Everton vs Wolves preview - Moyes demands improved results

Posted Saturday, November 19, 2011 by PA

Everton manager David Moyes believes now is the time for his side to pick up their form and drag themselves up the table.

The Toffees are on a miserable run of results, having won just once in six league matches since September 24.

During that time they have played Manchester City, Liverpool, Chelsea and Manchester United but 17th place in the Barclays Premier League does not make good reading for Moyes.

The stop-start nature to the first four months of the campaign because of international matches has not helped Everton, but with no more breaks for a while, their manager accepts the time is right to begin the recovery.

"I think the season has been up and down; the breaks can come at the right time if you win before them but it has been tough for us the last two breaks," said the Scot, whose side are perennial slow starters.

"We've had a difficult six-week period and we have to play better.

"We have all the players for the coming period and we have to try to get some consistency and stability into our games.

"We have been in this position before - probably for the last three or four years,

"We are certainly not taking it lightly and saying it will all come good, but if we look back on recent history it tends to pick up."

Saturday`s visitors Wolves are only a point above them in the table and a win against Mick McCarthy's side would lift the Toffees much closer to the top 10.

Moyes has analysed their performances this season and believes a key factor going forward will be keeping clean sheets, having had just one in the league so far.

"We have definitely missed more creativity and goals, albeit I think we have scored one more goal than we had this time last year - which suggests to me we have been conceding more," he said.

"I need to see us starting to keep more clean sheets and become harder to beat, and if we do that it will give us a platform to try to nick a goal here and there.

"It was always going to be a pretty tough time but I wanted to get more points from it than we have done and not being far away is too far.

"If we can get a couple of good results we can get ourselves stabilised.

"But I am realistic to know if you get a bad result it can put you in the wrong place."

Marouane Fellaini returns after serving a one-match suspension, Phil Jagielka will play in spite of a broken toe while Tim Cahill is pushing for a start.

McCarthy hopes his team will benefit from the feelgood factor generated by his trio of Republic of Ireland players having qualified for Euro 2012.

Former Republic boss McCarthy witnessed Kevin Doyle, Stephen Ward and Stephen Hunt helping their country complete a 5-1 aggregate play-off win over Estonia with a 1-1 draw in Dublin on Tuesday evening.

He believes they will all benefit from competing at a major tournament but in the short term wants them to play their part for Wolves in building on the 3-1 win over Wigan almost a fortnight ago - their first victory in nine games.

McCarthy said: "It was a huge, huge day for Doyley, Wardy and Hunty, all the players and the country.

"It was brilliant to see them qualify and it will benefit all of them as players.

"All the top teams are there. There are no mugs there at all, so you've got to perform. It's tournament football as well.

"I think in terms of your development, education and experience, playing in a major tournament is invaluable.

"I know, having been there. I went in 1988 to the European Championships and played against England, Holland and Russia - a real high level of football.

"But they know they've got to come back to work and earn a living in the Premier League and I hope the feelgood factor filters down to Wolves."

McCarthy is expecting a tough encounter at Goodison Park, despite Everton having lost six of their last seven games including a 2-1 reverse at Newcastle last time out.

He said: "I saw the game against Newcastle and, although they went 2-0 down, Everton finished well and had a lot of chances.

"Annually, for the last few years, they've had difficult starts, whether it's been through injury or whatever, but David Moyes keeps them going.

"His track record there is second to none. He has been fabulous. They are a good side."

McCarthy has no new injury worries with only right-back Kevin Foley (ankle) unavailable.