Moyes' Programme Notes For Newcastle Cup Clash

We find ourselves at this stage of the competition after a good win here against Wolves a few weeks back, and a fine win away at Preston North End earlier on in the season. We’re now at the stage of the competition where the likelihood of facing Premier League opposition increases and that’s what we have tonight with the visit of Newcastle United.

We’re all fully aware of the importance of a good cup run. We’re one game away from the last eight and progress can help boost confidence, as well as having a positive impact on league form, so we want this run to continue as long as possible. We face difficult opponents tonight and there’s no given when you reach the last 16 of any competition.

Our most recent game here against Chelsea saw us involved in a really competitive match, where we did lots of good things but weren’t quite able to get the first goal which might have made a big difference on the day.

It was a similar story at the weekend. We came back from Arsenal on Saturday night disappointed with the scoreline but, again, there were lots of things our players did well in the game. We will need to continue to do those things whilst improving the other aspects of our play which can make the biggest difference in games.

As always, we had excellent backing from our supporters at Emirates Stadium and I’d like to thank all of our fans who travelled down to London in miserable weather to get behind us.

Even though we had opportunities in both games, I felt we were not clinical enough in our attacking play and we need to get back to finishing opportunities.

We now face three games in eight days, which is a challenging programme for us. We are not in European competition, so we are more likely to see our Premier League fixtures moved, like next week when we play on Monday and Friday. That’s not ideal for you supporters and for our players but it is something we will need to deal with.

Once again Hill Dickinson Stadium is a sell-out attendance tonight, as it was for the fixture of Wolves in the last round, which underlines how desperate everyone at Everton is to enjoy a good cup run.

Meanwhile, on Sunday evening I was in Manchester to receive an award from the North West Sports Writers. I’d like to thank them for their recognition. I have had lots of contact with them over many years and worked alongside many of them and their support is appreciated.

Finally, I’d like to welcome Matthias Jaissle and his staff to Hill Dickinson Stadium tonight. We’re going to be seeing plenty of each other in the next few days!

After tonight’s fixture we’re in opposition again at St James’ Park on Monday for a Premier League fixture, while we also faced each other in the summer at Murrayfield in a pre-season fixture.

Get right behind the team tonight. We are always thankful for your great support and we know you can make a difference.

Enjoy the game.

David