Everton's Euro crackers ready to spoil Manchester United's party

The way things are going for Everton at the minute, they couldn't lose even if they wanted to.

'Rio Ferdinand, the architect of United's infamous £4000-a-head bash, will bear the brunt of the anger of fans if United are not playing well'

David Moyes elected to pick a second-string team for the apparently meaningless final fixture against AZ Alkmaar yet still finished the game 3-2 winners. The Dutch side needed a win to progress to the next stage of the UEFA Cup but still Everton's makeshift mixture of players struggling for fitness, and youngsters, were more than comfortable on the evening.

Growing in confidence and maturity with each passing game, Moyes is finally building a side that can compete and end the club's 12-year barren spell without a trophy. Thirteen games without defeat in all competitions makes Everton the league's form side, but they will face their toughest test in this run this weekend when they travel to face Manchester United.

Moyes clearly had one eye on the fixture already with the important quintet of Tim Howard, Joseph Yobo, Tim Cahill, Mikel Arteta and Yakubu left at home for the final UEFA Cup match. That Everton had the luxury of leaving players of their calibre behind speaks volumes not only about the impressive squad that is being built but also the emergence of young players that could go on to progress the team further. Everton finished the game in Alkmaar with three 19-year-olds and 16-year-old débutant Jack Rodwell - boding well for a squad that already has an average age of 25.