries.”

Sir Alex Ferguson never doubted the ability that cost Manchester United £12.8m plus a fortune in medical bills but must have suspected a Premier League talent had gone for good when cutting his losses with Louis Saha. It illustrates the Frenchman's rehabilitation that, 15 months on, he is giving Everton more concern over a new contract than his willingness to commit a fragile frame to the cause. Maybe, just maybe, he still has it in him to unearth in Ferguson a rare ounce of regret.

Saha has faced United twice since agreeing a pay-as-you-play deal with David Moyes in August 2008 but tonight marks his first appearance at Old Trafford since Ferguson accepted enough was enough. He will return as the joint-fourth highest goalscorer in the division, only Fernando Torres, Didier Drogba and Darren Bent have scored more, and savouring his most prolific start to a Premier League campaign. The fitness problems that plagued his four-and-a-half years at United have not gone away; he is carrying a calf injury and spent five days during the international break at a private clinic in France for further treatment. But he is willing, able and in demand to play. That is a transformation in itself.

"We took a gamble on Louis, undoubtedly," admitted the Everton manager. "He had been injury-prone but we had a situation where we had to take a gamble because we didn't have any money to buy a centre-forward. Louis at that time was available and it was a risk, not because of his ability but because of his injuries. We had to decide whether it was an on-going problem at this stage of his career and Louis convinced me that it wasn't and he's gone on to prove that. He's a highly-strung athlete who wants to be at his best, wants to feel his best and because of that sometimes he doesn't quite make it for games but he's been very good for us."

Saha has been among the most consistent performers in an Everton team that, once again, began the season with the strength and balance of a new-born foal. The 31-year-old has nine goals from 14 games in all competitions and has enjoyed a clean bill of health in comparison to many in Moyes' squad. That productive combination has attracted interest from outside, with Besiktas linked, and Everton intend to open discussions on an extension – Saha signed a two-year contract with the option of a third – in the new year. "I don't think we are ready to discuss that at the moment" is Moyes' take on the contract situation.

The Everton manager was less circumspect on the talent at his disposal, however. "I don't think he's got anything to prove to United. I think everybody at Manchester United would probably admit that Louis Saha was a match for any player there with the talent and ability he's got. I'm still relatively young but he's certainly in the top two maybe three players I've worked with. He's got some unbelievable ability as a football player, incredible."

Moyes dismissed out of hand the suggestion that United allowed Saha to leave too quickly and the Old Trafford fanzine writers who christened the striker Balsa Man can vouch for Ferguson's patience. Saha started only 52 league games for United and, had he stayed fit, he would still be at a club that is trying to replace the goals lost when Cristiano Ronaldo left for Real Madrid.

Ferguson admitted yesterday: "He is more consistently free of injury than he had been at Manchester United. We would not have sold him had he been a regular performer for us. Unfortunately, for Louis and for us, he was always injured. It happens that way sometimes. I remember we took Viv Anderson from Arsenal. I looked at his playing record and he hadn't missed a game in four years, other than through suspension, but he was never fit at United. Then he left to go to Sheffield Wednesday at the tail-end of his career and he played for two-and-a-half years without injury. Sod's law."

Moyes is yet to win at Old Trafford as Everton manager and tonight's encounter, while an opportunity for Saha to remind his former employers of his prowess, allows Ferguson a first-hand sight of Jack Rodwell, the 18-year-old midfielder he has admired since before he broke into the first team at Goodison Park. It is an added headache for the Everton manager, although he is livid at reports the club have received a bid for the England hopeful from Chelsea.

"We have had nothing, no calls, no inquiries, and there is certainly not a bid on the table. You can check my phones, you can come and sit at my desk and have a look, and there has been nothing," Moyes said. "He has a five-year contract and he's very level-headed. There's no point in me turning round and saying he's not for sale, because we said that with [Joleon] Lescott and had to sell in the end. But what I can tell you is – 100% – we have had nothing. I don't doubt he is on other teams' radars but he's on ours and we have had nothing and that's the end of the matter."