2025/26 David Moyes

[quasi modo]

I'd love one of the local reporters to grow a set of balls and ask him what his game plan at home is?

Whatever it is, its definitely not working!

 

[davids]

I'd love one of the local reporters to grow a set of balls and ask him what his game plan at home is?

Whatever it is, its definitely not working!

Maybe the players too,away they'll run through brick walls,at home they very rarely break into a sweat until half time.

 

[Kevsleftpeg]

Martinez scored the most points in the last 3 decades so that would make him the best by an objective measure.

I would think league position is a more important metric. Unless you think Liverpool finishing second with a records points was a bigger success than all of the time we won the league?

 

[Kevsleftpeg]

The 4th was also achieved after finishing 17th, selling our best player and not really spending much of it at all on the playing staff.

So, there is a lot to analyse about both seasons. Both were great in their own way.

And without Lukaku being foisted upon us for free.

 

[wandyr79]

We obviously never know with these things, but my take on Monday was that Leeds decided to hold on to what they had in the second half rather than us dominating them to such an extent that they couldn't get out. It looked like they backed themselves to go to two banks of four and make it difficult for us in order to hold on to a 1-0 win. Once we got level they decided to have another go at trying to nick it and caused us problems again. It's similar to what we did against Forest away, on the face of it it looked like they had us penned in and were battering the door down but I'd be pretty confident in saying that was just our tactical set up and we were content to let them do it.

Yeah, fair points.

I guess that is why the answer to the question 'Was it down to team x being good or team y being bad?', is most of the time 'A bit of both'.

Did we push them back, or did they default to a 10 man behind the ball tactic. As you said, we will never know and it could be debated till the end of days and we will never know. I suppose one argument for more us than them is that if I was a Leeds fan I would find it strange not to try and continue that dominance they had.

I feel that, despite them dropping off, we did create chances in the 2nd half and could have won it. So the passing did improve, unlike what was implied in the post I was replying to.

 

[Kevsleftpeg]

I don’t dispute he had major flaws & needed sacking but he also played the best football in 30 years in that one season.

That's not true. The Yakubu season was far more entertaining and we went deep in multiple cup competitions too.

 

[Vaughan]

It depends...if we were starting our young players and were creating chances and playing fast, slick football but not winning, I think we could see progress being made...

like under martinez

probably the most defamatory crowd reaction we've had to a manager. and we've had benetiz, allardyce and dyche since

 

[DualityNSNO]

Yes & 2 semi finals, narrowly beaten by the 2 most expensive squads in the country.


But he wore brown shoes & praised his players in public, so that’s too much for some.

I think the part that was too much for some was the freefall in form and the fact he was obviously unable to keep any kind of cohesive team going, and also the "I don't believe in defending" comments.

 

[Lanolin]

I think the part that was too much for some was the freefall in form and the fact he was obviously unable to keep any kind of cohesive team going, and also the "I don't believe in defending" comments.

Yeah the revisionism is a bit wild. He took over a team which hadn't finished lower than 8th for 7 years, pretty much doubled the transfer record, finished 11th and then had us in 13th. It's not hugely surprising people didn't think he was doing a great job really.

 

[DanB90]

Cmon. You obviously completely understand why Moyes isn't rated by other fans if your praise of him is being the least worst of our managers to not win a trophy these last 30yrs.

So why are these fans cork-sniffers? Apart from Dave. I dunno what a cork-sniffer is but I'd imagine he is one

I’m not talking so much about the fans who want success. We all should.

I’m talking about the ones who turn their noses up because we don’t play like Brighton/Bournemouth. Pine for the likes of Iraola, who hasn’t achieved anything in this league.

They’re the cork-sniffers.

 

[Gilbert..]

I’d rather watch us trying to attack than sitting back,
And Hardly committing any players forward. Like v Leeds and wolves and Sunderland in the cup.

To be fair Bournemouth have sold solanke, 3 of thier back 4 and now Semenyo in 18 months. And obviously not replaced with the same quality. What they had conceded in 23 games this season they conceded in 38 last season.

And for all what you say, goals conceded,
No wins in 12, selling their best players.
Letting Iraola go into the final year of his contract.
They are one win behind us. Im not saying I want Iraola, I just want something different as the football moyes is serving up is as dull as dishwater.

I'm ready for a bit of excting footy. I'll be blaming you though if it goes tits up.

 

[Kevsleftpeg]

Yes & 2 semi finals, narrowly beaten by the 2 most expensive squads in the country.


But he wore brown shoes & praised his players in public, so that’s too much for some.

And also squandered our best striker in a generation playing boring insipid football. The first season was exciting because it was different and we went on a run but the passing side to side continuously quickly became dull as ditch water.

 

[twoblue]

I am mean the situation is a bit more nuanced than that, but this is a good place to start.

I am an Everton fan, not a Moyes fan, so if he does go then I will be hoping for better but it is just far too risky, in my opinion to let him go, just yet.

There is no valid reason other than fans don't like his style of play, or don't like him.

Realistically we have probably improved more than I thought we would and this might be the consensus, if you look at predictions pre-season. There is a case that it is simply a personality clash and nothing to do with the football. Or, it is just people wanting to whinge. I would not be surprised to hear the same arguments, against him, if we were sitting in the top 4.

Are there better managers out there, in our range, of course there are. Some times though it is a case of careful what you wish for.

He has come in for stability, I don't think we can definitely say we are stable yet. We have hit calmer waters, for sure, but one more summer transfer window, another run at Europe (which we may already get this season) and then it will more realistic to judge after that. Then we can get one of these new up and coming managers in with a solid recruitment system in place.

To be honest, midtable is hard. Means you have good performances and bad performances. Everyone thinks you should kick on but it’s not that easy. The teams above us have largely spent more than us over a period of time.
If we were to make any changes I would start with forking out a fortune for the back end team at Brentford or Brighton. Until that improves I would stick with Moyes for another couple of seasons, enjoy a conference league win and couple of top half finishes.
Failing that, risky young foreign manager that 7 out of 10 times is likely to fail. And if they do do well, will take the next big job that comes along.
You are right about nuance - improving to midtable is actually quite boring - everyone would have said we would take it at the start of the season, but it now doesn’t seem enough

 

[Kevsleftpeg]

Yeah the revisionism is a bit wild. He took over a team which hadn't finished lower than 8th for 7 years, pretty much doubled the transfer record, finished 11th and then had us in 13th. It's not hugely surprising people didn't think he was doing a great job really.

He also was extremely lucky that he inherited Stones and Barkley who were just about to break through. He was a massive chancer.

 

[Kevsleftpeg]

They’re the cork-sniffers.

I completely misread that again first