Man Utd A money-making global machine which will never stop. However, at some point Alex Ferguson will and Ronaldo will play in Spain. United’s next manager will still have the undoubted superstar that is Wayne Rooney but the pressure of following Alex Ferguson will be a massive challenge. They will remain in the top four but trophies will become more difficult to collect in the future.

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Liverpool now have a three point cushion over their Merseyside neighbours with goal difference also being in their favour but there will be no complacency shown from Rafa Benitez, especially as they are entering a difficult period of matches and in the remaining eight matches they are still to play five away games in comparison to Everton’s three.

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Rewind back to Sunday 10th March 2002. It’s a 1:00pm kick off at the Riverside Stadium for a FA Cup Sixth Round game, live on Sky Sports 1, between Middlesbrough and Everton.

Middlesbrough run out comfortable 3-0 winners with a seven-minute onslaught which destroys any Evertonians hopes that anything can be salvaged from a ghastly season. It turns out to be Walter Smith’s final game in charge of the Blues, as Bill Kenwright against all odds tries to locate a manager to save the club from the all too regular relegation fodder which they find themselves in.

The team that day for the blues is as follows:

Simonsen;
Pistone, Stubbs, Weir, Clarke, Unsworth;
Gascoigne, Gemmill, Linderoth;
Radzinski, Moore

Players not in the starting XI: Alexandersson, Blomqvist, Chadwick, Ferguson, Campbell, Ginola and Mark Pembridge. The squad is ageing, injury prone, devoid of any quality, dense and oblivious of how to win a football game. Since mid October, 21 games to be precise, the team had won only three league matches, against Southampton, Sunderland and Derby. The club was once again staring down the relegation barrel, hoping for a last minute miracle to save their skins, usually on the final day of the season. Infact, the fans did not have to wait until the final day of the season, instead they had only five days to wait for their prayers to be answered.  

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What is so impressive is, unlike other clubs unexpectedly challenging for fourth spot, Everton have not channelled their resources on the league, but have also excelled in the Cups. In 2004/05, when they finished fourth, even their own fans were shocked. This season, though, they have not benefited from favourable circumstances or players enjoying the season of their lives. People are no longer shocked to see Everton in fourth.

In recent games, Moyes’ side have illustrated the fundamental ability to win tight games in which they have failed to dominate. It is the hallmark of a very good side. Against both Reading and SK Brann, Everton were largely unimpressive, failing to dominate and scrappy for much of the games. Yet, on both occasions they were able to find extra quality to triumph, testament to the side’s footballing ability, physical fitness and the cohesiveness that exists within the club.

The sense of pulling together could easily have been disturbed by Yakubu’s late return from the African Cup of Nations. How a manager reacts to misdemeanours from one of his star players – particularly if he himself has brought him to the club – is a key test of his managerial skills. A fine balance must be struck between dishing out a fair punishment and being pragmatic with a vital commodity to the club. Moyes’ handling of the situation was exemplary. He dealt Yakubu a firm hand – missing one game – but then put his anger to one side and returned him to the starting line-up. It was a textbook example of punishing the offender without punishing the club. The incident was dealt with but not allowed to escalate and engulf the club – which is exactly how it should be.

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But this season one of the intriguing of battles is shaping up as the dominance of the media-styled “Big Four” is once again threatened by a cluster of “second tier” clubs, with Manchester City, Everton and Aston Villa at the head of the queue. Lord only knows what Shankly would make of his old side playing for the final “also-ran” slot in the table.

It shouldn’t be like this of course, Fernando Torres’ arrival was supposed to have been enough to give Liverpool the potency to launch a genuine title challenge, after well over ten years of threatening as much. But turmoil on and off the pitch over the last few months has seen Rafa Benitez’s side slip well behind the top three in the title race, and they now sit slap bang in the middle of a dogfight for that final Champions League qualifying spot, two points behind their Merseyside neighbours Everton (albeit with a game in hand).

Benitez’s side have not won in the Premier League since a late win over Derby on Boxing Day, and have been forced to watch the gap to first widen, and the gap to fifth evaporate. They have the best squad of the European challengers of course, but their home form - just four wins from eleven games - is a worry, and with captain Steven Gerrard admitting that an off-the-field situation that is still a long way from being resolved is affecting the players, and away games at Chelsea, Arsenal and Manchester Utd all to come, it could get worse before it gets better at Anfield.

Now, if Everton’s appearance in the Champions League race is not too much of a surprise - after all, they did manage to usurp their Red rivals for fourth place in 2005 - the sight of Sven-Goran Eriksson’s hastily-assembled Manchester City side and Martin O’Neill’s perennially under-achieving Villa team challenging for a place at Europe’s top table will raise more than a few eyebrows.

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Group A: AZ Alkmaar, Zenit St. Petersburg, Everton, Nürnberg, Larissa

Everton scraped past Ukrainian minnows Metalist Kharkiv to qualify but should make it through a modest group. They face the Russians at home - never a bad thing - but will need to have assured progress before their tough final match at Alkmaar. The Dutch have not started well in the Eredivisie, but Zenit are competing for the Russian title and could cause problems at Goodison Park. Larissa were flattered by beating Blackburn Rovers and Nürnberg are the German Cup runners-up.

Group B: Panathinaikos, Lokomotiv Moscow, Atlético Madrid, Copenhagen, Aberdeen

A message to Aberdeen supporters; enjoy it while it lasts. Like Everton, they avoid a long trip to Russia, but trips to the Greek and Spanish capitals will likely prove fruitless. Two home wins are imperative; their venture to the Vicente Calderón is little more than a day out. Atlético Madrid scraped through the InterToto Cup to qualify for European football for the first time in what seems like an age but have a very strong squad including Forlán, Luis García, Maniche, Simão, Reyes, Maxi Rodríguez and Agüero. Good look Dons. Should be a scrap between the Danes and Panathinaikos for third place.

Group C: Villarreal, AEK Athens, Fiorentina, Mladá Boleslav, Elfsborg

The easiest group to predict on the face of it, but beware the disasters that have befallen Ajax, Real Zaragoza, Blackburn Rovers and Sampdoria already. The Italians have easy home matches against Mladá Boleslav and Elfsborg, but will be up against it at Villarreal and AEK. They are doing well in Serie A and should have enough to get through with the ever-impressive Villarreal and the sturdy Greeks.

Group D: Basel, Hamburg, Rennes, Dinamo Zagreb, Brann

A group that seemingly makes a mockery of UEFA seeding system. Dinamo Zagreb were outstanding in Amsterdam in knocking out Ajax (who had won the first leg in Croatia) and boast an outstanding captain in Luka Modric. Hamburg have a talisman in Rafael van der Vaart but not a lot else so Rennes, going well in the French league, will fancy their chances. Basel have a competent side but are always the bridesmaid.

Group E: Bayer Leverkusen, Sparta Prague, Spartak Moscow, Toulouse, Zürich

Toulouse’s punishment for their pathetic display at Anfield is a place in the toughest group in the tournament. Leverkusen were humiliated in the quarter finals last season, losing 3-0 at home to Osasuna, but Sparta Prague and Spartak Moscow will give little away. Spartak Moscow have the Germans at home which should make them group favourites; they have a squad bursting with internationals and something a bit special in Ukrainian midfielder Maksym Kalynychenko, who took Saudi Arabia apart in the World Cup.

Group F: Bayern Munich, Bolton Wanderers, Sporting Braga, Red Star Belgrade, Aris Thessonaliki

A glamorous draw for Bolton, including a trip to the Allianz Arena in Munich and the Crvena Zvezda stadium in Belgrade, which makes two home wins the key to progressing to the knock-out stages. Bad league form and an unconvincing display against weak opponents in the first round do not bode well, but in Nicolas Anelka they have someone with the ability to do something special. Braga play in a cave and have the best chance of taking something off Bayern, whom they host midway through the group. As for the Germans - Klose, Toni, Ribéry, Hamit Altintop, Podolski, Schweinsteiger - will they take seriously a tournament that they should be embarrassed to be in?

Group G: Anderlecht, Tottenham Hotspur, Getafe, Hapoel Tel Aviv, Aalborg Boldspilklub

Tottenham finish with Anderlecht away, but if they haven’t already qualified by then they barely deserve to progress. Getafe have gone downhill fast and have not yet won in La Liga, a trip to Tel Aviv shouldn’t be as tricky as it sounds as they are only Israel’s fourth best team and AaB at home should be three points wrapped up with a pink ribbon. The Belgians showed little resistance against Liverpool or Chelsea in the Champions League two season ago, but have a good mix of youth and experience, with Belgian internationals Jelle van Damme, Mbo Mpenza, Bart Goor and keeper Silvio Proto among the ranks.

Group H: Bordeaux, Austria Vienna, Galatasaray, Panionios, Helsingborgs

Mmm. Doesn’t exactly whet your appetite for European football, does it? Galatasaray are the glamour name in the group, although Bordeaux are top seeds after last season’s brief flirtation with the Champions League. The Ali Sami Yes stadium in Istanbul is not a pleasant place to visit, with one of the most vocal, partizan home crowds in Europe. As for Austria Vienna, Panionios and Helsingborgs, take your pick. The Autumnal Henrik Larsson is still dangerous, and could help the Sweden bely their status as the lowest ranked team left in the competition.

So, who will end up at the City of Manchester Stadium on Wednesday 14th May? Difficult to say as we don’t know who will drop out of the Champions League - although there could be a big casualty or two with Werder Bremen, Liverpool and Lyon making poor starts. Bayern Munich and Atlético Madrid are the obvious choices. They have true strength in depth but Bayern may not take the tournament that seriously - you can bet they won’t be in it next year - and Atlético Madrid are as erratic and inconsistent as ever. Tottenham Hotspur and Everton have a sporting chance for England, while clubs like Galatasaray, Fiorentina, Villarreal, Spartak Moscow, Bayer Leverkusen and Dinamo Zagreb will fare well if they can turn their home stadia into fortresses.

Liverpool and Arsenal lead the table after victories against Derby and Portsmouth respectively, the Reds hammering Billy Davies’ Rams side 6-0 with Fernando Torres and Xabi Alonso scoring twice apiece as Liverpool indicated for the first time in a long, long time that they will sustain a challenge for the league. Arsenal recorded their most convincing victory of the campaign, 3-1 winners against Portsmouth, and despite the lack of transfer activity and departure of Henry, Arsène Wenger’s side also appear ready to contest for the title. While Liverpool and Arsenal have ten points after four matches, Chelsea stayed on that number following their fifth game and first defeat of the season. They fell to a 2-0 defeat against an impressive Aston Villa side with Zat Knight doing more than he did in eight years at Fulham by scoring the opener and keeping a clean sheet.

Everton also lie on ten points after Joleon Lescott netted in the 90th minute to give David Moyes’ outfit a 2-1 victory at struggling Bolton, who now reside in 19th position. The most exciting game of the weekend came from Craven Cottage as Tottenham threw away a 3-1 lead with 12 minutes remaining to draw against Fulham, Diomansy Kamara netting a brilliant overhead kick in the final minute to ensure the points were shared, although the visitors dominated throughout. Martin Jol’s position as coach has become even more precarious. Manchester United beat Sunderland by a single goal from Louis Saha as they continued to flounder in front of goal, and there were wins for Middlesbrough, Newcastle, Blackburn and West Ham too. Reading, after losing 3-0 at home to the Hammers, lie in the relegation zone and second season syndrome is hitting them hard.

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“I want a very clear win, maybe two or three nothing. I am looking for a good performance. We have to be organized, work hard and be disciplined,” the German tactician said.

He stressed that the new invitee players like Victor Anichebe, Dickson Etuhu, Ike Uche and host of others would be given time to display their prowess, with Vogts continuing the process of finding and building his strongest team.

“Ike played very well against Macedonia but he was unlucky with the final pass. And Richard also played well when he came on in the last 25 minutes. He has also played in the Champions League and maybe I try them in a different position and see,” Vogts added.

Anichebe eager for Nigeria action
Everton striker Victor Anichebe is eager to adorn the colour of his native country following his invitation by coach Berti Vogts for the African Nations Cup qualifiers against Lesotho on September 6.

Anichebe has been called up for both Nigeria and England at youth international level but withdrew from both squads. He had earlier been invited to the senior team ahead the Nations Cup qualifiers against Uganda on March 24 and though he showed up in Uganda, he did not play any role in the match.

Anichebe has progressed through the Everton Academy and made his senior debut as a substitute against Chelsea in the FA Cup in January 2006. He then started three successive home games and scored three times during the remainder of the season. Following on from an impressive pre-season, Anichebe established himself as a regular in the squad for the 2006/07 season. Another new invitee to the team is Sunderland midfielder, Dickson Etuhu. He was first invited to the set-up in 2002, but failed to earn first team start.

I will give Everton my best - Yakubu
New Everton striker Yakubu Aiyegbeni has said he will give his best to the team in order to achieve great things with the club, “Being Everton’s centre-forward is a great pressure, but all my life I have lived under pressure. I am used to it and hope I will be able to give them my best,” Yakubu said.

The Nigeria international, who was granted a new work permit on Wednesday, added, “I do not expect to play every game, which is up to the manager. There are good quality strikers here so I know I will have to fight for my place.

“My job is to score; I want to score more than 20 this season. I will work and believe in myself. We have quality here, there is no reason Everton cannot do well. Even while I was at Portsmouth and Middlesbrough, I could see what was happening at Everton and I was impressed.”

He said he has been impressed by Everton and from what he has gathered from compatriot Joseph Yobo, he believes Everton is a club heading in the right direction, “I have always been impressed by them, from when I have played against them and from talking to my countryman Joseph Yobo, he has told me a lot about the team and the club and how they are aiming to move forward. They are in Europe, they want to do well in every competition and being in this atmosphere is my dream,” he added.

Yakubu has been penciled down to debut against Bolton on Saturday and he will be wearing the number 22 on the back of his shirt.

West Ham continued their slow start to the new season with a tame 1-1 draw with third-placed Wigan, as Chris Hutchings continues to prove his critics wrong. Bolton also got off the mark by hammering Reading, and there were wins for Aston Villa and Birmingham while a draw was played out at Goodison Park between Everton and Blackburn as Roque Santa Cruz continued to impress for the visitors. Sam Allardyce says he wants to bring in new faces before the transfer window closes on Friday after watching another draw for his Newcastle side. A visit to the Riverside saw them lead twice only to allow Middlesbrough to level almost immediately on both occasions.

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Yakubu’s career at Middlesbrough came to an end after the striker demonstrated a lack of endeavour in the 1-0 defeat at Wigan on the 15th August. Some of the club’s senior players were not comfortable with him remaining at the club because of his detrimental attitude, and his position there soon became untenable.

Yakubu failed to score in his last 14 starts for the Teessiders and looked uninterested well before the end of last season. Before the rot set in he had an impressive run of 17 games in which he scored 12 goals. Overall, he made 88 starts (plus 16 sub appearances) and scored 35 goals.

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