THE RUN-IN

NO SOONER had the press assembled to sift through the embers of Everton’s heartbreak at Wembley on Saturday, than the club’s players began to grasp for the only optimistic line they could muster.

“We’ve got to lick our wounds and bounce back,” said a distraught Phil Neville

“We’re in seventh position, and if back in October someone had said we’d be in seventh position, above Liverpool, I think we’d have snapped their hands off. So I think we’ve really got to kick on now.”

The sentiment was echoed by Leighton Baines, another predictably asked whether the incentive to outlast Kenny Dalglish’s men is now greater than ever.

“That’s what we’ve got to focus on,” said the defender. “We need something to focus on now and that will be it. It will take a few days to let the dust settle after this one, but then we’ll pick ourselves up and go again.”

There was even muted talk of an outside bid for European qualification, but that has since been rendered almost academic.

The Premier League have announced that an extra Europa League berth will only go to the club that finishes in sixth place, and the Blues currently sit seventh, 10 points behind Chelsea in sixth, and 12 behind Newcastle in fifth. It would likely require Everton to win four of their remaining five fixtures, and Newcastle to lose the same amount, for them to overhaul the Magpies – perhaps the tallest of orders – even if intriguingly the two clubs meet at Goodison Park in the last game of the season.

So, it would seem the battle for local supremacy remains the only viable going concern. But how realistic will finishing above the Reds be?

Opposite is a breakdown of how the clubs’ remaining fixtures could play out:

SUNDAY APRIL 22

MANCHESTER UNITED v EVERTON

Possibly the worst way to attempt to bounce back from a Wembley defeat, the best Evertonians can hope for is that the quality of the opposition could galvanise a wounded Toffees side.

Either way, with victory in this fixture meaning the Red Devils are only a Manchester derby away from being champions, the home side have the greater incentive.

LIVERPOOL V WEST BROMWICH ALBION

The Return of Roy it may be, with all the banana skin potential that entails, but surely Kenny Dalglish’s buoyant side have all the momentum and, crucially, places to play for in an FA Cup final line-up.

SATURDAY APRIL 28

EVERTON V FULHAM

A chance for the Blues to get back on track perhaps, although Martin Jol’s side have made impressive progress since January too and are only four points behind Moyes’ men.

NORWICH V LIVERPOOL

Long journey and tough task for the Reds, who are far closer to the canny Canaries in the league table than they would like.

TUESDAY MAY 1

STOKE V EVERTON

Everton have struggled at the Britannia Stadium in recent seasons, and will not relish a Tuesday night trip to face one of the division’s most awkward opponents.

LIVERPOOL V FULHAM

More Merseyside action for the Cottagers, who could well be hot on the heels of their own seventh place finish as old boys Danny Murphy and John Arne Riise bid for a happy return to Anfield.

SUNDAY MAY 6

WOLVES V EVERTON

The Black Country dead men walking could already be relegated by this point, offering Everton a chance to take a rare ‘easy’ three points if they remain focused.

TUESDAY MAY 8

LIVERPOOL V CHELSEA

Just three days after the FA Cup final, the teams meet again in the league with both sides likely to still have plenty to play for. Missing out on the Champions League would be anathema to the Londoners, but Liverpool too could have plenty of incentives.

SUNDAY MAY 13

EVERTON V NEWCASTLE

Could Everton be gunning to finish sixth at this point? It’s highly unlikely, but the prize of bragging rights over Liverpool could be a tantalising alternative if they can end their season on a high against Alan Pardew’s surprise package.

SWANSEA V LIVERPOOL

Brendan Rodgers’ men have been ensured another season in the top flight for some time, but may otherwise have little to play for, as the Reds bid to cross the finish line ahead of their local rivals.

VERDICT

Both clubs have some testing fixtures ahead, but Liverpool are at home for most of them while the Blues must make tough trips to Manchester United and Stoke.

Much will depend on how quickly Everton can recover from their Wembley disappointment, but the odds seem to favour a Reds’ seventh place finish.