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Next three months to determine Moyes' Everton future

David Moyes will not decide his Everton future until the end of the season © PA Photos

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David Moyes has indicated he will use Everton's performance over the final three months of the season to help him decide whether to sign a new contract.

Moyes, who has been in charge at Goodison Park since March 2002, has yet to agree whether to stay beyond the end of this season, when his current deal expires. He has often avoided discussion of his long-term future in public although he has held talks with Everton chairman Bill Kenwright.

Moyes confirmed he is likely to leave any decision on a new contract until the summer because he wants to see how successful his team are in pursuing their bids for Champions League qualification and the FA Cup.

Everton are sixth in the Premier League, six points adrift of a top-four place, and continue their FA Cup progress with a fifth-round trip to League One Oldham on Saturday evening.

Moyes said: "I've said that I've spoken with the chairman. I want to see how the team do. I want to see how we do in the cups. I want to see how we do in the league, and it's more than likely that I won't make a decision until the end of the season, so you can ask me every week but I'll probably give you the same answer."

Moyes is keen to secure Everton's first trophy since they won the FA Cup under Joe Royle in 1995, although he acknowledges that Champions League qualification would be of greater long-term benefit to the club.

The manager points to the example of Celtic, who have benefited financially this season by reaching the Champions League knockout stages for the first time since 2008.

Moyes, who was at Celtic Park on Tuesday night to see his first club lose 3-0 at home to Juventus, said: "I think qualifying for the Champions League would always be the thing, because the financial rewards for that are far greater than what you get for the FA Cup.

"I can think of a lot of teams who have won the FA Cup and it's not desperately changed their fortunes. I think qualifying for the Champions League does. I think if you can do that and get into the group stages, it makes a difference - like the way it's done for Celtic.

"If you look at the profits they've made in the last six months, most of it is down to how well they've done with their Champions League exploits."

The manager, meanwhile, is hoping that striker Nikica Jelavic will benefit from a breather after being dropped to the bench. Jelavic lost his starting place at the end of January after going seven league games without scoring, and has had to be content with substitute appearances in Everton's last three matches.

Asked what he thought a spell on the bench would do for the striker, Moyes said: "I don't know what it does for anybody. You just hope that they sit back and see what they have to do to get their real form back. It's part of football, isn't it? But I hope that, when he gets his opportunity, he will be ready to take it."

Moyes is hoping Jelavic will be fresh when he is given a start again, adding: "Sometimes, you hope that you see it and that ,when they do come back, they show what they've got. Maybe at times a little bit of a rest can help."

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