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ESPNsoccernet: England | |
Everton captain Phil Neville has admitted that he was embarrassed by own performance during Saturday's 3-0 FA Cup quarter-final defeat at home to Wigan.
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Neville described the team's display as 'disastrous' as their hopes of ending an 18-year trophy drought disappeared for this season.
The former England international was substituted at half-time after a poor performance, during which his misplaced back-pass set up Callum McManaman to score Wigan's second goal.
He told Sky Sports News: "It was a disastrous weekend for us. It was a disastrous performance and there is no hiding away from it. I was embarrassed by my own performance. It wasn't good enough as a captain and all the lads feel the same.
"We can't hide away from the fact that we have to take our medicine now, take the criticism that comes our way. We really felt this was going to be our year in the FA Cup but we were beaten on the day by a team who were better than us.
"We have got two months left in the season and we have to bounce back and get a reaction. That's what the manager wants and I'm confident in the group of players that I share a dressing room with that we will do that."
Exiting the FA Cup shut off one possible route to Europe for Everton - but Neville is hopeful they can still qualify through their league position.
David Moyes' side are in seventh place with ten games to go, seven points of a top-four spot that would bring a place in next season's Champions League, but they are only two points from fifth place, which would ensure Europa League qualification.
Neville added: "The Champions League place is in the distance. A European place, we would take that now. It's what we have been going for all season, making sure that next season there is European football being played at Everton. That's our aim and remains our aim.
"If we can finish in the top four then so be it, but at the moment our short-term aim is to win next Saturday against Manchester City and to attack the last eight or nine games of the season."
Neville, meanwhile, is adamant that he wants Moyes to stay on at the club.
The manager, whose contract runs out in the summer, said last month that he would leave it until the end of the season before deciding whether to sign a new deal.
Asked about Moyes' future, Neville said: "That's something that only the gaffer can answer. He has brought all of the players in the squad to the club and we all want him to stay but that's up to the manager.
"We aren't using that as an excuse for Saturday's performance. If anyone does, that's a bit of a cop out."