2025/26 David Moyes

[Blue peter]

I think this season has exposed a fundamental uncertainty about what Everton wants to be.

For all the talk of progression, there still appears to be no clear alignment between the leadership, manager and supporter expectations.

A month ago there were genuine conversations about whether Everton could push towards the Champions League places; now there is a realistic chance the season ends in 14th.

All the internal narrative has been about pushing onwards and a Moyes has talked up (somewhat reluctantly) the possibility of Europe and it's been within reach for a good portion of the year (it still was yesterday despite a month of poor results). The manager has voiced his frustration about recent results. So european football must have been be the expectation at some stage this year and certainly should be for next year, even if it wasn't at the beginning of this season.

The media narrative around the club has been that Moyes has done a great job moving us from relegation candidates to mid table. Ultimately though, this season should be looked on as a series of wasted opportunities in results and squad management.

Players we spent months courting for high fees have been poorly integrated, publicly talked down and pushed down the pecking order in favour of players playing out of their natural positions and in McNeills case, a player we were actively trying to sell.

Understandable if the plan is to use a year of development to mould youngersters into 1st team ready players - but the emphasis appears to be that the skills and attributes that made the club spend heavily on them last summer, are now considered liabilities to a manager with a tactical system that requires discipline and collective effort over individual skill and attacking intent.

Dibling, Aznou, George, Rohl, all bought with exciting profiles, have barely featured in a team that, despite being within touching distance of European football for months, may well finish 14th. Some may look at midtable as progress, but 14th where we have underutilised younger players feels like underwhelming stability at the expense of long term planning.

That reflects poorly against the manager and, if that is unaddressed, is a failure of the club leadership, because we are approaching a summer where we must get recruitment right, we cannot afford expensive signings recruited without a clear plan for how they fit the manager’s system.

If, as is reported, Moyes has final say and signs off on all these players, then he should shoulder responsibility for poor recruitment last summer and if he's allowed more money this summer, the club needs stronger recruitment oversight and clearer alignment between recruitment and manager.

Because among fans, ambitious rhetoric will not tolerate conservative execution.

There is little point in the club recruiting exciting young talent if the manager neither trusts their profiles or plays a style that suits them and if the club wants to talk like an ambitious project, it cannot have a manager who manages like survival is still the primary objective.

Brilliant post that. Do you want a job heading up performance strategy at the club? Genuinely great post and I couldn’t agree more.

 

[JLW]

He'll get a two-year extension at least, unless we get hammered next week

I hope Spurs put the final nail in his coffin, because a win there will just mask over his inabilities.

 

[Nymzee]

I hope Spurs put the final nail in his coffin, because a win there will just mask over his inabilities.

Nothing happens if we lose to Spurs.

 

[Curtis]

He's kept us away from a relegation battle, but there's no masking how poor the end to the season has been. It's made worse by the fact that there was an opportunity to sneak into europe.

Next season has to be better.

Will only be better if he's gone otherwise it's going to be a groundhog day experience where we encounter the same middling season again

 

[GlosBlue]

Whilst he has done a fantastic job in steadying the ship, I don't think Moyes is the long term solution. I am truly hoping that the new owners have a long term plan which involves management structure, scouting, recruitment etc.

If that is the case, I think it would be mad to let Moyes spend millions on his own choice of players this summer. Whoever we bring in needs to be part of a strategic plan and if Moyes can't work with that then surely it is time to get someone in that can?

 

[blueblue]

My preference is Iraola but I accept that David Moyes will be our manager next season. I think that is clear.

I think any new contract for him will depend of how the team performs next season rather than this season.

I would love if Moyes moved into a general manager role and Iraola were to come in as head coach as we used to see in the past but I know that Moyes and probably Iraola wouldn't accept that.

 

[jazzy]

When he's inevitably sacked mid season next year then the CEO and owners will need to take full responsibility for not being proactive and making a change in the summer
[/QUOT
Agreed. This is a terribly missed opportunity when there are a number of excellent, progressive coaches available.

The stars might not align like this again

 

[Frenk]

How absolutely woeful it is that we can’t even beat two of the promoted teams and in all likelihood they will both finish above us. Yet this is painted by some as a success story? That’s bloody weird if you ask me.

 

[Iana]

Nothing happens if we lose to Spurs.

Depends on the manner of the loss but he seems secure with Kinnear’s statement at the weekend.

 

[JLW]

I think this season has exposed a fundamental uncertainty about what Everton wants to be.

For all the talk of progression, there still appears to be no clear alignment between the leadership, manager and supporter expectations.

A month ago there were genuine conversations about whether Everton could push towards the Champions League places; now there is a realistic chance the season ends in 14th.

All the internal narrative has been about pushing onwards and a Moyes has talked up (somewhat reluctantly) the possibility of Europe and it's been within reach for a good portion of the year (it still was yesterday despite a month of poor results). The manager has voiced his frustration about recent results. So european football must have been be the expectation at some stage this year and certainly should be for next year, even if it wasn't at the beginning of this season.

The media narrative around the club has been that Moyes has done a great job moving us from relegation candidates to mid table. Ultimately though, this season should be looked on as a series of wasted opportunities in results and squad management.

Players we spent months courting for high fees have been poorly integrated, publicly talked down and pushed down the pecking order in favour of players playing out of their natural positions and in McNeills case, a player we were actively trying to sell.

Understandable if the plan is to use a year of development to mould youngersters into 1st team ready players - but the emphasis appears to be that the skills and attributes that made the club spend heavily on them last summer, are now considered liabilities to a manager with a tactical system that requires discipline and collective effort over individual skill and attacking intent.

Dibling, Aznou, George, Rohl, all bought with exciting profiles, have barely featured in a team that, despite being within touching distance of European football for months, may well finish 14th. Some may look at midtable as progress, but 14th where we have underutilised younger players feels like underwhelming stability at the expense of long term planning.

That reflects poorly against the manager and, if that is unaddressed, is a failure of the club leadership, because we are approaching a summer where we must get recruitment right, we cannot afford expensive signings recruited without a clear plan for how they fit the manager’s system.

If, as is reported, Moyes has final say and signs off on all these players, then he should shoulder responsibility for poor recruitment last summer and if he's allowed more money this summer, the club needs stronger recruitment oversight and clearer alignment between recruitment and manager.

Because among fans, ambitious rhetoric will not tolerate conservative execution.

There is little point in the club recruiting exciting young talent if the manager neither trusts their profiles or plays a style that suits them and if the club wants to talk like an ambitious project, it cannot have a manager who manages like survival is still the primary objective.

Great post but i dont think the recruitment has been that poor last summer, Moyes has not given them a chance for us to judge.

Now if we were sailing through to Europe or had not wimpered out of the cups to Wolves Sunderland then there maybe a bit of an 'he done the right thing as the team had momentum' to back Moyes decision, but he has frozen out completely our new signings and a called back Harrison Armstrong and stumpped his progression in favour of playing McNeil, an out of form Illy, Gana being flogged week week out.

There are many many things he could of done different this season:
Garner RB and play Rohl CM
Illy number 10
JOB regular CB
KDH more central midfield than a number 10
Dibling instead of McNeil
Illy as a striker with Dibling and Grealish on the wings
Myko LB with Aznou ahead of him to inject directness and pace in the side.

Not saying all this would work but at least do something different from time to time.

He has chosen to repeatedly field the same tried and failed 'experienced' players in the same system.

He is out of his depth for this club and the modern game in general.

 

[Ruairi77]

My preference is Iraola but I accept that David Moyes will be our manager next season. I think that is clear.

I think any new contract for him will depend of how the team performs next season rather than this season.

I would love if Moyes moved into a general manager role and Iraola were to come in as head coach as we used to see in the past but I know that Moyes and probably Iraola wouldn't accept that.

I used to want that, not now. I want him gone altogether.

 

[JLW]

Nothing happens if we lose to Spurs.

Then more noise needs to made, to remove him, simple really.

Dont underestimate the power of fans unrest.

 

[Ray Atteveld's Kit]

My preference is Iraola but I accept that David Moyes will be our manager next season. I think that is clear.

I think any new contract for him will depend of how the team performs next season rather than this season.

I would love if Moyes moved into a general manager role and Iraola were to come in as head coach as we used to see in the past but I know that Moyes and probably Iraola wouldn't accept that.

Why though? What will he actually bring to the role? His recent transfer record both here and West Ham have been poor, and in his previous spell he didn't set the academy up for success? He's seems to have a short term mindset when managing so I struggle to see where he would add any value. That's not even taking in to account him potentially interfering or undermining the actual coach/manager.

 

[Nymzee]

Then more noise needs to made, to remove him, simple really.

Dont underestimate the power of fans unrest.

Lol fan unrest for finishing very comfortable this season will not see him sacked ffs.

 

[Curtis]

Every game we play now just exudes uncertainty any lead we create you know we won't be able to hold and any time we're behind you know it's probably unlikely we'll be able to reclaim the lead. There is just a prevailing anxiety has been present in the matches over the last month and half and it doesn't seem like he has any actual plans to address those issues, he set us up basically the same every week barring any injuries or the odd whim to change which is rare like Rohl for McNeil but lodged in at a less than ideal position. He doesn't even feel like a human manager it's like things are being operated by AI, everything is a predictable pattern