2025/26 David Moyes

[John from Bootle]

Feels like we

Improvement isn't achievement.

Well, it is if that's all most fans were hoping to see at the outset of the season. He's done, or should I say achieved, what people were hoping he would do. To now go back and say that more should be achieved is a bit mental.

 

[Lob]

There's improvement mostly in away form. That's where we've improved.

Home form is pitiful.

Again: if we get a euro spot it's achievement. If not then I fail to see what the achievement is.

People who say we've achieved are really struggling here to justify that claim.

Don't you remember dreading every single game mate. It went on for about 3 years. We were pretty much favourite for the drop at the start of every season and a relegation fight all season long. Them days have been long gone since Moyes came back and we haven’t exactly got a team of world beaters. We have barely started rebuilding but are enjoying our football again. Well that is how it is for me anyway.

 

[davek]

Well, it is if that's all most fans were hoping to see at the outset of the season. He's done, or should I say achieved, what people were hoping he would do. To now go back and say that more should be achieved is a bit mental.

There's 7 games to go and we could easily finish bottom half.

Would that be an achievement?

To me, a top half finish without a European place would be acceptable given that we'll probably have to get a minimum of 56 points or so to stay top half. A Euro spot would be an achievement.


The overall point here is that - no matter what's happened in the last few seasons - we shouldn't be setting such a low bar that just being out of a relegation fight is thought of as an achievement, because it very much isn't.

 

[davek]

Don't you remember dreading every single game mate. It went on for about 3 years. We were pretty much favourite for the drop at the start of every season and a relegation fight all season long. Them days have been long gone since Moyes came back and we haven’t exactly got a team of world beaters. We have barely started rebuilding but are enjoying our football again. Well that is how it is for me anyway.

Yes, I agree with all that. Of course we've improved.

But the debate here is over what constitutes achievement.

The end of the season will dictate that, it cant be claimed for what's happened right now though.

It's in the balance as to whether this season is one of achievement or is something less than that.

Seems pretty uncontroversial to claim that to me like.

 

[John from Bootle]

There's 7 games to go and we could easily finish bottom half.

Would that be an achievement?

To me, a top half finish without a European place would be acceptable given that we'll probably have to get a minimum of 56 points or so to stay top half. A Euro spot would be an achievement.


The overall point here is that - no matter what's happened in the last few seasons - we shouldn't be setting such a low bar that just being out of a relegation fight is thought of as an achievement, because it very much isn't.

Context is important Dave. He's improved us and that's what we'd hoped he would achieve. A total of 6.8% of 368 fans thought Europa or CL was a 'realistic' achievement, but then 6.3 % of fans thought winning the league was realistic...

 

[Lob]

Yes, I agree with all that. Of course we've improved.

But the debate here is over what constitutes achievement.

The end of the season will dictate that, it cant be claimed for what's happened right now though.

It's in the balance as to whether this season is one of achievement or is something less than that.

Seems pretty uncontroversial to claim that to me like.

For me personally, enjoying watching the blues play each week and actually play some decent football and being in the mix for European qualification is an achievement compared to what came before. It was embarrassing being a blue back then. Its not now.

 

[Bluepablo]

This time in the previous 3 seasons before Moyes came, we were deep into relegation battles with the real possibility of going down, terrified of even playing the poorest teams in league or listening to the likes of Lampard and Dyche highest ambitions being staying in the league. There was no enjoyment at all for at least 3 seasons and it got that bad that there were pitch invasions for staying up.

I am no fan of Moyes but we have to give credit where it is due and since he came back we haven't once been in a relegation battle, we are fun to watch and are battling for Europe for the first time in about 8 years. It is an achievement no matter what happens in the last 7 games imo.

Not too sure about the fun to watch. Chelsea definitely but can only think of a couple of other games where it’s been ‘fun’ unfortunately. Keeping it tight & nicking one isn’t really a recipe for entertaining football.

 

[blue to the bone]

Thank you Gaffer.
You continue to boil a few cranks piss. Marvellous

 

[Swagger]

Not too sure about the fun to watch. Chelsea definitely but can only think of a couple of other games where it’s been ‘fun’ unfortunately. Keeping it tight & nicking one isn’t really a recipe for entertaining football.

Yet that style will most likely win Arsenal the league.

 

[Blackwell Livermore]

If it's not 72 points it's not an achievement.

 

[Efcjake]

I look forward to you applying this consistently to every season and every future manager going forward.

I do like this new policy of you can call the manager crap at any poor run of form but if the form picks up we have to wait to the end of the season to pass judgement.

Feels like we

Improvement isn't achievement.

I don't think anyone else sees it that way.

Improvement is progress and progress is good.

 

[Marcus Kendall]

Branthwaite has been out for most of the season. KDH missed over a month. Ndiaye missed about a month, same for Gueye. Grealish has been out for nearly 3 months now. We have a good squad but we haven’t had many chances for them all to be playing at the same time. January was particularly grim and yet here we are 3 months later 3 points off 5th.

Well said. Maybe it shows our back up players like Keane aren't as bad as we like to portray? Of course Moyes has done well this season and even his biggest detractors will have to admit that. But we're coming to the judgement part of the season now and if we tail off and miss out on Europe it will feel like a missed opportunity especially with how teams who normally would be up there are having an off season (granted its been 2 in a row for Spurs)

 

[Nymzee]

Sack him unless we finish Top 4.

 

[DayL08]

Not too sure about the fun to watch. Chelsea definitely but can only think of a couple of other games where it’s been ‘fun’ unfortunately. Keeping it tight & nicking one isn’t really a recipe for entertaining football.

There has been a bit of revisionism since the great performance against Chelsea and the long break. Forgetting most of the other home performances

For once DaveK is making a good point - the league is so packed that we are just as likely to end up 13th as we are 5th. Would people be happy with 13th. Isn’t that about where Dyche would have finished without the deductions that year

The league is a strange one this year. At the moment we are behind Brentford who promoted their set piece coach, lost their 2 best players and their captain. I bet most of us thought that they would be in a relegation scrap. Do we think they are lauding Andrews as the messiah.

 

[smileychap]

Don't you remember dreading every single game mate. It went on for about 3 years. We were pretty much favourite for the drop at the start of every season and a relegation fight all season long. Them days have been long gone since Moyes came back and we haven’t exactly got a team of world beaters. We have barely started rebuilding but are enjoying our football again. Well that is how it is for me anyway.

Timely.