Neville targets higher ground

Everton captain Phil Neville believes finishing above arch-rivals Liverpool is still a realistic target for David Moyes’ side.

The Toffees have had a wildly inconsistent season, but a 2-1 win over Fulham on Saturday leaves them unbeaten in four games and in eighth place on the English Premier League table.

That run leaves them well-positioned to challenge for a Europa League berth and get one over their cross-town rivals in the process.

“The thing with the league this year is that there have been so many times when we’ve thought we can push into the top half and make inroads into the top seven and we’ve always faltered,” Neville said.

“We’ve just got to finish as high as possible. There are eight games left and I don’t think one team from that middle section have put a run together yet.”

“We aim to be above Bolton, Sunderland and Liverpool. If we finish in front of Liverpool and don’t achieve anything, that’s still a failure for me.”

“We need to do the basics. That’s what the manager said after the Birmingham game and we did it against Fulham. On the quiet we’re developing a nice little run.”

Neville said it was important to grind results out and not let points slip away in the remaining eight games, and said his team-mates needed to follow the example of veteran defender Tony Hibbert.

“The teams around us are all scrapping too, and maybe we have to go back to three or four years ago when we had to grind out results,” Neville said.

“This club is ingrained in that kind of spirit and that’s what the manager wants from us now.”

“Tony Hibbert epitomised that. He was dogged as ever (against Fulham) and he’s a great defender. It was a special day for him because this is his 10th year at the club. He is an unsung hero in the dressing room but epitomises everything we’ll need in the next eight games.”

“Tony Hibbert is well respected at this club, I don’t think he realises how highly sometimes.”