Everton FC News: Everton can’t feel sorry for themselves after Old Trafford humbling, says defender Lucas Neill

Nov 24 2009 by Ian Doyle, Liverpool Daily Post

Everton FC News: LUCAS NEILL admits Everton cannot afford to feel sorry for themselves after their Old Trafford humbling as they prepare for their season’s watershed.

Neill believes tomorrow’s visit to Hull City has assumed must-win status given the continued poor run of form that has seen them earn just one victory from their last nine games.

The Goodison outfit are still licking their wounds after a hugely under-whelming 3-0 defeat at Manchester United on Saturday.

And Neill has warned there is no time for self-indulgence, with the small matter of the Merseyside derby to come at the weekend.

“We’ve got to bounce back straight away and that’s what it’s all about now,” said Neill. “So now we move on and Hull is definitely a game that we need to win and to push ourselves up the table.”

Neill has started the last two games at right-back and is expected to retain the position at the KC Stadium tomorrow night.

Tony Hibbert, John Heitinga and Dan Gosling have all previously filled the position but Neill is determined to hold on to the jersey.

“It’s always nice to play and you’ve just got to keep working in training and wait for your chances,” said the 31-year-old. “When you get the chance to play, you’ve got to try and put a good workload in. It’s not up to me to decide whether I did enough to be selected for the next game. I hope I’ve put something in the manager’s mind to keep getting picked.

“It is a friendly rivalry and it’s kind of good for the manager because he gets to have the choice of having various players to play in the positions.

“Unfortunately, he doesn’t have Johnny (Heitinga) and me available for Europe, but hopefully that is something that will come in January and we’ll be knocking on the door for places in Europe and in the league.”

None of Everton’s injured players will be available to return tomorrow, but Steven Pienaar has an outside chance of being fit for Sunday’s visit of Liverpool.

“Steven is the only one who is near coming back,” said Moyes. “He will hopefully train this week and we’ll take it from there.”