Moyes feels Cup offers best route to Europe

David Moyes believes the FA Cup represents Everton's best chance of a trophy – and a passage into Europe – this season.

Although Everton are into the knockout phase of the Europa League, Moyes thinks that particular competition is not far advanced enough for their odds of winning to have reduced considerably. But with the likes of Manchester United and Liverpool out, the FA Cup looks a better bet, especially if they can get past Birmingham today.

Qualification for Europe through the league looks an outside prospect for Moyes' side as they are 10 points behind seventh-placed Aston Villa. "The Europa League has got a long way to go," he said. "If you get the FA Cup draws at home it could be much easier. Possibly at the moment the FA Cup [is the easier one to win] but there are a lot of good teams still in it.

"I am driven to go far in all competitions because we've not won anything [in his managerial reign]. If we can make Europe it is good for us. It has been great for Everton in the last few years and it is good for us at this present time. I'll continue to try to do it through the league but if I can't I'll have to do it through the cups and if we don't then so be it."

Moyes admits last year's run to the FA Cup final, where they lost to Chelsea, has given him a good feeling about the competition. And with his side unbeaten in their last six Premier League matches after a shaky start to the season the Scot believes it is time to transfer that form to the Cup.

"The run we had in the FA Cup was tremendous and I still feel that in my blood so it would be nice to do that again," he said. "We probably had the hardest draw we could have had last season with Liverpool, Aston Villa, Manchester United and then Chelsea in the final."