2025/26 David Moyes

[RD2910]

But he’s not a right back. He’s a midfielder.

This is my point, he might do a job at right back but it’s pointless because if Garner is going to impact the team we need him in midfield. Play an actual right back so Garner can influence the game in his natural position.

Same applies to Branthwaite. Look at the game against United we were absolutely done for pace down the centre and we have got absolutely done over because our only central defender who had any bit of catch up pace was playing left back and up the pitch.

The only times messing around with player position works is if you’ve left with no choice due to injury or it’s a one off tactical change. Insisting with it like Moyes does just makes no sense.

Michael Keane is a better finisher than Beto and Barry and we’ve used him as a target man in the 90th minute if we’re a goal down before. But you’d never genuinely start him up top over a number of games. Because he doesn’t have any of the other attributes needed to play that position longer term. Exactly the same applies to midfielders playing right back

It's not pointless playing Garner at right back, he's the best right back we have. You'd lose his ability in midfield, definitely, but our back ups in central midfield are clearly more capable than our right backs. I know this is a time where our manager is playing too many out of position, and I hate Branthwaite at left back, but loads of players have played out of their favoured position and succeeded. I don't know where this idea that this can only be effective in emergencies has come from.

Michael Keane can strike a ball, but I seriously doubt he's actually a better finisher than those players. I think it's a bit of a running joke. It goes without saying he's a worse striker than them.

 

[jazzy]

Its noticeable how fans are talking about Moyes potentially going in the summer but the journalists who should be closer to the club are not.

Whether that is because the journalists don't know anything these days or because the fans are being unrealistic, time will tell.

Sadly I suspect that it's because the fans are out of touch with reality and Moyes really isn't going anywhere

 

[jazzy]

I expect Moyes to be offered a new contract by the owners most likely another 2 years. Thats based on results and League postion since he took over.

I desperately hope that you are wrong amigo , another season or two of bizarre team selections and negative football will drain the very last dregs of hope and enthusiasm that we have in the club.

You may well be correct though

 

[smileychap]

Sure, it's all about opinion and ours is somewhat different. That's why the forum is a great place.

But what exactly were those achievements? I'd hope that with the new ownership, new ground and the way the Premier League has exploded as the Worlds most-watched football league we'd hope to achieve more than he did in those 11 years. It's a very low bar to be fair. I'm not sure the vast, vast majority of Evertonians would be particularly satisfied waiting another 11 years for a few timid performances in the odd semi-final appearance and constantly hitting a glass ceiling whilst the gap gets bigger. I'd be disappointed if TFG weren't equally demanding of their manager in wanting better than what's gone before.
Personally, I think we should be aspiring for much more than a Europa Cup run which was the last positive thing we achieved under Moyes.

I feel like the brutal truth is those 11 years were Moyes hay day, I'm glad he got a pot for Hammers, too.

And is Moyes favourable to the BK / MOSH era of ego-driven frankly despicable decision-making that nearly relegated us? yes, Moyes is better than all those things.

But that's a low bar. Look what Brentford Brighton Bournemouth and others are achieving with 'stable' mgt.

Other than last summer's transfer business I can't see a lot wrong in TFG. I feel moving on from Moyes will be the right thing to do when the impact of Emery at Villa, Arteta at Arsenal are compared.

I am up for a long term great quality manager, but don't think Moyes pedigree for winning at the sharp makes him a choice, it's just a question seemingly of how long we need 'safety' to rebuild our coffers.

And here's the problem of 'safety',
- with the current style of football
- take out freak wins away at villa and utd
- neither are we safe
- nor attractive to players that would move us upward

... so we pile it all on the likes of 1 goal Grealish.

 

[hetion]

It's not pointless playing Garner at right back, he's the best right back we have. You'd lose his ability in midfield, definitely, but our back ups in central midfield are clearly more capable than our right backs. I know this is a time where our manager is playing too many out of position, and I hate Branthwaite at left back, but loads of players have played out of their favoured position and succeeded. I don't know where this idea that this can only be effective in emergencies has come from.

Michael Keane can strike a ball, but I seriously doubt he's actually a better finisher than those players. I think it's a bit of a running joke. It goes without saying he's a worse striker than them.

Garner at RB could be really good if we played KDH and Armstrong ahead of maybe Tim in a midfield 3 to give us the passing and composure on the ball the Garner does. I thought Gana could give us that a bit but I don't think so anymore really.

Moving Garner to RB with a midfield two of Tim and Gana sacrifices too much on ball quality it seems

 

[jazzy]

Garner at RB could be really good if we played KDH and Armstrong ahead of maybe Tim in a midfield 3 to give us the passing and composure on the ball the Garner does. I thought Gana could give us that a bit but I don't think so anymore really.

Moving Garner to RB with a midfield two of Tim and Gana sacrifices too much on ball quality it seems

I'm not in favour of moving our best midfielder to RB and prefer specialists playing in their correct position but I completely agree with your analysis.

Looking forward I'd prefer a proper right back and a midfield of Garner and KDH with Armstrong just ahead of them.

 

[blueboy72]

It's not pointless playing Garner at right back, he's the best right back we have. You'd lose his ability in midfield, definitely, but our back ups in central midfield are clearly more capable than our right backs. I know this is a time where our manager is playing too many out of position, and I hate Branthwaite at left back, but loads of players have played out of their favoured position and succeeded. I don't know where this idea that this can only be effective in emergencies has come from.

Michael Keane can strike a ball, but I seriously doubt he's actually a better finisher than those players. I think it's a bit of a running joke. It goes without saying he's a worse striker than them.

They weren’t capable on Monday night,
As gana and Tim kept
Giving the ball away
Also when Moyes has been forced to play. Patterson RB and O’Brien CB, we’ve had something like 4 clean sheets in 5 or something like that, away at Villa he was forced to play a midfield 3 with Armstrong and Rhol. And we beat a team with a brilliant home record.

Rhol hasn’t had a minute since and Armstrong hasn’t started a game in centre midfield since

 

[hetion]

I'm not in favour of moving our best midfielder to RB and prefer specialists playing in their correct position but I completely agree with your analysis.

Looking forward I'd prefer a proper right back and a midfield of Garner and KDH with Armstrong just ahead of them.

Agreed, it's just the weird circumstance of him also being our best RB and centre mid being by miles our most stacked position!

Personally would want KDH and Armstrong as two 8s ahead of Garner, I'm not sure Armstrong is a 10 either really

 

[Lanolin]

They weren’t capable on Monday night,
As gana and Tim kept
Giving the ball away
Also when Moyes has been forced to play. Patterson RB and O’Brien CB, we’ve had something like 4 clean sheets in 5 or something like that, away at Villa he was forced to play a midfield 3 with Armstrong and Rhol. And we beat a team with a brilliant home record.

Rhol hasn’t had a minute since and Armstrong hasn’t started a game in centre midfield since

I think it's worth remembering we've had those results with other back 4s away though, that's the key point. People seem to be seeing what they want to see to some extent, it's easy to just say 'if O'Brien's in the middle of defence and Garner's in midfield that doesn't happen' but in reality those things have happened in games where those players have been there. I'm not saying those things aren't issues, but i'm not sure they're the simple solutions some people want them to be, I think there's a lot more wrong with the set up than just who's playing where.

 

[Neiler]

It’s the mangers job to raise expectations…..

 

[Swartzy]

It's not pointless playing Garner at right back, he's the best right back we have. You'd lose his ability in midfield, definitely, but our back ups in central midfield are clearly more capable than our right backs. I know this is a time where our manager is playing too many out of position, and I hate Branthwaite at left back, but loads of players have played out of their favoured position and succeeded. I don't know where this idea that this can only be effective in emergencies has come from.

Michael Keane can strike a ball, but I seriously doubt he's actually a better finisher than those players. I think it's a bit of a running joke. It goes without saying he's a worse striker than them.

Where was our capable midfield when we conceded to utd.

Absolutely nowhere !!

 

[Nymzee]

8-12th is where I said before a ball was kicked and I think that's where we'll finish.

 

[Nyhus]

I desperately hope that you are wrong amigo , another season or two of bizarre team selections and negative football will drain the very last dregs of hope and enthusiasm that we have in the club.

You may well be correct though

We kept it going through the absolute horror of the past few years, so i think boring football delivering 8-12th is acceptable for another season or two

 

[Gilbert..]

Where was our capable midfield when we conceded to utd.

Absolutely nowhere !!

He was central midfield when we let in 4 at home against Brentford and Newcastle.
The goal was not due to Garner at RB.

 

[blueboy72]

8-12th is where I said before a ball was kicked and I think that's where we'll finish.

You can’t serve up this dross and finish 1 place ahead of last season having spent 130mil