Moyes welcomes Yobo return

Joseph Yobo is back at Everton and almost certain to make a welcome return for David Moyes’ men in tomorrow’s crucial trip to Southampton.

While the pacey defender was in Tunisia enhancing his growing reputation and taking Nigeria to third spot in the African Nations Cup, the Goodison Park club failed to win a match in eight attempts.

Everton, with only one away win in 14 matches in all competitions this term, need a change of fortune and quickly.

And, with fellow defender Alan Stubbs doubtful with a groin problem and David Weir still out with an ankle injury, Yobo’s return to the UK could not have come quick enough.

Moyes said: “I believe he did really well in the African Nations Cup, and it is good to have him back. We have missed him.”

The 23-year-old Nigerian admits the club faces a relegation battle, a sharp contrast to last term when his arrival prompted a charge for Europe which only failed on the last day.

Yobo said: “I have never been in this situation before, struggling and down the bottom of the league.

"I am happy to be back again and I am ready to start playing.

“When you are sitting towards the bottom of the table it is a battle and everyone has got to fight for one another. Sometimes you just want to play scrappy games to get the points.

“It does not always work like that but everyone realises the situation that we are in. We just want to play however we can to get the points because that is the most important thing for us now.

“Maybe our luck is about to change, I felt in the past couple of months we played well but did not get any rewards. But we have stopped saying that now because the last performance was really poor and we did not deserve anything at Birmingham.”

With strikers Duncan Ferguson and Franny Jeffers also both doubtful with groin problems, Moyes knows Everton will be up against it at St Mary’s.

He said: “The only way you get our confidence back is to work hard and play. Results will then improve for us.

“I do not think it was there before I arrived at the club, it was in our play last season so we have to work at trying to regain it. That is my job, but it is the players’ job too.

“I said that after Christmas it was going to be the toughest run of games I would have as manager here, and that is how it worked out.

“But we are now facing a period of matches when we play teams in the bottom half of the table like ourselves and we feel we are as good as any of them. We have to show we can now get those results.”

In a week that has seen Everton lose Li Tie for the season with a broken leg, Moyes has been happy to see keeper Richard Wright back in full training.

And the manager has confirmed that Wright will be contesting the number one spot with Nigel Martyn from now on.

And that has prompted Steve Simonsen to reject a one-year extension to his contract that ends in the summer, because he does not want to be third choice.

Moyes said: “Richard Wright believes the knee has been sorted out once and for all. Hopefully, he will now be ready for the competition we have. We are fortunate to have some good goalkeepers here and plenty of competition.

“Richard will fight it out now with Nigel Martyn for the jersey. We also have Steve Simonsen and I have said to him that I can sort him out a one-year contract after his current deal ends in the summer.

“But I think he would rather ply his trade elsewhere, and I have no problem with that at all.”