Everton deny post-Rooney gloom
(Agencies)
Updated: 2004-09-20 09:37

Everton skipper Alan Stubbs believes the critics who insisted the club would sink without a trace after the departure of Wayne Rooney were proving to be the perfect inspiration for their unlikely rise to third place in the Premiership.

Everton beat Middlesbrough 1-0 on Sunday thanks to bargain basement striker Marcus Bent's 47th minute goal with the three points sending the Goodison Park outfit into third place, just one point behind Chelsea and three behind leaders Arsenal.

It is the cash-strapped club's highest position for three years and their best start for 28 years and it comes after Rooney moved to Manchester United for 30 million pounds on transfer deadline day.

"We have been turning all the rubbish thrown at us into positives," said the 32-year-old Stubbs.

"They are a great bunch of lads here and there is spirit and hard work. We all get on well together.

"I think that we respect each other as players and when you do that you get results on the pitch. It's got even better because we have had good performances and we've got the points we deserve."

Despite the optimism at the club, who were classed as one of the 'Big Five' when the Premiership was formed, they have been facing uphill struggles against financial restrictions and relegation ever since.

As a result, no-one is getting carried away.

"We have started off well," said Stubbs. "It's great for us but we will be judged on where we finish at the end of the season rather than where we are now.

"But there are a lot of lads in the team at the moment who are playing with a lot of confidence and I think our position in the league shows that."

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