Steve Round's faith in a top six Everton finish
STEVE ROUND believes Everton are well equipped to cement their place in the Premier League's top six and he will be even more confident once new faces are added.
The Blues' assistant manager was satisfied with his side's performance as they finished their pre-season campaign with a 1-1 draw against PSV Eindhoven.
Mikel Arteta's late penalty put the gloss on his own display and Round is confident that once players are found to complement the Spaniard, Everton will move up a few gears.
"I'm sure with a couple of additions that we'll be back up there," said Round. "The players that we have got - with the energy and the quality that we have - coupled with the emergence of the youngsters will stand us in good stead.
"Mikel finished the game really strongly and was the defining player in the last 20 minutes. If something was going to happen, it was going to be because of him. He has such creativity and imagination, we need him on song to make a difference."
Aside from Arteta, other plusses arrived in the form of Jack Rodwell and Dan Gosling, while 16-year-olds Jose Baxter and James Wallace came on as substitutes, and Round has been taken by the way the young players in the squad have developed.
"They are starting to knock on the door," he said. "That has been the most pleasing thing in the last four weeks. I can't be surprised with them because I wasn't here last year, so I don't know what to compare them to.
"But what I can say is that I have been pleased with how they have progressed since we came back to training. I think it is very important young players get an opportunity. The manager was brave enough to give one or two the opportunity to play against PSV.
"That sends a great message out to the people at the Academy. There are a couple of lads who are younger than this lot who are exceptional as well and there is a way forward and a motivation for them to play in Everton's first team."
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Top six your having a laugh mate! The is NO ambition on the Everton board.We are in europe with a squad that might and thats a might finish sixth from the bottom if were lucky.
How on earth can we have aspirations of a top 6 finish this season? The fact that we havent signed anyone brings me to write off this season already and start building for the next (2009/10). I have just been on the official Everton website and found that we have a start of season midfield consisting of just 3 fit senior players, with Cahill making up a 4th two weeks into the season. Follow this up with one senior striker in Yakubu. This is our sorry state right now. Im pretty furious that players were allowed to leave before we signed anybody. We should have long since bought and already be on the road to gelling a new team. How poor is that?.,