Everton's impressive start to the season has hit the rocks and they laboured to defeat at Villa on Sunday after a UEFA Cup draw in midweek.A trip to Sheffield Wednesday is on the horizon tomorrow in the third round of the Carling Cup and then they will be off to the Ukraine seven days later for their second leg tie with Metalist Kharkiv. Phil Neville is a veteran of European campaigns with both Manchester United and England and is well versed in dealing with the mental fatigue that accompanies such trips. Givemefootball's Ian Clarkson caught up with Neville at Villa Park to find out how Everton will cope with the welcome burden of European football this season.
Q:CAN YOU PUT YOUR FINGER ON WHY EVERTON'S FORM HAS DIPPED RECENTLY?
A:There are a few players in the team, myself included, who need to play better basically. Over the next few weeks, sooner rather than later, we need to do it. It happened to us a couple of years ago when we were in the Champions League and then the UEFA Cup and had a bit of a dip in the league. Middlesbrough have suffered from it in the past when they were getting beaten after playing UEFA Cup games. It is something we needed to handle.
Q:IS TIREDNESS A VALID EXCUSE?
A:Tiredness is in the mind. Sometimes you can use it as an excuse. We had two days rest before the Villa game and we were fresh. I don't think fitness was a problem. It is something definitely we all want. There is no point moaning about it, which we are not doing to be fair. Ever since I came to Everton I wanted to play Saturday-Thursday-Saturday-Thursday and now we are in the situation, let's get on with it, let's enjoy it and let's not be fearful of the challenge. Maybe we just lacked a little bit of cutting edge and at the moment we need to start creating chances for our forwards.
Q:IT HAS BEEN A LONG TIME FOR ANDREW JOHNSON TO GO WITHOUT A GOAL – MARCH 18 – HOW IS HE FEELING?
A:It will go for him. He is a quality striker. Strikers go through periods like this.
Q:HOW DID YOU FEEL THE TEAM PLAYED AT VILLA PARK?
A:We didn't play too badly. They were two disappointing goals to give away from us and you do that in the Premier League, you get punished. We need to get back on track very quickly at the moment. That's what playing in Europe can sometimes do to you but we need to show a bit of fighting quality now and spirit, that we've got in abundance, and make sure we get back on track in the league.
Q:GABRIEL AGBONLAHOR AND MARLON HAREWOOD WERE EXCHANGING HEATED POINTS OF VIEW AT THE END – WHY DID YOU STEP IN TO SEPARATE THEM?
A:They had just won 2-0 so I couldn't understand why they were arguing really. I was in the same hotel as Marlon on holiday in the summer and got to know him quite well. I just pulled him away. It is one of those things where Marlon is desperate to score and so is the other lad and you have a bit of a go at each other, which happens every day of the week. It is one of those things.
