Everton boss David Moyes accepts his pre-season aspirations of pushing the likes of Manchester City at the top end of the league are now impossible.
Everton boss David Moyes accepts his pre-season aspirations of pushing the likes of Manchester City at the top end of the league are now impossible.
Yet as the Toffees prepare to travel to the City of Manchester Stadium tomorrow night, the Scot has lost none of the conviction that his team are as good as Roberto Mancini's expensively-assembled, title-chasing side.
Everton are labouring in the bottom half of the Barclays Premier League after seven games without a win but the Merseysiders have proved their quality in the past and Moyes expects them to again.
Moyes said: "I think City are a stronger side, they have had a year more of development.
"They have spent again to get themselves up there and they look as if they are a bit more established. They are a good side with good players and they have got themselves in a healthy position.
"You won't know until the end but I would still put them as outsiders to win the Premier League. I hoped we would have been in a similar position but our start and the way we are at the moment makes that look very impossible.
"But we are a good team as well - that gives us a chance of going there and showing what we can do.
Another factor in the Merseysiders' favour could be City's continuing wrangle with wantaway star player Carlos Tevez, who has requested a transfer citing a breakdown in his relationship with certain people at the club but City have so far refused to give ground. Tevez remains one of the Premier League's top goalscorers with 10 but Moyes says he is happy to take on City whether he plays or not.
"He played last year," he said, reflecting on Everton's 2-0 win at Eastlands in March.
"If he does, fine; if he doesn't, it's not our business."
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