Recently by Nigel Martyn

EVERTON finished the season on a high and there is good reason to be optimistic about the future at Goodison.

It's difficult when you've got nothing to play for and it was never going to be a classic against Portsmouth, but Diniyar Bilyaletdinov's stunning late strike sent everyone home happy.

It's been a fantastic second half of the season and it's exciting what the club could achieve in 2010/11.

THERE'S no doubt missing out on the Europa League is a big disappointment but Everton's players can hold their heads high this season.

We all love big European nights and competing against teams from the continent is where the Blues want to be.

But now David Moyes and his players just have to concentrate on ensuring we're only out of Europe for a year.

I HAVE to disagree with the fans who say Everton need to sign another striker in the summer. Even though there are times they could have been more clinical in front of goal this season, I don't think bringing in another centre forward is the answer.

In Louis Saha and Yakubu the Blues have two quality forwards, and you can see from this campaign that it's rare they start a game as a partnership.

Then you recall they have the goals of Tim Cahill, and two youngsters in Victor Anichebe and James Vaughan who have already proved they can find the back of the net when called upon.

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.

I couldn't help but feel disappointed after the West Ham game. Beforehand you'd say it was a match we should have won.

Credit to West Ham though. They came and gave it a really good go in the second half.

But in the opening 45 minutes I thought Everton were in control without pulling up any trees. After that it was disappointing how we twice surrendered the lead.

IT'S BEEN an awful long time since Kevin Davies ran from the halfway line to score a wonder-goal at Goodison Park - so long ago it was even before I arrived at Everton! And I don't think we're going to be seeing too many goals like that again from Kevin.

But he will be back at Goodison Park again on Saturday with talk of an England call-up ringing in his ears.

I'm not sure about that, but there will be a player in an Everton shirt on Saturday, not dissimilar in style to Kevin, who should be on the plane to South Africa this summer.

IT'S been 11 years since Everton last won at Anfield but the Blues should head across Stanley Park this weekend believing they can finally end that barren run.

The last time the sides met at Goodison in November we were in the middle of an injury crisis. We were struggling for form and confidence, and despite having plenty of pressure we weren't able to make it count.

In the end Liverpool were comfortable 2-0 winners but I believe we're now a very different proposition.

IT was clear David Moyes had his players fired up to take on Manchester City on Saturday. The way City conducted their pursuit of Joleon Lescott back in the summer still rankles at Goodison.

It certainly gave the game extra spice and there's no doubt what happened gave our players some added motivation.

I know the manager slammed City in his programme notes, but the players had a go back at the big-spenders in the best possible way by taking the three points with our best performance of the season.

The players went out there and delivered for the manager.

THE lads will be really buoyed by both their result and the performance at the Emirates on Saturday. Their satisfaction, though, will be tinged with disappointment at having been so close to getting a memorable victory only to concede two goals from deflections.

They were deflections that on another day could have went over the bar or wide, but in the end a win wasn't meant to be.

Of course James Vaughan had a lovely chance to put the result beyond doubt by making it 3-1. But if he had scored it would probably have been controversial because Denilson was on the floor injured when Tim Cahill played James in.

I'M absolutely delighted to see James Vaughan back in action for Everton and doing what he does best - scoring goals. The striker has had a nightmare few years with one setback swiftly followed by another.

But Saturday's strike against Carlisle was his second in as many games and it's great to see him with a smile on his face again.

When I was at Everton, James and I had a spell on the sidelines together.