Everton the pick of the English teams in the UEFA Cup

Europa League / Mike Norman / 06 September 2007 / Leave a Comment

"Mystical" Mike Norman looks into his crystal ball to see which of the English teams may be at the City of Manchester Stadium for the final

Despite its lack of appeal in some quarters, the UEFA Cup is a trophy that any participating manager would love to get his hands on. The harsh reality is though, that this competition is for losers. You can qualify by finishing 7th in the league, by getting beat in a cup final, by getting knocked out of the Champions League at the group stage, or even by getting relegated if you have the best 'fair play' record. But any passionate football fan that gets to see their side in this competition will not care one iota about what the critics think. This is a trophy that is well worth winning, and a competition that can throw up the most amazing excitement and heartache, just ask any of my fellow Boro fans.

It's very difficult at this very early stage to put up my idea of the winner because of the format the UEFA Cup takes, with eight Champions League teams to enter calculations as the tournament progresses. England do have a strong hand however, with four teams setting out on their quest for glory, and hopefully culminating with the lifting of the trophy at the City of Manchester Stadium on May 14th 2008. Here I will briefly assess the chances of Blackburn, Bolton, Everton and Spurs, and highlight my selection as the English team to follow.

The first team that I will readily dismiss is Bolton Wanderers (trading at 110 to win outright). I just can't have Sammy Lee as a manager and I think he is on very thin ice at the moment. I fancied him strongly pre-season to be the first manager to lose his job and that could well be the case if Bolton don't fix those holes that are so evident in their weary defence, causing a poor start to their Premier League campaign. They have very little experience in European Competition and will find the trip to Macedonia very difficult against FK Rabotnicki in the first round proper. If Bolton do come through that tie, I feel they will be eliminated at the group stage.

Tottenham are the most fancied of the English teams and they can be matched at 12 to win the competition outright. But like Bolton they have looked a bit unsure of themselves so far. The hierarchy will be alarmed at the way they are conceding goals, and with Ledley King's love affair of injuries, they will do well to stop the goals going in against them once the competition hots up. Berbatov hasn't started the season the way he finished the last, and Darren Bent is already looking a very expensive purchase. Aaron Lennon is close to full fitness however, and with him, Gareth Bale, Jermaine Jenas, Steed Malbranque and Tom Huddlestone all capable of penetrating attacks from deep then Spurs cannot be dismissed lightly. I do think they represent poor value though, and a quarter final slot may be the best they can hope for.

Blackburn (trading at 30) have had a good start to the season with Paraguayan star Roque Santa Cruz looking an exciting recruit. Rovers don't seem to have too much strength in depth however and they will do well to avoid injuries and suspensions in a competitions that requires you to play at least 14 games just to reach the final. If they can keep their squad intact then this likeable Lancashire club can also set their sights on a quarter final place at least.

The English team I like best is without doubt Everton, currently trading at 27 to win the UEFA Cup outright. David Moyes is proving to everyone just what a good manager he can be, and he has now built a squad capable of challenging for honours in most competitions. They have a wealth of experience and quality throughout the team, with the likes of Yobo, Alan Stubbs, Phil Neville and Tim Cahill being the engine room, while Leighton Baines, Joleon Lescott, Mikel Arteta, Andy Johnson, and the recently purchased Yakubu add some real quality to the side.

Everton have a fine tradition in European Competition and will have no problem advancing from the group stages. As we know, anything can happen once it gets to the knockout rounds, but I feel only a few clubs will have the ability to beat Everton over two legs. So with that bit of luck at the right time I expect Everton to reach the semi final at least - and who knows, they could even be lifting the trophy come what May in a Toffee fan packed City of Manchester Stadium.