MOYES

By The Nark End
February 27 2010

MOYES SPEAKS ABOUT LEIGHTON BAINES'S ENGLAND CHANCES AND HOW HE WANTS HIS PLAYERS TO REACT IN THE PREMIER LEAGUE CLASH TOMORROW AT WHITE HART LANE...

David Moyes has backed Leighton Baines to fulfil his World Cup dream in South Africa this summer.

The position of England left-back is just about the most talked-about in the game right now following a serious injury to Ashley Cole and the off-the-field issues surrounding Wayne Bridge, and Baines has been mentioned in several quarters as a possible alternative.

The Blues defender has, of course, been in Fabio Capello’s squad before but he is yet to make his full international debut.

Time is running out with regards to World Cup selection but Moyes insists that his player wouldn’t let anybody down.

“Leighton and Stephen Warnock are the two names being thrown about and I am sure the England manager will take a look at them in the weeks and months leading up to the World Cup,” he said.

“Bainesy keeps improving and getting better. There’s always someone who makes a late run for a World Cup and does very well and I am hoping it’s Bainesy.”

The Liverpool-born defender has put himself in the England frame with a host of excellent performances this season and Moyes was full of praise for his all-round ability.

“He’s a very good attacking full-back,” he said. “He’s quick and he’s hard to get past as a defender. He’s also good on the ball so he’s got varied talents and we’ve been pleased with him.”

Fabio Capello will doubtless be at Wembley on Sunday for the Carling Cup final, where another potential left-back, Warnock, is likely to play but maybe the Italian will take advantage of Everton’s early kick-off in the capital city to run his eye over Baines.

         MOYES WANTS REACTION...

David Moyes is confident his side can sustain their recent fine Premier League form despite falling off the European rails in midweek.

The Toffees have taken the scalps of Manchester City, Chelsea and Manchester United in recent weeks and the manager has every reason to believe that his players will bounce back from the defeat in Lisbon.

“We just need to get back playing the way we have been for the last two or three months,” he said, ahead of Sunday’s White Hart Lane clash with Tottenham Hotspur.

“We’ve done really well and the players have done a great job. I think we’re probably the form team in the Premier League, with Manchester United, and what happened on Thursday doesn’t take away how well the players have done.”

Moyes was speaking to the London press at the team’s capital city base ahead of the game and he was asked whether or not he still has fouth place in the Premier League as an attainable target this season.

His reply was typically forthright and honest.

“I think it’s too far away for us to get to,” he admitted. “The start we had to the season makes it too big a catch-up for us although obviously we’re going to try and get as high up the league as we can.”

One player who is re-available to help achieve that goal is Phil Jagielka who ended a 10-months absence with a second-half substitute role against Sporting on Thursday.

Moyes is understandably delighted to be able to call upon the man who gathered a host of Player of the Year awards last season.

“It’s great to have him back,” said the manager. “He missed the FA Cup final after scoring the winning penalty in the semi-final and we’ve hardly seen him since.

“It’s been a bit longer than we had hoped for and he had to come in having had no games. We had hoped to play him in a reserve game this week which was called off but I needed him in the squad and on the bench.

“His time on the pitch on Thursday will have done him good but whether he’s up to full speed and match fit is debatable.”