2025/26 David Moyes

[Kevsleftpeg]

Sometimes you just fall on the right approach, prepared tactics are removed from the situation, it's how you deal with what's left in front of you.

KDH moved back inline with Garner, which gave him a more open pitch infront of him, jack pulled back to basically cover as a wing back, Illy was Illy, Pickford was Pickford, the defense was solid and Barry put in a 10/10 performance compared to how he started with us.

Moyes kept that structure without any 'jump the ship' changes.
His subs were perfectly timed and perfectly chosen.

Tactics during a normally inevitable collapse after what happened were spot on.

"Credit where credit's Due"

Also, I will hold my hands up and say I wanted Moyes to make changes earlier when we were being penned in in the second half because I thought it was only a matter of time before they scored. But he held his nerve and made the calls that got the result. If they had have scored before he made changes he would have been criticised so it’s only fair that he is praised for his management of the entire game. It was basically a masterclass.

 

[Kevsleftpeg]

Moyes deserves credit where credit is due and the last two games he has slight tweaked his system and tactics. Playing Dewsbury-Hall in a midfield three has made all the difference to our ability to move the ball through the channels and if we lose the ball he drops back quickly. We are not getting overrun in midfield as we were earlier in the season and Dewsbury-Hall's fittest levels have gone up, so he's able to go forward and play and then get back if need be.
In a way, there is no excuse for Moyes now, not to do well with this squad, it's all down to how good a manger he is. We can argue all day whether he's a good manager or not, but the really test is can he win something, within the next two years, and make a serious challenge on top 4.

He’s already proven he is a very good manager. That’s not in question. You have set him way too high a bar. Top 12 this season and top 8 next season would be a fantastic achievement from where we were when he took over.

 

[TheBigIguana]

There are plenty of players earning large wages who are not very good, our old friend Doucoure for example was one of our highest earners. Paying big wages doesn't mean that the player is automatically good.

No, but paying good wages is how you keep good players

 

[TheBigIguana]

Don't get me wrong I'm not expecting us to start spending like Chelsea.

There's a massive gap inbetween what those top sides are paying in wages and what everyone else is, and somewhere inside of the gap is where we can and should be looking to exist.

We shouldn't have 11 players on 120k+ a week, but we can afford to have our star players be on wages that keep them at the club. As far as I can tell the new financial rules will allow us to be spending a bit more and I think TFG will be happy to do so.

I think that’s probably true in time. I do not think it is right now. And even then there are going to be players we cannot keep. It’s important that we’re prepared for this and can deal with this. There are only two football clubs in the world that can reliably keep players forever and neither of them play in the Premier League. Everyone else has to worry that the day comes someone asks to move on to something new and bigger.

 

[Simon Buttle]

No, but paying good wages is how you keep good players

You need to find those good players in the first place though which is our issue.

 

[TheBigIguana]

You need to find those good players in the first place though which is our issue.

Sure, we have one right now in Ndiaye and frankly he’s going to need to make significantly more to play for us at the start of next season.

 

[davek]

The language from Dewsbury Hall and Moyes after the game suggest that a change in mindset is occurring, probably driven by the realities of the new owners. KDH said that Moyes had told them pre match they needed to win to be a proper team, and the instructions were to assert themselves on United with the high line. That’s talk we haven’t heard at Everton for 30 odd years.

If he's 'getting it' then that's a step in the right direction.

But what KDH said last night contradicts even what Moyes has been saying prior to last night's game in terms of prioritising making Everton hard to beat again.

Overall though I like the notion - because that's all it is right now in relation to Moyes - that he knows that the rules have changed.

TBF, what he has to do he's done before in his first spell: get us into Europe. And that - easily conceivably - could have been done this season...still might happen if he really has turned over a new leaf.

 

[slpsd78]

Also, I will hold my hands up and say I wanted Moyes to make changes earlier when we were being penned in in the second half because I thought it was only a matter of time before they scored. But he held his nerve and made the calls that got the result. If they had have scored before he made changes he would have been criticised so it’s only fair that he is praised for his management of the entire game. It was basically a masterclass.

Me too, I thought some of them were dead on their feet but to a man they did the hard yards. Backs to the wall stuff at times but a really impressive performance from them. Hope it has a galvanizing effect now and we can push on.

 

[Saint Domingo]

If he's 'getting it' then that's a step in the right direction.

But what KDH said last night contradicts even what Moyes has been saying prior to last night's game in terms of prioritising making Everton hard to beat again.

Overall though I like the notion - because that's all it is right now in relation to Moyes - that he knows that the rules have changed.

TBF, what he has to do he's done before in his first spell: get us into Europe. And that - easily conceivably - could have been done this season...still might happen if he really has turned over a new leaf.

Proof will be in the results as always. There’s been some significant missteps this season at Leeds, the wolves cup game, and the derby which pointed to a lame acceptance of how things have been for three decades at the club. Last night was a strike against all that by winning at a sky six ground and continuing to try to play with the ball even with ten men that lead to the goal.

Ultimately we need much more of moments like last night that go against the grain of the last 30 years rather than moments that reinforce it. Moyes should be targeting a home derby win, we should be looking to try and pick off Spurs or Chelsea away, and we should be prioritising an FA cup run. This is the sort of stuff that changes the mentality of a team. Last night helps move the dial and breaks a self repeating narrative.

 

[davek]

Proof will be in the results as always. There’s been some significant missteps this season at Leeds, the wolves cup game, and the derby which pointed to a lame acceptance of how things have been for three decades at the club. Last night was a strike against all that by winning at a sky six ground and continuing to try to play with the ball even with ten men that lead to the goal.

Ultimately we need much more of moments like last night that go against the grain of the last 30 years rather than moments that reinforce it. Moyes should be targeting a home derby win, we should be looking to try and pick off Spurs or Chelsea away, and we should be prioritising an FA cup run. This is the sort of stuff that changes the mentality of a team. Last night helps move the dial and breaks a self repeating narrative.

I think you're being a bit kind there: the performances against West Ham, Villa, Spurs, and most of the games against Palace and Forest were terrible.

That's about 8 of the 14 competitive games we've had so far.

This group of players should be doing way better.

But ok, we have momentum with the last two wins. If we've turned a corner we have a decent test of that against Newcastle, I suppose.

 

[TheBigIguana]

Proof will be in the results as always. There’s been some significant missteps this season at Leeds, the wolves cup game, and the derby which pointed to a lame acceptance of how things have been for three decades at the club. Last night was a strike against all that by winning at a sky six ground and continuing to try to play with the ball even with ten men that lead to the goal.

Ultimately we need much more of moments like last night that go against the grain of the last 30 years rather than moments that reinforce it. Moyes should be targeting a home derby win, we should be looking to try and pick off Spurs or Chelsea away, and we should be prioritising an FA cup run. This is the sort of stuff that changes the mentality of a team. Last night helps move the dial and breaks a self repeating narrative.

The FA Cup run would be a lot more attainable if the first half of the season saw more progress in the general level of play from the team. Palace didn’t just luck a cup run, they got significantly better to the point that they could reliably win a bunch of games in a row. And that’s carried over to this season as well, despite losing one of their best players. That’s what a real manager does.

And then people will turn around and say we’re too big a club to look at Palace as an example when it’s exactly what we need to be doing.

 

[Titus Bramble]

Great result, great performance and thoroughly deserved on the night.

 

[Saint Domingo]

The FA Cup run would be a lot more attainable if the first half of the season saw more progress in the general level of play from the team. Palace didn’t just luck a cup run, they got significantly better to the point that they could reliably win a bunch of games in a row. And that’s carried over to this season as well, despite losing one of their best players. That’s what a real manager does.

And then people will turn around and say we’re too big a club to look at Palace as an example when it’s exactly what we need to be doing.

Didn’t Glasner lose a load of games at the start of last season and had Palace in the relegation zone with fans from other teams calling for him to be fired? Palace held firm and were rewarded. Managers need time, let’s see how far Moyes can take us, if he hits a ceiling I’m sure the Friedkins will get someone else in but if you need a manager to take a team from scrapping at the bottom into Europe then Moyes has a proven pedigree for that.

He also didn’t inherit Henderson Mitchell Guehi Andersen Munoz Wharton Lerma Eze Olise Mateta. That’s almost a very good first 11 ready made at the club. He’s then been able to sell Olise and Eze for mega money to fund more transfers.

How many of the squad Moyes picked up last season get in that line up? Pickford, Branthwaite maybe (who’s injured). That’s it. So he’s starting from a quality base way below what Glasner picked up (even though I think Glasner is a very good manager)

 

[TheBigIguana]

Didn’t Glasner lose a load of games at the start of last season and had Palace in the relegation zone with fans from other teams calling for him to be fired? Palace held firm and were rewarded. Managers need time, let’s see how far Moyes can take us, if he hits a ceiling I’m sure the Friedkins will get someone else in but if you need a manager to take a team from scrapping at the bottom into Europe then Moyes has a proven pedigree for that.

He also didn’t inherit Henderson Mitchell Guehi Andersen Munoz Wharton Lerma Eze Olise Mateta. That’s almost a very good first 11 ready made at the club. He’s then been able to sell Olise and Eze for mega money to fund more transfers.

How many of the squad Moyes picked up last season get in that line up? Pickford, Branthwaite maybe (who’s injured). That’s it. So he’s starting from a quality base way below what Glasner picked up (even though I think Glasner is a very good manager)

Our team right now is not considerably less talented than Palace

 

[Saint Domingo]

Our team right now is not considerably less talented than Palace

Yeah because we’ve had a transfer window and brought in a few players. Even then I’d argue that Palace still has the better deeper squad, especially in defence.

Moyes is moving us forward, we’ll only see how far as the results play out.