New Contract For Dm?

[MikeO]

Everton manager David Moyes will seek proof of the club's ambition when he sits down with them in the coming weeks to talk about a new contract.

 

Having performed miracles on a limited budget in almost six years at Goodison Park, he wants to compete for the players who can challenge for titles and do well in the Champions League.

 

Moyes, whose side would stay in Champions League contention with victory against Portsmouth today, expects to be approached soon by the club about a new deal, with his current contract having only 15 months to run.

 

But he warns that with rivals like Aston Villa and Manchester City spending big, Everton will have to keep pace if they want to make further progress.

 

Moyes said: 'We could continue to stick to the same path but I think things have changed. We used to think it was only the bigger boys who spent serious money, but Manchester City are going to spend and so are Newcastle, Aston Villa and Tottenham, not to mention Portsmouth.

 

'So now you may have to spend more just to keep ahead of the teams you're in front of, as well as the ones you're trying to catch. That is the challenge.

 

'We are maybe looking to sign some Champions League-type players but what do they want? The Champions League — and Champions League money.

 

'So we have to try to find a way to meet that challenge and I would like to be able to say that we can bring Champions League players to this club.'

 

After years of having to be relatively frugal, despite the £27million sale of Wayne Rooney in 2004, Moyes was backed at the start of this season by bringing in £11.25m striker Yakubu from Middlesbrough.

 

The Nigerian has helped Everton match rivals Liverpool stride for stride in the Premier League as well as reach the latter stages of the UEFA Cup and the semi-final of the Carling Cup.

 

Moyes wants revenue from a proposed new stadium just outside the city boundaries to be used for strengthening a team to challenge at the highest level.

 

Everton's push towards the top four represents a remarkable turnaround in fortunes for Moyes. Having escaped relegation by just one place in 2004 there were fears that Bill Kenwright might sacrifice his young manager.

 

Instead, Everton did not go down the trigger-happy route. Lee Carsley, one of the survivors from that time, said: 'We felt lucky that Everton were being run by football people. They didn't panic and it's worked well because David has taken the team from strength to strength.'

 

Midfielder Mikel Arteta is rated extremely doubtful for today's game. The Spaniard is still struggling with a groin injury.

 

[Romey 1878]

It's about time Moyes started asking BK to back him with 'real' money. Hopefully BK can actually come up with the money to match Moyes' ambitions.

[scouse]

Very coy at the end of the game when the contract was mentioned. Clearly waiting till end of season to see what the club have to offer in transfer funds.

[Louis]

He was offered a 60,000 a week contract in the summer, I presumed he signed it.

[grantos]

I have no worries at all that Moyes will be signing a new deal. The club want Moyes and Moyes wants to be at Everton.

 

I think its a little bit of brinkmanship on his part, where he is cleverly flushing the boards transfer policy into the public domain, therefore applying the little bit of pressure to Kenwright to ensure that he is doing everything he can to push this club forward.

 

Moyes knows he is now in a very strong position and has the backing of 99% of the fans. By taking the approach he has he will ensure that he gets a healthy pay increase and that Kenwright is forced to stump up cash which in turn should benefit both Everton FC and Moyes's growing reputation within orld football.