Andy Gray: Everton Better Than Villa

[GrandOldTeam]

http://www.sport.co.uk/news/Football/38528/Everton_legend_Moyes_has_built_a_fabulous_side.aspx

Everton legend Andy Gray has praised the work of Toffees boss David Moyes, even going as far as to suggest that Howard Kendall might have struggled to take the club as far as the Scot has so far.

The Goodison Park club enjoyed its greatest ever spell of success under Kendall – winning two league titles, an FA Cup and a European Cup Winners’ Cup between 1984 and 1987 – but Sky Sports guru Gray believes that Moyes’ Everton revolution is just as commendable given the financial constraints he has had to work under.

Gray also compared Everton’s current squad favourably to that of Aston Villa, another of his former clubs, stating that David Moyes’ Toffees are in a better position to crack the top four next season.

In an exclusive interview with Sport.co.uk, Gray said: “This is no disrespect to Howard [Kendall] because I love him dearly and obviously have the greatest respect for him [but] I think it’s going to be more difficult for David to emulate anything that Howard did because of the financial advantage that the clubs above them have.

“It wasn’t as obvious in those days and, for David to get Everton challenging for the title, you would think there would need to be a bit of investment. I think they’ve got a fabulous side, as good an Everton side as I’ve seen for quite some time, and there are a few players still to come back so the squad is as big as it’s been for some time.

“So David’s got a genuine opportunity to finish in the top four if Everton start next season well but, as for winning the title, I think that’s a much more difficult task for anyone who’s manager of Everton working under the financial restraints that David works under."

He continued: “I think Everton have got a bigger squad than Villa. I know Villa finished above them in the league this season but such was the amount of injuries that David had to cope with at the beginning of the season that everyone got pretty much a ten or twelve point head start on Everton.

“As soon as Everton got their team back together again and the squad got stronger, they closed the gap hugely, and I do think that Everton have a better squad than Villa.

“Villa would have trouble absorbing the loss of two or three players, whereas Everton have shown that they can absorb the loss of two or three players and bring in players who are just as good or will at least do the business for them.”

 

[quasi modo]

And rightly so.

 

[Toffe3m4n]

Indeed. Any level-headed football fan would also think the same.

 

[Muggins]

Legend mate.

 

[Matt Damon]

* hums the tune to Z-CARS/Johnny Todd

 

[davek]

Absolute [Poor language removed].

1) Comparing HK unfavourably with Moyes is strictly for the birds. Howard created one of the best teams in Europe out of two bob.

2) 'Everyone got a 10 or 12 point start on Everton last season'. Yeah, because we were [Poor language removed] for the first 3 months of the campaign.


Andy Gray...does anyone really take this feller seriously anymore?

 

[wolf277]

Moyes has worked magic in the transfer market, quote the OS
"David Moyes has revealed the intense level of research that he puts in to every Everton signing.

The Blues boss refuses to recruit any new addition to his squad without seeing him play first hand.

In addition, he is armed with a wealth of information on any potential Everton signing.

"I said when I came into management that every player I sign, I want to see," declared Moyes.

"I'll watch videos but, unless I've seen them live, I won't take them - and I haven't changed. It's what I do."

This stance means the Everton boss regularly jets around Europe checking up on transfer targets.



He knows that because Everton don't have a billionaire backer like some other sides, every new arrival is quickly judged.

"I put my hours in and, if that means taking a bit more time, I'm going to do it," he continued.

"If I miss a player, so be it. A couple of weeks ago, I must have been abroad three times in a week and, by the end of it, I was on my knees physically.

"But when Everton make a signing I think we get scrutinised more because we don't have much cash. Every penny I spend here becomes very precious. For Joleon Lescott, we had 21 written reports and I went to see him live eight times. I needed to do that."

Moyes also accepts that there will inevitably be interest in his players from the aforementioned cash-rich clubs.

But he remains confident his current squad will remain intact for next season.

"Are we susceptible? Of course we are, because people look at us and think, ‘We can go to Everton and take their best players'," he observed.

"But if they do, they know they are going to have to come with a very big cheque. If they come here, they know it is going to be very expensive and our intention is not to let any of the players go. I expect them to be here next season.""

bet nobody else in the top flight works this hard and 80% of the time his due diligence pays off

 

[wolf277]

Absolute [Poor language removed].

1) Comparing HK unfavourably with Moyes is strictly for the birds. Howard created one of the best teams in Europe out of two bob.

2) 'Everyone got a 10 or 12 point start on Everton last season'. Yeah, because we were [Poor language removed] for the first 3 months of the campaign.


Andy Gray...does anyone really take this feller seriously anymore?

true but no one had money back then and he did have to contend with the billionaire owners throwing stupid money at players

 

[Allezfan]

Absolute [Poor language removed].

1) Comparing HK unfavourably with Moyes is strictly for the birds. Howard created one of the best teams in Europe out of two bob.

2) 'Everyone got a 10 or 12 point start on Everton last season'. Yeah, because we were [Poor language removed] for the first 3 months of the campaign.


Andy Gray...does anyone really take this feller seriously anymore?

1) Yeah, agreed. I love Moyes and think he's the right man for the job but HK actually won trophies.

2) Isn't that his point though? Villa played pretty consistantly all season so it's harder to see where those few extra points they need will come from without big changes. We, otoh, were absoutley awful for a third of the season so all we need to do to get the points that would take us above villa (all 4 of them) is to not make the same mistakes again.

It's like if you have two runners and they get the same time but one of them both missed the starting gun and stabbed himself in the leg with a penknife. You fancy the bleeding one playing catch up to be the better runner next race because he has room for improvement while the other runner is running at his top potential already.

If you follow, like.

 

[davek]

true but no one had money back then and he did have to contend with the billionaire owners throwing stupid money at players

1) Yeah, agreed. I love Moyes and think he's the right man for the job but HK actually won trophies.

The thing about Gray's comments is that if it was an outsider looking on you could almost forgive the ignorance. But he was there at the centre of it. He knows how Kendall took a chance on players like himself, Sheedy and Reidy. He had little money to play with until later. He knows also that Howard was tactically a very astute manager - something you couldn't really claim with Moyes.

It's just the type of unthinking, lazy effort I asociate with Gray now. He's giving people what they want to hear.

 

[Matt Damon]

The thing about Gray's comments is that if it was an outsider looking on you could almost forgive the ignorance. But he was there at the centre of it. He knows how Kendall took a chance on players like himself, Sheedy and Reidy. He had little money to play with until later. He knows also that Howard was tactically a very astute manager - something you couldn't really claim with Moyes.

It's just the type of unthinking, lazy effort I asociate with Gray now. He's giving people what they want to hear.

Davek. He's got far more medals, caps and credibility than you'll ever have.

 

[davek]

Davek. He's got far more medals, caps and credibility than you'll ever have.

You have nothing to contribute to this thread.

 

[Matt Damon]

You have nothing to contribute to this thread.

As opposed to you and your deconstruction of Andy Gray?

Don't make me laugh

 

[Muggins]

Off topic I know but:

Everton v Rapid Vienna ECWC 1985 final is on ESPN Classic NOW!!! - Sky Channel 429.

Enjoy.

 

[kenada_blue]

The thing about Gray's comments is that if it was an outsider looking on you could almost forgive the ignorance. But he was there at the centre of it. He knows how Kendall took a chance on players like himself, Sheedy and Reidy. He had little money to play with until later. He knows also that Howard was tactically a very astute manager - something you couldn't really claim with Moyes.

It's just the type of unthinking, lazy effort I asociate with Gray now. He's giving people what they want to hear.

I do think Gray is trying to say that he doesnt think Kendall could do the same job Moyes has done with Moyes' squad. I dont think he's trying to say Moyes is better than Kendall. And Im sure the same can be said that Moyes couldnt do the same job Kendall did with Kendall's squad.

Nothing in it really.