Toffees still on target for Champions League: Weir

DAVID WEIR believes talk of Everton’s demise will only spur them on to maintain a Champions League challenge.

The 2-0 defeat at Charlton on Tuesday was their first since losing to Chelsea on November 6. It did, though, result in Everton being overtaken by Manchester United on goal difference, and allowed Middlesbrough to close the gap to five points.

Boss David Moyes preferred to concentrate on the positives last night, with the club going into 2005 in much better shape than anyone outside Goodison Park would have predicted.