David Moyes believes form does not matter ahead of Merseyside derby
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Your support makes all the difference.Everton boss David Moyes feels the respective form of his side and Liverpool will count for little in tomorrow night's Merseyside derby at Anfield.
The Toffees go into the game unbeaten in nine matches in all competitions, a sequence which has included Barclays Premier League wins over Tottenham, Chelsea and Manchester City.
On paper, the chances of them adding the scalp of their local rivals look good, with the Reds having won only once in eight league fixtures and losing their last three.
Moyes is not reading too much into those statistics, though, saying: "A lot of the years I have gone into the game and Liverpool have been the form team, and folk have said: 'Who knows in derbies'.
"You never do know."
Moyes celebrates 10 years in charge of Everton on Wednesday and a derby win - which would see his team leapfrog Liverpool into seventh place in the table - would be the perfect way to mark the occasion.
Victory at Anfield in something the Scot is yet to achieve in his tenure, though, with the Toffees' last triumph there coming in 1999.
Asked if he would be happy simply not to lose the game, Moyes said: "Over the years, I think it would have been a great result for any team to go and do that, because Anfield has been a hard place to go.
"Liverpool have got really good support and a good team. It has never changed.
"We will go to Anfield and try to win, and then if you can't do that, the next thing you want to do is try to get a draw."
Regardless of the result tomorrow, Moyes says he will still have "a good feeling" on Wednesday as he looks back over his decade at Goodison Park and forward to the continuing work that lies ahead.
"I certainly would (be happy on Wednesday if his team had won), but whatever happens, I'll still wake up with a good feeling because I have done 10 years at a great club like Everton," he added.
"I feel really privileged and still excited about the job I have got here."
Moyes only major complaint at the moment is the timing of the contest, which was rearranged due to Liverpool's participation in the Carling Cup final but now comes just days before both Everton and the Reds play in the FA Cup quarter-finals this weekend.
"I think the cup for both teams is a little bit of a distraction," Moyes said.
"I don't think anybody would ideally want a game in the week leading up to it and probably more so, I don't think anyone would really want a derby leading up to it.
"That would be the disappointing thing - what the Premier League have done in putting this game in this spot."
Everton have on-loan winger Steven Pienaar back available for tomorrow night's game after he was ineligible for the 1-0 win over his parent club Spurs on Saturday.
PA
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