NIGEL MARTYN: Why Everton FC need Spurs and not Manchester City to win the race for the Champions League
I KNOW there is still plenty to play for this season but I'm already excited about what Everton could achieve in the 2010/11 campaign.
If we can keep this squad together and keep that great spirit the manager has nurtured then the Blues will be a real threat.
If we hadn't had such bad luck with injuries and that unsettling saga over Joleon Lescott then I'm convinced we would have been right in the mix for fourth place with Manchester City and Tottenham.
Whether we can compete for Champions League qualification next season probably depends on what Manchester City do in the summer.
They might splash out ã200million on players and then we would find it very tough to compete with them.
That's why I think it's in our interests if Spurs win the race for fourth place.
City might have almost unlimited funds but to attract world class players they need to be able to offer Champions League football.
Of course money talks but Man City's failure to sign Kaka proved that it's not everything.
These guys are already made for life financially so someone getting ã100,000 a week might rather stay at Real Madrid than get double that at City.
If Spurs get fourth and deny Roberto Mancini's side then it will probably stop City landing a couple of their transfer targets.
The fact that with three games to go Everton are still in the hunt for European qualification underlines how well we're done in recent months.
We're eight games unbeaten on the back of that great win at Blackburn and we've only lost two of our last 21 league games which is an incredible stat.
Our performance at Ewood Park fully merited three points. In the first 20 minutes we looked like world beaters. We played some really good stuff - the passing and movement was spot on.
We controlled the game but credit to Blackburn because they kept battling and twice got back level with fantastic long range strikes.
But the fact we responded to win it at the death highlighted our never say die spirit. You could see the drive and determination of the players - they want that European place so much and won't give up the fight.
All we can do is win our remaining three games and hope that's enough to force our way into the top seven.
Yakubu staked a claim in perfect fashion
EVERY manager hopes their substitutions make a difference but even David Moyes must have been surprised by the impact Yakubu made at Ewood Park.
The striker took just 22 seconds to find the net with his first touch and then set up the winner for Tim Cahill.
I'm sure the boss will put that down to managerial brilliance!
In fairness Yakubu is a great player to have up your sleeve. The fact that we have someone of his quality to come on highlights the strength of the squad we have now.
Yakubu will want to start but he needs to force his way back in with more performances like that.
Having been out for so long, it's been a tough season for him. He really needs a full pre-season and then we'll see the best of him next season.
Let's hope he looks after himself in the summer and comes back hungry for success.
Tim Cahill's goals so vital for Everton
TIM CAHILL has delivered the goods so many times over the years and he was our hero again at Blackburn on Saturday.
The Aussie gets the majority of his goals with his head but I know from experience that he's a quality finisher with his feet as well.
He's been so vital for the club over the past five years. Other teams know all about his threat but can't do anything to stop him as he gets himself in such great areas.
It's hard to believe he only cost ã1.5million and he's paid back that fee at least 10 times over.
Let's hope Cahill can maintain his scoring spree at home to Fulham this Sunday.
Roy Hodgson's men have had a great season but their priority at the moment is the Europa League.
They have a tough game away to Hamburg in the semi-finals on Thursday night.
Fatigue will come into it and I'm sure Hodgson will make changes with one eye on the second leg against the Germans the following Thursday.
That bodes well for us and it's a great chance for us to keep our European hopes alive.
I'll be at Goodison and I can't wait to catch up with all the lads.
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The thing is though, City will be spending big in the summer anyway even if they only get Europa League.
If Spurs get 4th that means they will also spend huge sums. Then we will have two very good teams to compete with instead of just the one if City get it.
During the season Man City have had injuries and absences, most of them long,to Richards,Onuoha,Lescott, Kompany, Bridge, SWP, Ireland, Petrov, Bellamy, Petrov, Tevez and Adebayor. How does this compare with Everton. Spurs too have had huge injury lists. Both their Centre Halfs, Corluka, Lennon has been out for weeks.As for Lescott, the long drawn out problem was Moyes' fault. He has been aroundlong enough to know that when a good player wants to move he will go.The Lescott problem was Moyes greed and obstinacy.
If Man city qualify, they will be making more audatious moves for the world's top players.
If they don't qualify, they will be more likely to be taking Everton players.
I, too, was astounded at Moyes' acting all agrieved at Manchester City when they wanted lescott. you would think that Moyes had never bought a player himself.
It was during the Mark hughes era, when city wanted every monstrously-scarred player. They got tevez and Lescott, but failed to get Ribery.
The other players must have looked at the way Moyes was throwing his toys out of the pram and thought "blimey".
Lescott has missed half the season at City, and was struggling to fit in last year TBH.
This City side have only been playing together for one season, so are a long way off the mark, and this Manager will probably be out if we don't reach fourth spot.
Whether or not he is around in the summer the owners will be spending, on who depends on who is in charge, whether it's Champs league or Europa won't matter, any Manager will want his own players
I can't see us (City) doing much for another two seasons, and Everton are stronger side with less money, though how long Moyes can sustain that I don't know.
yep
moyes should give his players away on the cheap becouse city say so
How arrogant do you sound.Like some new glory hunting fans methinks
these city fans wanna get back on their own site scumbags
whats wrong with moyes wanting to keep his best players also city didnt play in euro this season just the lge all is not rosey at city.
city are greedy wannabes i hope the arabs ave enough when u win nowt a leave u right in the poo anouther leeds. ur team is no better than everton infact weaker. swp lesscot reject done great since he left us haha easy money bellamong shay given u get beat 4-0 he gets man of the match anyway we saw who the better side was this season home and away 2-0 0-2 nuff said mancs.
Now we know who the sensbile one is here. Great post!
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