Everton FC will have to break 60-point barrier says Moyes

The Blues currently have 51 points, and sit four points adrift of the top four, with their credentials to break into that elite group facing a stern test against Spurs at White Hart Lane on Sunday.

After that five of their remaining matches are away with Moyes’s men also visiting near rivals Arsenal and Chelsea along with neighbours Liverpool.

And the chances are Everton will have to improve on their best finish under the Scot of 65 points when finishing fifth in 2008, to at least secure fifth place and Europa League qualification this time around

Everton will have to do without their traditional short break that has previously re-energised their batteries for the run-in.

“In recent seasons I would have looked to have taken the team away to have a few days training in the sunshine, but the way the fixtures have worked I have not found it possible this year,” added Moyes.

“At this time of the season we try to keep the training short and sharp as much as we can. It’s a pattern we’ve followed in previous years and it has tended to work for us.”

Moyes, meanwhile, has revealed Everton are considering becoming the latest team to join the NextGen Series, a Champions League-style competition for under-19 teams across Europe.

The Goodison outfit had to turn down an invitation to join the inaugural competition last year, which was won by Inter Milan with Aston Villa defeating Chelsea in this season’s final in Como on Monday.

And Moyes said: “Both (head of Academy) Alan Irvine and I are very keen to keep developing our Academy and we are considering joining the NextGen Series, which we were invited into when it first started.

“We didn’t feel we had the numbers to be able to cope with more games but it’s something that I would be keen for us to get involved with in the future.

“The experience of European games would be helpful in the development of the young players.”

Source: Echo