What The Papers Say - November 25

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

Everton suffered a double blow as their unbeaten run came to an abrupt end at Wigan last night.

Striker Louis Saha limped off with a hamstring injury that will require a scan this morning. The club's medical staff fear a lengthy lay-off.

And another Everton striker, James Vaughan, is facing up to three months out with a knee ligament injury.

Manager David Moyes said: "It's not good. James Vaughan picked up a knee injury in training that will keep him out for between six weeks and three months, and that's obviously bad for the lad.

"Louis complained he had a hamstring problem and we were forced to take him off too. He said he was struggling so we had to replace him."

DISAPPOINTED David Moyes bemoaned a "poor" performance as Everton crashed to defeat at Wigan Athletic - then revealed unlucky James Vaughan could be out for up to three months with a knee injury.

And Louis Saha will undergo a scan this morning after limping off with a hamstring problem on a miserable evening for the Goodison Park outfit.

Substitute Henri Camara's 51st-minute goal at the JJB Stadium last night was enough to end Everton's five-game unbeaten run.

It meant Moyes's side missed out on the chance to move into fifth place and within two points of the Champions League qualification places.

Everton's woe was compounded by the news Vaughan sustained an injury during training and will be sidelined until at least the New Year.

Of the defeat, Goodison manager Moyes said: "It was disappointing, I was hoping for more. It was a poor performance from us.

"It wasn't as good as we have been in recent weeks. We had one or two chances late on to equalise but it was not to be.

"You have to give Wigan credit, they made it difficult for us.

"In the first half we played some decent stuff, but not so much in the second half.

"We didn't create enough chances in the second half and didn't put Wigan under a great amount of pressure."

Everton had early chances but were indebted to a world-class save from Tim Howard to deny Paul Scharner giving Wigan the lead before Camara eventually struck.

The defeat was only Everton's second away from home in the league this season and keeps them in seventh place, while Wigan have moved out of the relegation zone up to 16th.

"We started the game quite well and looked to be in control," added Moyes.

"But goals are what matter, and Wigan got theirs at the start of the second half.

"We had chances to create better opportunities, we had a lot of ball around their box but were wasteful and gave things away.

"But the longer the game went on, Wigan became stronger and took advantage of the way we were playing in the second half."

The luckless Vaughan will undergo further assessment this morning on the injury to his right knee, which is not the one that required reconstructive surgery and kept him out of action for almost a year.

Saha will also have a scan on the hamstring problem that forced his 65th-minute substitution, and Moyes said: "James Vaughan picked up a knee injury in training that will keep him out for between six weeks and three months.

"And Louis felt his hamstring in the second half but we don't know how serious it is yet."

Wigan manager Steve Bruce was delighted with the result but insisted it was not one of his team's better performances.

"We're delighted that we have the points, for obvious reasons," he said. "But it was arguably one of our worst performances during my time here.

"We gave the ball away too many times, and the only real pass of quality was the one for the goal. It was a great pass from Michael Brown and a neat piece of skill from Antonio Valencia to create the chance for Henri to score."

Nobody has been feeling Wigan Athletic's goal shortage more than Henri Camara. While his side had gone two months without scoring in a home Premier League game, the Senegalese striker had not netted in the top flight for almost two years.

 

His opportunities have often been limited, both at the JJB Stadium and on loan at West Ham United, but he made full use of the one Steve Bruce presented him with last night by scoring the winner only five minutes after his half-time introduction.

A deserved first-ever home victory over Everton it was, too, for a side who consequently climbed three places to 15th. Not that their manager, who celebrates a year in charge tomorrow, wanted to go overboard.

"It was one of our poorer performances," he said. "We gave the ball away far too cheaply and the one bit of quality was the goal. I wouldn't say it was an inspired move by me either. It clearly wasn't Olivier Kapo's night but you hope your substitutes will bring a spark and Henri did that."

Amid much Wigan nervousness as a result of winning only once in eight matches, Everton started the brighter, only to tail off alarmingly. Unbeaten in five matches, and victorious in their previous two away trips, they were a letdown.

Everton's best moment was the early break in which Ayegbeni Yakubu picked out Louis Saha for a powerful first-time shot that demanded a terrific save by Chris Kirkland low to his left.

That Saha later went off rubbing his hamstring and James Vaughan will be out for up to three months with a knee injury suffered in training were further down-sides for their manager David Moyes. "I was hoping for more from us," he admitted. "It was a poor performance."