Everton defender Vitaliy Mykolenko has admitted he hopes to see the club competing for Europe this season.
The Blues currently sit seventh in the Premier League with 13 points to their name after a 1-0 win over Newcastle United on Monday.
That was their third win of the season and cleared some of the negativity after back-to-back defeats against Arsenal and Chelsea.
David Moyes’ side now sit just three points behind Chelsea in fourth. If they beat Coventry City on Friday night, they will move level with Xabi Alonso’s side and above Liverpool in fifth.
While that is likely to change by the end of the weekend, it is perhaps a more positive position than most had expected Everton to be in given a summer which has now been deemed a disaster.
Mykolenko is certainly pleased with how things are going. And he is hoping there is more to come this season.
“I hope we perform significantly better than we did last season,” he told Tribuna.
“We didn’t play very well last year, but that sort of thing happens to our team sometimes. I hope we’ll be fighting for a spot in European competitions right until the very end. For now, we’re taking it one match at a time and keeping on working.
“We really do have a very talented team. There are young players, and there are experienced ones. I hope we win our next match, and then we’ll see what the situation looks like after the international break.”
Newcastle wins
The win over Newcastle capped a good week for the Toffees. They beat the same opponents on Thursday last week to progress to the quarterfinals of the Carabao Cup. They’ll take on League One side Fleetwood in that.
Beating the same opponent twice in the space of a week is no mean feat. And Mykolenko admits that David Moyes was keen to emphasise that in the dressing room.
“I’m very happy. Very happy,” he added.
“The manager said in the dressing room that it’s not easy to beat the same team twice in four days. It’s tough, especially playing away against Newcastle.
“It was difficult, but we kept a clean sheet and scored some good goals. I think we also played very well as a team. The team spirit and the atmosphere, both in the dressing room and on the pitch, were simply incredible.
“If someone had filmed me running toward our defenders and Jordan after the match, they would have understood everything. For me, as a defender, the most important thing is winning and not conceding goals. I was happy to celebrate that with my fellow defenders. Right now, I’m just enjoying the moment.”
Fan praise
The left-back came in for particular praise thanks to his performance at St James Park. It was a rare moment for the left-back.
The Ukrainian has often proved to be a decisive figure among the Everton fanbase as he’s tried to follow in the footsteps of Lucas Digne and Leighton Baines.
Monday could be considered one of his best performances in Blue. And the fans were keen to let him know their appreciation as they sang his song in the stands.
“I’m glad that I can perform well for this club and help my teammates feel confident in me. I’m just happy to be putting in good performances,” he concluded.
“I can’t even remember the last time I heard that song. But I heard it today, and it’s really nice. I appreciate it. Our fans were incredible, as always.”
