Frustrated by his forwards' lack of goals this season, Moyes started with midfield talisman Tim Cahill up front in Tuesday's Premier League draw at West Ham. Cahill has scored nine of Everton's 21 league goals this term, three times as many as Louis Saha, Ayegbeni Yakubu and Jermaine Beckford combined. The testing New Year's Day trip to the Britannia Stadium is Cahill's last match before joining his Australia team-mates for the Asia Cup but Moyes has no qualms about letting him lead the line. Moyes said: "There was no message intended for the strikers. "The message was that Tim Cahill has scored nine goals - third top goalscorer in the Premier League. "I hoped he could do me a job from centre forward and get some more goals from there. "I need somebody to score goals and if I don't find somebody I am going to have to keep looking for a solution. "We will play the people who are in form and Tim Cahill was certainly in form. "The strikers couldn't turn around and say they hadn't had opportunities. "They have had opportunities to play and the supporters have had opportunities to see them." In the end it needed a Seamus Coleman equaliser to claim a point at Upton Park. The Hammers had taken the lead through an own goal from full-back Tony Hibbert, who was forced to play at centre-half due to injuries to Phil Jagielka and John Heitinga. The pair are both facing fitness tests, on thigh and knee injuries respectively, and Moyes is hoping at least one of them comes through and can partner Sylvain Distin. "They are both back in light training and I have got to hope I can get one of them fit," Moyes said. "Tony Hibbert played great in midweek but you wouldn't want to go to Stoke without a recognised centre-half. "You know you are going to come in for a quite a lot of aerial bombardment. "But if I had to go with Tony I am more than happy to do so again." Moyes is expecting nothing less than the kind of tough, physical encounter for which Stoke have become renowned during their time in the Premier League. Tony Pulis' men slipped to an unexpected loss to struggling Fulham on Tuesday but Moyes is not reading much into that. "Everybody knows how tough it will be," Moyes said. "We will have to deal with a barrage of long throws and a big crowd there. "It is an intimidating place to go. The supporters are really enjoying their Premier League time and they did great last year. "They are building on it and Tony has brought in some players to improve the team. "They are a threat and a well-organised side who are never out of the game. They don't get beaten easily and they are always in it." Everton have failed to live up to pre-season expectations and are a disappointing 11th in the table heading into 2011. They still at least boast a healthy away record and lost just four times away in the league in 2010 and are unbeaten in their last eight on their travels. Moyes said: "I hadn't even thought about that. "Sometimes winning a few games is better than drawing four or five but not losing gives you something. "We are a hard team to beat. We work hard and prepare well to try to make sure we don't lose games but in the same breath we are always trying to win them." Moyes would like to strengthen his squad in the January transfer window but has again responded to speculation linking him with players by stressing the club has no money to spend. Any incoming activity at Goodison Park is likely to be restricted to the loan market. Moyes said: "I don't expect to be too busy. Definitely we would like to add if we can but I don't expect it to be a really busy market. "But, who knows, I might be wrong."
