Everton’s spirit is best in the league, says Moyes

EVERTON would be champions of England and Europe if teams were judged on spirit alone, according to Blues boss David Moyes.

The Scot has been delighted with the form his injury-ravaged squad have maintained in recent months, and they take a record of just one league defeat in 11 to Blackburn tonight.

Moyes refuses to give up on qualifying for the Champions League, although their current sixth spot will ensure their participation in the Europa League, next season’s rebranded UEFA Cup.

He will be without full-back Tony Hibbert for a month with a thigh injury to add to the loss of half his first-choice side over recent months.

But Everton have not been outside the top six since Christmas, and Moyes said: “The players have been terrific. We have got through a difficult few weeks with problems over injuries and maintained our position in the table.

“I still believe fourth place is up for grabs, it will be hard to catch Aston Villa with them eight points ahead of us, but it is not something we will give up on.

“We are sixth at the moment, and that means a European spot. But I am looking much higher than that. If we can maintain our form of the last three months, we will not be far short of fourth or fifth.”

Mikel Arteta had an operation on his cruciate knee injury yesterday while Victor Anichebe will also visit a surgeon later this week for a further examination on his knee injury. Moyes said: “Mikel could well now miss the beginning of next season, I do not expect to have him for the first month.”

Arteta and Anichebe have been added to the long-term injury list of Ayegbeni Yakubu, James Vaughan and Nuno Valente.

Moyes believes his team have been drawn together by adversity. He says: “The players deserve the credit. If it was team spirit it was based on, Everton would be top of the league and probably European champions too.”

Moyes will have teenager Jack Rodwell back after a thigh injury, but may rest a couple of his senior men with Sunday’s FA Cup quarter-final against Middlesbrough in mind.

Meanwhile Sam Allardyce believes his Blackburn players are “too nice too each other” and wants them to toughen up.

Allardyce has called on his squad to point out each other’s mistakes to boost the squad’s togetherness as they seek Premier League survival.

He said: “We have a good team spirit. If I had a slight criticism, they are probably too nice to each other.

“I think sometimes team spirit is about sorting it out between yourselves and that means digging each other out, and not ignoring it if your team-mate does something wrong. You’ve got to tell him. Encouragement is very good when you have done the right thing but pointing it out when a team-mate has does the wrong thing, especially on the field, is very, very important.”