Striking absences leave managers in a spin

FOOTBALL managers are paid to put a positive spin on events but even so, it was a surprise quite how upbeat Mark Hughes and David Moyes were after a draw that did neither side any favours.

Indeed, all it demonstrated was that both Fulham and Everton will struggle while they deal with the catalogue of injuries that have deprived both sides of their first-choice strikers. In Everton’s case, injuries to Louis Saha and Victor Anichebe are hardly a surprise, given their respective histories, but Fulham have been left short of options without Bobby Zamora and Mousa Dembele.

And despite himself, Hughes revealed his frustrations.