Everton coach defends under-fire boss Moyes

EVERTON coach Alan Irvine has jumped to the defence of his boss David Moyes as the club face a crucial game away to bottom club Sunderland.

Moyes suffered abuse on radio phone-ins after the Merseyside derby defeat by Liverpool which saw Everton finish with nine men after Phil Neville and Mikel Arteta were sent off.

With those two suspended and serious injury doubts over Simon Davies, Per Kroldrup and Nuno Valente, Moyes is facing up to a crisis which has now started to include fans’ disquiet over his own position.