Saturday, 19 April 2014

Moyes wants respect from Everton fans

Moyes wants respect from Everton fans

Moyes wants respect from Everton fans

Posted: 18 Apr 2014 09:16 PM PDT

Moyes, who left the Merseyside club at the end of last season, was booed by the supporters who once adored him when the teams met in December. The 50-year-old Scot played down the significance of his return to Everton on Sunday, but feels he deserves more respect from his former clubs fans. They had their own reasons for it (in December), Moyes said. There were a few problems with us trying to sign a couple of their players, but overall I was just doing my job for Manchester United. We sourced a big majority of the players at Everton and put them towards the team. I think we did everything in our power at Everton to make sure we got the best team we could. This game isnt about me. Its about two teams, both of whom are still in need of winning the game. The focus of attention shouldnt be on me, it should be on the players, but I go there and I understand the Everton supporters have to get right behind their team. Moyes bought midfielder Marouane Fellaini from Everton to Old Trafford and has also targeted left-back Leighton Baines. Maybe people dont believe how it (signing with United) happened, but it happened two weeks before the end of the season and youd have to say it couldnt have been done much better, he said. I think there was also animosity because of the players. Wed like to have bought a couple of them here. But lots of United players go to Everton - so there is a reverse. Hopefully in time everyone will look at it and say it was a really good period in Evertons history.

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Moyes outlines transfer plans

Posted: 18 Apr 2014 07:46 AM PDT

The Manchester United boss has been linked with moves for several players as he plots to turn around the Premier League champions fortunes following a disappointing first campaign at the helm. Moyes has targets in mind and is determined to conclude deals as soon as possible, but the Scot knows the may be easier said than done due to the showpiece in Brazil. Ive got to say Im well into my planning with my thoughts and ideas getting ready for next year, he said. Were linked with player after player and every time I go to a game, Im supposed to signing three or four players from that game. That isnt the case, but everyone is well aware we are looking to make signings and will try to do that whenever the opportunity arises. It will probably be after the end of the season before anything takes place, but we have got to look to do one or two things. Its difficult as players are going to be going away for the World Cup so its maybe not quite as easy as ideally all clubs would like to get the work done early. We cannot guarantee it, but will try to make that happen. Moyes also confirmed that Wayne Rooney and Marouane Fellaini are both fit to face their former club Everton on Sunday, when Moyes returns to Goodison Park for the first time since taking over at Old Trafford. Rooney has recovered from a toe injury that made him a doubt for the UEFA Champions League defeat at Bayern Munich last week, while former Everton midfielder Fellaini is fully fit after recovering from a calf problem that kept him out of the clash atthe Allianz Arena. Right-back Rafael da Silva will not feature due to a thigh injury and former Everton boss Moyes revealed that Netherlands striker Robin van Persie is in his homeland receiving treatment on his knee problem.

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Premier League Preview: Everton v Manchester United

Posted: 18 Apr 2014 06:29 AM PDT

Moyes spent 11 years as Everton boss between 2002 and 2013, in which time he led the club to the UEFA Champions League qualifying rounds and an FA Cup final appearance, and returns to Goodison Park for the first time on Sunday. But with Everton aiming to qualify for Europes premier club competition for the first time since 2005, Martinez is calling on his side to concentrate on the job in hand. David Moyes had an incredible past with our football club and thats always going to be in everyones mind, but I think that the game is so important, he said. The three points are very significant for both clubs. Once the whistle goes, that is going to be the main focus. Moyes has endured a frustrating first campaign as Alex Fergusons successor at Old Trafford, with United on course for their worst Premier League placing, having previously never finished outside the top three. Juan Mata arrived from Chelsea in January in a bid to revive the clubs flagging fortunes, and the Spaniard has backed his new manager to turn things around next term. I have no doubt about it, he is quoted as saying in The Daily Mirror . When I joined, in all my conversations with the board and the manager about next season, they were confident about getting the right players. Im sure this club is going to come back and fight for every trophy. Since I was a kid, Manchester United was fighting for everything, and this moment is going to come back for sure. United come into the game in seventh, nine points behind their fifth-placed opponents, with Everton fans enjoying a fine season under Martinez. Everton have enjoyed a resurgence under Martinez that has seen them pick up impressive home wins over Chelsea and Arsenal, while a 1-0 triumph at Old Trafford earlier in the season highlighted the advances they have made with the Spaniard. Wednesdays surprise 3-2 home defeat to Crystal Palace left them one point behind Arsene Wengers men with four games to go, and they will continue to be without Steven Pienaar (knee) on Sunday, while Phil Jagielka (hamstring) could be fit enough for a place on the bench. Robin van Persie will once again be missing for United due to a knee injury, but former Everton pair Wayne Rooney (toe) and Marouane Fellaini (knock) are expected to feature.

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I want a hostile Goodison for Moyes return - Martinez

Posted: 18 Apr 2014 01:41 AM PDT

The Merseyside clubs top-four bid suffered a big blow on Wednesday as Everton slumped to a 3-2 home defeat to Crystal Palace, ending a seven-match winning streak. Defeat ensured Arsenal remained fourth and leaves Martinezs men with a crucial fixture against the Premier League champions on Sunday in their continued push for a UEFA Champions League berth. Martinez who called the game probably the most important of the season paid credit to Moyes for the work he did at Everton before leaving in the close-season. But he wants Everton fans to leave their praise for former manager Moyes until after the final whistle, calling on the clubs supporters to repeat the intimidating atmosphere that helped them beat Arsenal 3-0 earlier this month. We all know how important the game is and how vital the three points are, Martinez said on Friday. All the nice welcoming is going to be after the final whistle. We have got a great understanding of who is coming back but we have to understand they represent the opposition. We will show the respect to David Moyes. His work has been terrific. As a former Everton manager, every Evertonian has got great memories of the job he did with the football club. (But) we need to make it as hostile as we can for the opposition. Victory would give Everton their first league double over United in 44 years, but Martinez says another triumph against Moyes will not be easy. Facing the champions is always a reason to be excited, he added. The opportunity to do the double on United is something that is not easy to achieve. In football it doesnt get any bigger than achieving something that takes so many years (to do). You need to remember, this team won the championship last season. You dont become a bad team overnight. There is always a bit of a transitional period as you get a new management team in place. They are really strong and we expect a very tough game on Sunday. We know that we are going to face a very strong team, it is more about how good we can be. And that is where the focus is. Martinez feels that the two-year contract extension signed by ex-United goalkeeper Tim Howard on Thursday was an incredible moment for Everton. He also commented on the fitness of Phil Jagielka and Steven Pienaar, who are both recovering well from hamstring and knee injuries respectively. Jagielka may be fit enough to make an appearance off the bench, but will not be risked from the start.

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The FourFourTwo Preview: Everton vs Man United

Posted: 17 Apr 2014 09:09 AM PDT

Billed as "Home is where the hatred is… home is filled with pain and it might not be such a bad idea if I never, never went home again." The lowdown David Moyes can probably identify with the words of Gil Scott Heron right now. When Moyes sauntered onto the pitch at Goodison Park for the last time as Everton boss after a 2-0 win over West Ham last May, embracing the reception of gratitude from all four corners of the stadium after 11 years as gaffer prior to joining Manchester United, he cannot have seen what would come next. Moving from Everton to United, the 20-time champions and reigning Premier League holders, this was supposed to be a huge step up for Moyes, the crowning of a career's worth of hard graft, a reward for his diligence in keeping Everton above water for so long despite meagre resources. Now he was moving onwards and upwards - now the Scot would be rubbing shoulders with the Guardiolas and Ancelottis of this world, working with the best facilities imaginable and challenging for the sport's biggest prizes. Moyes was leaving the past behind - never again would he have to toil away among the league's also-rans slogging for upper mid-table positions, hoping to finish 7th, 6th or 5th. As we all now know, it didn't quite work out this way. Indeed, if someone had whispered to Sir Alex Ferguson, who hand-picked Moyes as his successor, that United would be travelling to Goodison the following April out of the running for every trophy and battling to finish 6th while the Toffees would be scrapping for a Champions League place, it would have been interesting to see his face. Or that of Bill Kenwright's who, upon learning Moyes would be leaving, said the Red Devils 'were very lucky' to be getting him. While Ferguson and United despair, Kenwright and Everton delight. It speaks volumes about Roberto Martinez's managerial qualities that, in just 10 months and on more or less the same budget available to Moyes, he has taken the honest, hard-working side he inherited and transformed it into one of the most expansive and entertaining teams in the Premier League. Anyone who witnessed Everton's 3-0 dismantling of Arsenal cannot have failed to be impressed by the energy, the speed of thought and movement, the vibrancy and tactical intelligence of their football and the sheer, wondrous joy with which they dispatched an Arsenal side that looked helpless and outdated by comparison. Moyes failed to win once at Old Trafford during his time at Everton (though a 4-4 draw in 2012 effectively cost his current team the title). Martinez achieved it in his first season with a Bryan Oviedo-inspired 1-0 win in December, and if the Toffees manage to do the double over United they will take a big step in the race to finish fourth, which is now out of their hands after a 3-2 home defeat to Crystal Palace. Opinion towards Moyes among Evertonians has cooled in the months since his departure; the warmth and admiration for his fighting-the-odds narrative replaced with a suspicion that perhaps, after all, his dour realism and conservative style may eventually have held them back. The reception will not be as friendly as this time last May, and a defeat on his return home would heap yet further misery upon his already furrowed brow. For Moyes, and United, this match is about saving face and a Europa League place. Everton are where it's at now. They have more to play for and an enduring hope that fourth could be theirs for the first time since 2005. Team news Steven Pienaar, Oviedo, Arouna Kone, Darron Gibson and Lacina Traore are out injured. Fitness doubts also remain over Phil Jagielka - the player one Manchester United fanzine reported Moyes had told Rio Ferdinand he should play more like, causing bemusement and unrest at Old Trafford and amusement to much of the rest of the country. Shame really, the pair could have exchanged notes. For United, Rafael and Marouane Fellaini are close to returning, the latter to his former club, while Wayne Rooney is a bigger doubt due to a toe injury that saw him limp around aimlessly in the Red Devils' last game, a 3-1 defeat to Bayern Munich. Robin van Persie's twisted knee once again keeps him out here. Key battle: Seamus Coleman vs Patrice Evra Manchester United past versus Manchester United future? OK, so even helping an old lady cross the road is enough for an Everton player to be linked with Manchester United these days (Ross Barkley? A £50 million bid? Seriously, Roberto?) but if whispers are to be believed then Moyes has switched his Everton full-back affections from Leighton Baines to Coleman in recent months, and is supposedly interested in signing the Irishman to either compete with Rafael or just straight up take his place. Coleman has been exceptional this season and is the league's second-top-scoring defender. He has added greater attacking urgency and thrust to his already-capable defensive skills this season, flying up and down the flank causing real problems for opposing left-backs to deal with. Case in point: the 3-0 win over Arsenal in which Coleman was absolutely outstanding, even throwing in a bit of cheeky juggling for good measure. With 32-year-old Evra approaching the end of his United contract, a summer move appears increasingly likely, despite his renowned influence in the dressing room. Evra has been a magnificent servant to United and is one of the club's all-time greatest defenders. Old Father Time is catching up to him and he's become more of a weak link, particularly in the second half of games where his declining stamina leads to tired defending. Coleman will likely have plenty of space therefore in which to profit from this - interestingly he made all 4 of his successful dribbles against Arsenal in the second half. This battle could be pivotal to the game's outcome. The managers Much has been made of the differences between Martinez and Moyes this season. FFT has looked at the pair in detail in two of the first four FourFourTwo Weekly editions, assessing how Moyes' mindset dragged down United and, by contrast, how Martinez completely transformed Everton. Have a read, if you like. Suffice to say that, with 66 points after 34 games, Martinez has already bested Moyes' highest points total in 11 years at Goodison (65 points in 2007/8) - with four games to spare. Facts and figures 5 of the last 6 meetings between the teams have produced Under 2.5 Goals. 5 of Everton's 10 matches this season against the top 7 have seen fewer than 2 goals, which increases to 5 of 7 excluding City and Liverpool. United have kept 5 consecutive clean sheets on the road and have both the most away wins and the best goal difference on the road this season. Since 2011/12 8 of Everton's 9 home defeats have been by exactly 1 goal and 5 were 0-1. Best Bet:Draw @ 3.50 More FFT Stats Zone facts•Find the best odds with Bet Butler FourFourTwo prediction United will have had a solid 11 days to prepare for this game come kick-off, while Everton's midweek morale-buster against Palace may have taken its toll physically. Moyes has had enough humiliation this season, surely there can be no more. A 2-2 draw further hampers his former charges' Champions League chase. Everton vs Man United LIVE ANALYSIS with Stats Zone

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When the form book went out of the window - and the big clubs didnt get their way

Posted: 17 Apr 2014 07:21 AM PDT

Steven Gerrard might have been a bit over the top when demanding Liverpool treat Norwich as the best team in the world, but those up the glamorous end of the table can't take wins for granted against the smaller fry – as Everton and Man City found out in midweek. That got us thinking about other times the minnows had bitten the sharks... Wigan 1-0 Man United (11/04/12) With six games to go, Wigan were second-bottom while United were eight points clear. Moreover, in seven top-flight seasons Latics had faced United 14 times, including the 2006 League Cup final, and lost them all, shipping 46 goals ands scoring four (only one in the last nine attempts). So obviously Roberto Martinez's team triumphed, Shaun Maloney's 50th-minute winner vaulting Athletic out of the drop zone, whence they would not return: United lost the title on goal difference. The following season the enraged Red Devils beat Wigan 4-0 home and away, but they wouldn't have been facing Latics had Maloney not made history. Arsenal 2-3 Leeds (04/05/03) Eight points off the summit as early as November, Manchester United had worked hard to reel in leaders Arsenal, but they ended up winning the title with their boots off – thanks to their most vociferous rivals. Financially imploding Leeds, only outside the drop zone on goal difference, had their own very real reasons for chasing a win at Arsenal, who needed to win all three games to stop the Red Devils snatching the title back from Highbury. Sadly for Arsene Wenger, Leeds still had enough heavy artillery to cause damage. Harry Kewell scored after five minutes, Ian Harte restored the lead after Thierry Henry's equaliser and though Dennis Bergkamp levelled again, Mark Viduka's 88th-minute chip sealed the win, the title's return to Manchester and all but mathematically saved Leeds… for one final season. Deportivo La Coruna 0-0 Valencia (14/05/94) Three points clear with four games to go (in a two-points-per-win league), Depor only needed two victories to confirm their first ever top-flight title. Instead, they drew 0-0, then did it again, then did it yet again. In their final game, at home to a curiously determined Valencia side, they got a penalty in the dying minutes; as superstar striker Bebeto stared at his shoelaces, sweeper Miroslav Djukic stepped up and saw his spot-kick saved by a wildly celebrating Jose Luis Gonzalez. Barcelona snatched the title at the death, and subsequent revelations that Catalan hands had offered the Valencia players a "sizeable bonus" to avoid defeat led to long-held recriminations in Galicia. West Ham 1-1 Man United (14/05/95) Having not won any of the final 25 Division One titles before English football's big schism, Manchester United would have won the first five Premier League titles but for this unhappy East End afternoon. They started the final round of fixtures two points behind Jack Walker's Blackburn Experiment, but while the Ewood Park mob had a tough task at fifth-placed Liverpool the champions had an apparently easier trip to West Ham, freshly safe from relegation worries. Trouble is, Harry Redknapp's team took the lead through Michael Hughes and although Brian McClair equalised, the Cantona-less United couldn't find a winner – chief culprit being Andy Cole, their January signing who had bagged 12 in 18 (but five of them in one game against hapless Ipswich). To make matters worse for Fergie, the old enemy Liverpool did their bit, coming from behind to beat Blackburn 2-1 – but United's struggle meant Kenny Dalglish's Rovers won the league at Anfield. Nürnberg 1-0 Bayer Leverkusen (26/04/02) With a fortnight to go, Bayer Leverkusen were set fair for glory. They had been runners-up three times in the previous five seasons, most painfully in 2000 when Michael Ballack's last-day own-goal gifted the title to Bayern Munich, but now Ballack and his compadres Ze Roberto, Emerson and Lucio were determined. Trouble is, so were Nürnberg, and the relegation battlers' home win through Marek Nikl's first-half goal allowed Borussia Dortmund to take the lead and the league. Bad got worse when Schalke shocked them in the German Cup final, and it was little consolation to lose to Zinedine Zidane's perfect volley as Real Madrid won the Champions League. Neverkusen had struck again. Aston Villa 0-1 Oldham Athletic (02/05/93) It takes a brave man to disturb Alex Ferguson on the golf course, but the news was good: his Manchester United side had won the top-flight title at long last, on their day off. The evening before United played Blackburn in their penultimate game, and with a healthy four-point lead in the bag, Fergie had headed for the Mottram Hall course instead of watching his title rivals Aston Villa's televised game. Villa visitors Oldham were nobody's patsies, having reached the FA Cup semi-finals and League Cup final in 1990, won the Second Division in 1991 and stayed in the final pre-Premier League top flight – but were six points from safety with three games to play. Nicky Henry scored the winner, prompting celebrations in Greater Manchester - which continued when two home victories helped the Latics stay up. Bolton 2-2 Arsenal (26/04/03) The Gunners were three points behind leaders Manchester United with a game in hand when they rocked up the Reebok, where Bolton were unbeaten in five, with the Lancashire Galacticos of Jay-Jay Okocha, Youri Djorkaeff, Ivan Campo and Bruno N'Gotty bringing their immense experience to the relegation battle. Even so, they couldn't stop Sylvain Wiltord putting Arsenal head immediately after half-time, or Robert Pires doubling the lead soon afterwards. Perhaps unbelievably in retrospect, Arsenal's defence started to look suspect when Pascal Cygan pulled up lame and was replaced by Martin Keown. Djorkaeff halved the arrears with 14 minutes to go and then saw his free-kick glanced in by Keown to level matters. United won the league by five points, while Bolton – who would spend the next four seasons finishing in the top eight – doomed West Ham to relegation on 42 points, still a record for a 20-team top flight, and one which won't be beaten this season. West Ham 2-1 Tottenham (07/05/06) The top four hadn't changed positions since before Christmas. While Chelsea, Manchester United and Liverpool cemented the top three places, Spurs had never quite shaken off Arsenal; even so, they only had to match their rivals' final result to claim that first taste of Champions League football. However, on the morning of their match at West Ham, a number of Tottenham players were taken ill with suspected food poisoning after eating the lasagne while staying at the Canary Wharf Marriott. Spurs suspected foul play, although Health Protection Agency tests proved negative and the vomiting was eventually ascribed to norovirus. After the police nixed Spurs' appeal to delay the game, West Ham delighted in spoiling their rivals' party: Carl Fletcher scored the opener before former Boleyn boy Jermain Defoe levelled. In the last game at Highbury, Arsenal came from behind to beat Wigan 4-2 – and the weakened Spurs, pressing forward for the necessary winner, instead conceded an 80th-minute goal to Yossi Benayoun. Lazio 4-2 Inter Milan (05/05/02) Starved of scudetti since 1989, Inter were six points clear with five to play and managed to throw it all away. Hector Cuper's side lost to Atalanta and were held at Chievo while Juventus' 100% haul cut the lead to one point as the final day dawned with Inter at Lazio while Juve went to Udinese. A Lazio win could take them into the UEFA Cup and Karel Poborsky equalised Inter's opening effort from Christian Vieri, the beefy striker's 25th of the campaign. Luigi Di Biagio put the Nerazzurri back in front but Poborsky levelled again and Juve's two early goals at Udinese left them top of the live table at half-time. After the restart Diego Simeone put Lazio in the lead, Simone Inzaghi extended it and Inter's dream was over, as substituted World Player of the Year Ronaldo sat in tears on the bench. They would not win the title until after Calciopoli. Bradford City 1-0 Liverpool (14/05/00) A little scoreline with big consequences. Liverpool needed a last-day win to overtake Bradford's neighbours Leeds for the third and final Champions League place, but the Bantams desperately needed their own victory: in their first top-flight campaign for 77 seasons, they were in the drop zone. David Wetherall's towering early header gave Bradford a lead they never surrendered, and the win leapfrogged them over Wimbledon, who were relegated instead; 15 months later, the Dons announced their intention to relocate to Milton Keynes. While Liverpool were restricted to the UEFA Cup, Leeds qualified for the Champions League, reaching the 2001 semi-final and prompting ill-advised financial speculation based on future success – while Bradford also spent beyond their means on overpriced duffers like Benito Carbone and Stan Collymore, suffering financial fallout for years to come. Every silver lining has a cloud, and all that.

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Does anybody want to reach the Europa League this season?

Posted: 17 Apr 2014 03:10 AM PDT

"I don't want to win the Europa League. It would be a big disappointment for me. I don't want my players to feel the Europa League is our competition." These were the words of Jose Mourinho, little more than two months after the bulk of the Chelsea squad he had just re-inherited won the competition with a 2-1 win over Benfica in Amsterdam. It wasn't quite Brian Clough telling his new Leeds charges all the medals they'd previously won were worthless, but it got the point across. To the elite clubs, the Europa League is little more than an inconvenience. But it's nothing new. At least as far as English clubs are concerned, the lustre of the Europa League has been dimming drastically since the start of the Champions League era. It certainly shouldn't be seen as too easy to bother with: only two English clubs have won the competition in the last 30 years, with only a further three reaching the final in that time. In a rich man's world As with the domestic cups, the Europa League has been sidelined by lack of financial imperative. Winning the Europa League won't earn a club more than €9.9m; compare that to the €8.6m given to a team which loses all six matches in the Champions League groups. A team who wins 12 Europa League matches but loses in the semi-finals earns €4.9m – equivalent to finishing 15th in the Premier League. A pot of gold shouldn't be the primary incentive for a club to crave winning a competition with over 40 years of history, but money is the best way to develop a club. An amount just shy of €10m is nowhere near enough to help a club in the Premier League's 'second tier' of clubs compete with those regularly riding the Champions League gravy train. But, even then, the scant financial reward is only a minor issue. The balance of power in European football is tipped very much towards the west. The 2014/15 Europa League will feature four teams each from Ukraine and Russia, and three teams each from Turkey, Belarus and Israel. In contrast, next season's Champions League has two places each for Ukrainian, Russian and Turkish sides, with just one early qualifying spot each for the champions of Belarus and Israel. A side effect of this is that English clubs in the Europa League are far more likely to be forced into long journeys east. In this season's competition, Tottenham traveled 17,996 miles for their six away fixtures. When Chelsea return from Madrid next week, they'll have travelled 9,292 on the same number of European away days. That's clearly a small sample size, but given the sheer number of teams from England, Germany, Spain (four each), France, Italy and Portugal (three each) playing in the Champions League, racking up air miles at the rate Spurs did this season is nigh-on impossible in Europe's elite competition. The long travel times add to the hangover caused by playing on Thursday night – a schedule which makes the Europa seem more like an afterthought than the appetiser it could be if it were played on Tuesday, with the Champions League held on Wednesday and Thursday. Recovery vs preparation Speaking to FourFourTwo's Football Weekly, Tottenham's Andros Townsend plays down suggestions the Thursday-Sunday schedule has been a factor in Spurs' frustrating season, though also admits he and his team-mates are now fresher for only playing once a week. The north Londoners performed badly in Premier League matches immediately after their European exploits this season, with six of their 10 league defeats coming off the back of a Europa League fixture. Speaking after the 2-0 win against Anzhi in Moscow, then-Spurs boss Andre Villas-Boas hinted that his team would be unable to prepare tactically for their home game with West Ham three days later, instead having to focus on recuperation. "We will try to get at least the minimum sleep, but from Friday to Saturday we will sleep well and recover the players for West Ham," Villas-Boas said. "We will just prepare for that game on the day of the game, and give the players information on the day of the game." Tottenham's lack of preparation showed as they were humbled 3-0 by a well-organised Hammers side, in the sort of showing that encourages the phrase "Europa hangover". With typical bluntness, Tottenham's current manager Tim Sherwood touched on the problem in Thursday's press conference, wondering aloud if the Europa was worth it. "The last time we qualified for the Champions League, the year before we weren't in the Europa League," Sherwood noted. "I'm not against the Europa League, It's just the stats that are there say everything. "The extra games mean I think we've ended up playing 12 more games than Liverpool have this season, and they're challenging for the title because they didn't have the Europa League. It certainly helps when you have a whole week to prepare for games. "That said, I'm sure that everyone at this club wants to finish as high up as possible and we're certainly not going to go onto the field and try to lose a game so that we don't qualify: that's just not going to happen." Swansea would empathise with Sherwood's words about having a week to prepare for games. With their relative lack of European know-how and smaller squad, they struggled all season to balance their continental adventure with their domestic duties. It would be short-sighted to attribute their struggles this season entirely to their participation in the Europa League – Michu has missed half the campaign, after all – but it certainly hasn't helped. As things stand, Hull – as the only club with a shot at the Europa League without any pedigree in the competition – look most at risk of being next season's Swansea. A win over Arsenal in next month's FA Cup Final would secure a first-ever European jaunt for the Tigers, as would a defeat if the Gunners achieve a top-four finish. That now seems far more likely thanks to Everton's midweek defeat to Crystal Palace, although there'll still be a handful of pessimistic Arsenal fans fearing the ignominy of finishing fifth. But would it really be that bad? Let's run through the pros and cons of Europa League qualification for every club with a shot of making it through virtue of their league performance. First up, on the next page: Arsenal...ARSENAL Last Europa League campaign Arsene Wenger's side were among the first batch of Champions League drop-outs to be parachuted into what was then the UEFA Cup following a rule change ahead of the 1999/00 season. The Gunners overcame Deportivo, Werder Bremen and Lens over two legs to reach the final in Copenhagen, where they were beaten on penalties by Galatasaray. Why they'll want to be in it For all their history, the Gunners' trophy cabinet is disappointingly sparse when it comes to continental trinkets. The north Londoners have just the 1970 Fairs Cup and the 1994 Cup Winners' Cup to show for their 29 European campaigns, and would see a season in the Europa League as a good chance to add to their haul (and perhaps even end their trophy drought, if things go wrong against Hull at Wembley next month). Why they won't Arsenal in the Europa League would be like a fading Hollywood star turning out in a low-budget TV serial, fittingly on ITV4. It just wouldn't be very becoming for a club of their standing (so they'd think). Fatigue seems to have been a factor in the Gunners' late-season slump, and a season without Europe may help them go the distance in next season's title race – and would finishing 7th really be that much worse than finishing 5th? Clearly they won't want to try and find out – the likelihood is that, should Arsenal not make the Champions League, they'll be in the Europa League. If burn-out is a worry, they can always blood more youngsters – just think of it as the League Cup with Dinamo Minsk instead of Dagenham and Redbridge. EVERTON Last Europa League campaign The Toffees last played in the Europa League in 2009/10, the third successive season they had featured in the competition. David Moyes' side beat Czech outfit Sigma Olomouc in play-off round, before qualifying second behind Benfica in a group also featuring BATE Borisov and AEK Athens. Their run was promptly ended by Portuguese giants Sporting in the first knockout round. Why they'll want to be in it Although they have recently had the Champions League in their sights, at the start of the season Everton would have bitten your hand off for a Europa League place. Although initially disappointed to miss out on the big one, they'd be happy enough to be involved if Arsenal pipped them to a top-four spot. Roberto Martinez, who earned a crack at Europe with Wigan but didn't hang around long enough to take it, would be particularly keen to test himself against the not-yet-great and the not-quite-as-good of Europe. The men in suits would be keen to raise the profile of the club too. Why they won't The Goodison Park side don't have the biggest squad, and a taxing European campaign would quite likely have an impact on their domestic performances. TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR Last Europa League campaign You'll need to cast your mind back almost a month to recall Tottenham's last participation in Europe's secondary club competition. Spurs waltzed through to the last 32, beating Dinamo Tbilisi, Anzhi, Sheriff and Tromso along the way. They snuck past Dnipro of Ukraine, before suffering a humbling 3-1 home defeat to Benfica, from which there was no comeback. Why they'll want to be in it Given their track record of securing a Champions League place through the league, the chance to qualify through winning the Europa League is not to be sniffed at. Why they won't Having been among the favourites for the competition this season and last, then failed to get anywhere near the podium, they may not feel particularly confident of success in 2014/15 either. The Europa League appears to have taken a toll on Spurs' league campaign, with the north Londoners picking up just 16 points from the 12 matches that have followed European fixtures. Six of the 10 defeats they have suffered in the Premier League have come within three days of a Europa League match. MANCHESTER UNITED Last Europa League campaign United made a brief cameo in the 2011/12 competition, having been eliminated from the Champions League at the group stage. A 3-2 aggregate win over Ajax was promptly followed by a 5-3 defeat to eventual runners-up Athletic Bilbao. Why they'll want to be in it Unlike Arsenal, United have had most of the season to get used to the idea of playing in the Europa League; they also need to maintain "presence" by being in continental competition, for the sake of 'the brand'. Hey, those Japanese potato-based snack products aren't going to shift themselves. David Moyes – if he's still in the job – will be hoping victory in Europe can kickstart his tenure in the same way the 1991 Cup Winners' Cup win over Barcelona did for Fergie. The Red Devils squad is also particularly large – designed for playing two games a week for most of the season. Not playing in Europe would probably leave them with a bevy on unhappy fringe players, and a fair bit of squad restructuring to do. Won't somebody think of Ashley Young? Why they won't The idea of money-spinning friendlies instead of competitive European action has already been mooted, with the club desperate to claw back as much as possible of the £20m they'll miss out on for not making the Champions League. The Old Trafford outfit pocketed £2m for appearing in a friendly in Saudi Arabia in January 2008 – do that half a dozen times in each half of the season, and they'll be making far more than they would by playing in the Europa. If it's a straight choice between being in the Champions or Europa League, the answer is obvious. Yet if the options are Europa League or nothing, most clubs would ultimately swallow their pride, pack their passport and make tracks for Maribor, Shakhter Karagandy, or Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk. After all, for the likes of Everton and Tottenham, winning the competition could prove the best and easiest route to the top table.

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