2025/26 Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall

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I've said it before but if you'd prefer a different style of 10 to KDH, or want to see him played deeper, totally fair enough.

But if you think he's been *bad* then you are just fundamentally not good at assessing football probably. He's been straight up one of the best in the league at passing the ball into the box. Links play fantastically, great movement, good touch, crisp passing, words hard. Very good set piece delivery too.

His last game was his worst definitely but...so what? He's been a great signing so far, 25m feels like a fair price which isn't something you can say often these days.
All fair points, but what I don't understand is why we've bought him in the context of our existing first 11 from last season. Moyes has signed KDH and along with Grealish they are effectively the only changes to the starting 11. However we've changed the way that we were playing, effectively not pressing as high up field, slower in the transition and not as direct. That to me doesn't suit the rest of the players in the team and we looked more effective playing the way that we did last season. Why not bring in better players to improve the effectiveness of the way we were playing last season rather than slow everything down and play a different and so far less effective style?
 

All fair points, but what I don't understand is why we've bought him in the context of our existing first 11 from last season. Moyes has signed KDH and along with Grealish they are effectively the only changes to the starting 11. However we've changed the way that we were playing, effectively not pressing as high up field, slower in the transition and not as direct. That to me doesn't suit the rest of the players in the team and we looked more effective playing the way that we did last season. Why not bring in better players to improve the effectiveness of the way we were playing last season rather than slow everything down and play a different and so far less effective style?
Fair questions honestly. One of the things I'd love to know, and why we probably never will, is why Moyes had us go from an extremely direct team last season to an extremely patient team this one.
 
Fair questions honestly. One of the things I'd love to know, and why we probably never will, is why Moyes had us go from an extremely direct team last season to an extremely patient team this one.
My only wild guess on this, is that he felt a certain freedom to play that way as he wanted to get us out of trouble asap and was willing to be a bit more risky. My only comparison on this is the way he played when he first came in and took over from Smith and we were in a relegation battle. I'm not a Moyes fan but if he had kept that style from last season and added some better pacier players then he might have won me over. Instead he did the opposite.
 

The only other thing I would add is getting 1.63 PPG over 19 games, with the squad we had last season was very good. It was the highest PPG he has had as an Everton manager and he's only ever topped that in one season with West Ham. Given all of that it seems mind boggling that he has done what he has done.
 
The only other thing I would add is getting 1.63 PPG over 19 games, with the squad we had last season was very good. It was the highest PPG he has had as an Everton manager and he's only ever topped that in one season with West Ham. Given all of that it seems mind boggling that he has done what he has done.
We were pretty fortunate with injuries during that run and Beto also had a run of scoring. Probably better to judge him over the entire season. We're playing much better football than last year. If Beto was in the same form as last we would probably have at least another 4 points.
 
Fair questions honestly. One of the things I'd love to know, and why we probably never will, is why Moyes had us go from an extremely direct team last season to an extremely patient team this one.
Its funny how managers get criticized for being direct - getting called dinosaurs etc. And then they get criticised for not being direct !

I'd imagine Moyes wanted to try something different with the quality of Grealish, KDH, Illy (and notionally Dibling).

Not working with the strikers right now.
 

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