Everton boss David Moyes insists he wants to stay at the club - despite his early season troubles piling up after their Uefa Cup exit.

Standard Liege knocked Everton out in the first round after the 2-1 defeat in Belgium on Wednesday.

Moyes has also admitted a delay in signing his new contract may be affecting his players.

He said: "There's no manager who thinks they have an easy ride. That's part of it. But I want to stay."

But Moyes was non-committal when pressed on when he will sign his new deal, saying: Live text - Premier League ...
Cahill seals dramatic Everton win ...
Everton bid for Moutinho rejected ...
Problems found at ratings firms ... "There might be as timescale, something might happen."

And then when asked to assure supporters he would stay at Everton, Moyes replied: "The supporters have known that for a long time."

Everton lost 2-1 in Liege after drawing 2-2 in the first leg at Goodison Park, and with his side also out of the Carling Cup after losing at Blackburn, Moyes admits he is going through a tough time.

But he said: "Who says when you come into football management that every year you're going to have a good year?

"We have had tough tests - all managers face difficult times, and I have had some. No one has a divine right to win football games. You have to earn the right to do so.

"Managers can get into situations where it can be hard, and I have had it before. That's your job."

Moyes believed German official Peter Sippel should have sent off Liege's Steven Defour after the skipper's angry reaction to a foul called against him during Wednesday's defeat.

After Everton lost 4-3 on aggregate the Scot also claimed a Defour challenge on Yakubu could also have been a red card.

"You can't run up to a referee and do that in his face nowadays. I thought they were stricter in Europe," he said.

After being adjudged to have fouled Louis Saha, Defour was incensed and was seen screaming in the face of Sippel, and almost came into bodily contact with the official.

"I thought he should have been sent off for his reaction and then for him not to be sent off for the professional foul on Yakubu was unbelievable," Moyes added.

"I think the crowd were very good for Standard. They influenced the referee - they did a very good job.

"If he (Defour) had been sent off it would have made a difference because he had the shot that led to their first goal.

"We were playing well against 11, so against 10 we would have had more space. I think it (a dismissal) would have made a big difference to the tie at that time."

(BBC)

<< Back