On target for 4th, says Pip

, 18 December, 36comments  |  Jump to most recent
Phil Neville says that David Moyes set them a target of challenging for a top-four position in the Premier League by Christmas, and he believes that, after playing Wigan next week, they will have achieved that.

Neville told Sky Sports News: "I think we are doing really well. I think next week, when we play Wigan, is the turn of the year, is the halfway point, and if we can be in fifth or fourth position, that's where we wanted to be at the start of the season.

"That's the goal that the manager set us, be in the top four or be in and around the top four by the time we get to Christmas.

"After Christmas, that's where the league takes shape and we normally come good after Christmas. The second half of the season is where go up a couple of gears and I still think there is more to come from the team."

Quotes or other material sourced from Sports Mole



Reader Comments (36)

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Tony J Williams
1 Posted 18/12/2012 at 14:40:42
Oh just fucken shurrup you tit. "I think we are doing really well", no we haven't. We have dropped too many points from a winning position.

"That's the goal that the manager set us, be in the top four or be in and around the top four by the time we get to Christmas.", I wonder what the posters who think Moyes only wants 40 points will think of this?

Ajay Timothy
2 Posted 18/12/2012 at 15:32:20
Does anyone else think that unlike previous years we may actually fall off and not do as well after Jan 1st?

Just me being a gall half full person cynic after so many years of supporting Everton

Mark Tanton
3 Posted 18/12/2012 at 15:54:58
Neville's comments drip with complacency. We've drawn 8 out of 10 games, we've conceded too many soft goals and we've missed an unacceptable number of good chances up front.

I wonder if Tottenham's Bale or Gallas would make a similar statement if they had just been on the same run of form we have.

And yes Ajay, depending on how the transfer window goes I think our season could very well just be back-to-front, and much worse is yet to come as we hit our usual August, September, October form in January, February and March.

Kevin Elliott
4 Posted 18/12/2012 at 16:13:52
That's fucked it up then..Everytime he opens his mouth to the media,things go wrong.
James Morgan
5 Posted 18/12/2012 at 16:11:32
I think with a couple of decent additions we will be ok. To be honest, I completely forgot about Neville. I can't say we've missed him, and I wish he would be honest and say we've not had a killer instinct and Tim Howard has been shit!
Ajay Timothy
6 Posted 18/12/2012 at 16:21:12
Separate note but I remember reading an article a few years ago when a football player said that players try and get booked or sent off around the holidays so that they will be banned or suspended at this time of year.

Any one else think that with the numbers of times Fellaini fouled Shawcross that that was his intention?

Nahh - Too many conspiracy theories going around giving me a headache.

Sam Hoare
7 Posted 18/12/2012 at 16:50:33
Loves a good chat with the media doesn't he? Certainly nice to be still contemplating champions league at xmas unlike the last two seasons.
Ian Allaker
8 Posted 18/12/2012 at 17:06:36
Sam he's the club captain, so that also means hes the club spokesman. I prefer the positive spin rather than slagging off the team and saying we've got no chance.
Ray Roche
9 Posted 18/12/2012 at 17:26:45
Take your mind off Pip..

http://www.sbnation.com/2012/12/18/3778652/the-fall-of-the-house-everton-marouane-fellain-2012-epl

Andy Corrie
10 Posted 18/12/2012 at 17:32:11
All we can do is dust ourselves down and give our all against the Hammers with the squad we've got left available; I'd suggest starting Vellios in the next match in place of Fellaini.
Patrick Murphy
11 Posted 18/12/2012 at 17:56:33
I read the article Ray and couldn't take it seriously when I read this little gem:-

"The Everton Football Club is a famous and historically significant part of English football, whether you'd like to admit it or not. They may not have the multitude of titles or European successes that other clubs have had, but they are still a legitimate part of the footballing lexicon"

This article makes us sound like we have always made up the numbers when in fact for most of our history we have been leading lights.


The fourth most sucessful English side but you wouldn't think so reading this.


.

Ajay Timothy
12 Posted 18/12/2012 at 18:20:40
Patrick - Just my guess but I am pretty sure that you weren't supposed to take it seriously
Brent Stephens
13 Posted 18/12/2012 at 18:23:01
Ajay - I don't think Patrick took any of it seriously.
Patrick Murphy
14 Posted 18/12/2012 at 18:53:03
You're right Brent I didn't take it seriously, however it wasn't written by someone who could be deemed a Blue it seemed more likely to come from a Mancunian or a RS.

Jamie Barlow
15 Posted 18/12/2012 at 19:02:37
Patrick, the bloke who wrote it says he's a fan of Everton, Houston Dynamos, Barcelona and Napoli.
Clarence Yurcan
16 Posted 18/12/2012 at 19:31:04
Well Patrick, to be fair, Everton haven't had the many European successes of some other clubs. Of course domestically, we are eclipsed only by a few.
Patrick Murphy
17 Posted 18/12/2012 at 20:08:42
Fair enough Jamie if that's what he claims then I won't argue with him. It's not all bad for him if he can choose between those clubs for solace when we mess up.

If we're judging on European success alone then you're right we haven't a great deal to shout about, but twice European Champions Nottingham Forest were never a big club and probably will never be a big club.


Jim Knightley
18 Posted 18/12/2012 at 20:20:05
I can't believe how pessimistic some of these posts are...we are definitely in a race for top four, which I'm sure everyone would have taken at the start of the season, but now it's not good enough? and now we are going to play worse after January? where does this theory spring from exactly? Yes we've been on a bad run of draws...but we've also only lost two matches the entire season, which only Manchester City have bettered. We've also been incredibly unlucky in several matches, and do not have the European commitments of other realistic top four challengers.

Maybe the wheels will come off....but why be so negative? why complain because our club captain is trying to be positive about our achievements this season? This post contradicts the pessimistic Moyes narrative, and illustrates that high aims are set for this group of players. Last time I checked, we were two points off third/fourth, with West Ham away and Wigan at home next...I personally am pretty chuffed with what we've managed, especially given that we've lost Gibson for a chunk of the season, Mirallas on several occasions, and Pienaar and Jelavic have not yet hit form.

Phil Sammon
19 Posted 18/12/2012 at 22:09:59
Finally a bit of sense. Well said Jim
Dennis Stevens
20 Posted 18/12/2012 at 23:08:11
I can only assume, Jim, that people think back a few years to when we did finish fourth under Moyes & a great first half of the season was followed by a relatively poor second half. Thankfully, we couldn't seem to give fourth place away!
John Dubay
21 Posted 19/12/2012 at 14:38:21
How can 2 wins in 11 be "doing very well"? Crap finishing, goalkeeping and refereeing is the reason we are not 3rd or even 2nd. We only have ourselves to blame and should not accept that where we are will do.
Tony J Williams
22 Posted 20/12/2012 at 12:06:41
Because we have played more than 11 games this season John and we are 2 points from third place. In the grand scheme of things, I would have expected us to be a lot further down the table with the amount of draws we have had.
Steven Scaffardi
23 Posted 20/12/2012 at 12:49:10
Well said Jim! It is funny how everyone remembers the games we should have won/dropped points but ignore the games this season where we haven't played well and still managed to get points. They all balance out over the course of a season, and there is no reason why we can't kick on after Xmas and keep up the good form.

People moan when we don't start well, and now we finally have had a good start, that isn't good enough either! Just no pleasing some people...!

Ciarán McGlone
24 Posted 20/12/2012 at 12:58:18
Contrary to the theme of the week, I agree with Mr Knightley.

I'm really enjoying the football at the moment, despite the unwanted number of draws.

I'm also looking forward to seeing how Moyes copes with the loss of Fellaini. I'll probably be moaning about Naismith come Saturday. But our football is certainly something to be happy about, whether we get top four or not.

However, I would take issue with Mr Moyes's target... surely the target for Christmas should be top, realistic or not... no?

Jimmy Sørheim
25 Posted 20/12/2012 at 12:53:39
The good form was at the very beginning, not like right now where we have drawn almost 10 games which tells a true story. Moyes should change his tactics, Fellaini is out and we need more goals.

Get Vellios and Barkley in the team as well and soon we will win again, but Moyes will never do that. He is too scared to try out our youngsters. He is pissing his pants to even let them on as subs!

It makes me disgusted, I want to see young Everton players, not old shit like Neville and Hitzlsperger.
Mike Rourke
26 Posted 20/12/2012 at 13:10:25
1st place is officially 'in the top 4', as are the positions 2nd, 3rd and indeed 4th (but only if we are being pessimistic).
Ciarán McGlone
27 Posted 20/12/2012 at 14:15:27
Yes, 1st is part of the top four.

But if you set a target of the 'top four', then effectively your target is 4th..

The whole targets thing is precatory, and abstract..

It's like the Genie coming out of the lamp, granting you a wish and you wishing for a fiver.

Nick Entwistle
28 Posted 20/12/2012 at 14:26:29
What if the genie only had authority to give a fiver?
Steve King
29 Posted 20/12/2012 at 14:40:09
Yeah but what if you knew you could invest that fiver wisely and earn loads of other fivers off the back of it? Therefore having the satisfaction of achieving something your self instead of being handed it on a plate by a genie from Abu Dhabi?

Gavin Ramejkis
30 Posted 20/12/2012 at 14:43:44
I'd prefer a genie from Abu Dhabi over a pillock from Corrie
Steve King
31 Posted 20/12/2012 at 14:50:37
haha fair enough!
Ciarán McGlone
32 Posted 20/12/2012 at 15:07:07
"What if the genie only had authority to give a fiver?"
---------------------------------

Then he'd be sacked.

Nick Entwistle
33 Posted 20/12/2012 at 15:29:30
What then if the genie's lamp was also his pot to piss in?
Ciarán McGlone
34 Posted 20/12/2012 at 15:34:21
Nick,

I think you're confused and mixing your metephors here...

We're talking about Moyes imagination. Not Bills pockets.

Dave Lynch
35 Posted 20/12/2012 at 15:37:40
Then he could wish for Osman to be good fucking finisher !!!
Mike Rourke
36 Posted 20/12/2012 at 15:53:05
What if the genie came out of the lamp and said "You can have anything you wish for...as long as it involves Phil Neville! Mwahahahaaaa"

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