2025/26 David Moyes

[davek]

This kind of idea would be alright 30 odd years ago but it still amazes me how so many people don't realise how far we've fallen. 11 or 12 points from 10 games is exactly where we are.

Look outside of the club and ask other supporters if Moyes should be sacked by Everton and I doubt you'd get more than 1 in 20 that'd say yes.

I see it the other way: I'm amazed that some haven't realised just how much we've risen with this new ownership, and the move to a stadium that's handed a lift to the whole club.

Moyes himself has noted it and Ilm sure he knows that his usual expectation management strategy is under severe threat...he knows he wont be able to sustain his line of managed mediocrity at this club anymore.

I accept that he wont be getting sacked this season if he keeps us anywhere near mid-table, but in the summer he has to be sacked and a new manager with greater abilities and a vision for pushing our ambitions on employed.

 

[ToffeeScot]

I reckon we lose the Sunderland game due to it being a Monday night game away and the pressure starts to crank up a bit.

 

[toffeeblue9]

"Not much in the game"? Wow! We were totally sucked in and spat out time after time with any thru balls to our strikers final third. They totally soaked us up ! AND - " what cost us the game" - Is having TWO inept strikers.

There wasn't a huge amount in it mate. I know 3-0 makes it look horrendous and for that reason I don't really blame anyone going overboard, but it felt to me at the time like the balance of play was fairly even and every report and stat I've read since suggests the same.

Spurs deserved to win as they made us look weak from set pieces (which was bizarre given that until that game we had the best record in the league this season at defending them), and then a sucker punch at the end as we were looking for a goal.

I'm as frustrated as anyone, but it doesn't help to focus on failings which can't be addressed immediately - we are desperately lacking quality in attack and in both full back areas, we know this. What we can do in the short term is focus on how we've gone from the best team at defending set pieces in the division to having been exposed in one game - that's ultimately what cost us this game. If the game stays level and Spurs aren't ahead by two because of that, they're not going to sit so deep and soak anything up.

Not much point dwelling on it now - I would just hope that Barry gets some starts now as I can't deal with Beto any longer, it's taking years off my life.

 

[bitter-no-better]

There wasn't a huge amount in it mate. I know 3-0 makes it look horrendous and for that reason I don't really blame anyone going overboard, but it felt to me at the time like the balance of play was fairly even and every report and stat I've read since suggests the same.

Spurs deserved to win as they made us look weak from set pieces (which was bizarre given that until that game we had the best record in the league this season at defending them), and then a sucker punch at the end as we were looking for a goal.

I'm as frustrated as anyone, but it doesn't help to focus on failings which can't be addressed immediately - we are desperately lacking quality in attack and in both full back areas, we know this. What we can do in the short term is focus on how we've gone from the best team at defending set pieces in the division to having been exposed in one game - that's ultimately what cost us this game. If the game stays level and Spurs aren't ahead by two because of that, they're not going to sit so deep and soak anything up.

Not much point dwelling on it now - I would just hope that Barry gets some starts now as I can't deal with Beto any longer, it's taking years off my life.

Would also add that our midfield is looking lightweight at the moment. Gana's legs look to have gone. Dewsburth hall is not offering much and spends a lot of the game redundant. I would personally move Garner to left back and bring in Rohl and Alcarez.

 

[degsy]

I tell you what I'm half expecting him to do: go to a more direct ball game again, launching it and scrapping for the second ball.

Even despite the players we have needing us to go through midfield.

His instinct is to get a big lad up there, a la Fellaini and pick up the pieces.

Our attack isn't working as it is. And wont. We're miles off January and I reckon he'll start to mix the way we attack up: bit of wing play and a lot more long ball.

Deffo needs to change something, but this  Is Moyes so
Does 'go to a more direct ball game' mean stop being so Grealish-centric?
If so I'm in, nothing against Jack - but all the time?

 

[TheBigMan]

Ndiaye up top, he can score , run at players, if played into feet /chest he holds it up well, he will then be closer to Grealish so they can combine more , Alcaraz as the 10 who's more of a goal threat than Dewsbury Hall who could play deeper depending on the opposition. On the right Dibling? Or Rohl depending who where playing as we might have to put an extra grafter in midfield.

 

[davek]

Deffo needs to change something, but this  Is Moyes so
Does 'go to a more direct ball game' mean stop being so Grealish-centric?
If so I'm in, nothing against Jack - but all the time?

He'll mix it up: long ball and going through the midfield.

I can imagine Grealish being a bit relieved that he's not tasked with trying to get past 3 opposition players for 90 minutes.

 

[Neiler]

I reckon we lose the Sunderland game due to it being a Monday night game away and the pressure starts to crank up a bit.

More so if he doesnt change it up a bit mate.

Id be surprised if he does for this game mind.

 

[toffeeblue9]

Ndiaye up top, he can score , run at players, if played into feet /chest he holds it up well, he will then be closer to Grealish so they can combine more , Alcaraz as the 10 who's more of a goal threat than Dewsbury Hall who could play deeper depending on the opposition. On the right Dibling? Or Rohl depending who where playing as we might have to put an extra grafter in midfield.

Ndiaye or Alcaraz up front just isn't happening. You'd need an awful lot of quality playing from the back through midfield for this to work and we don't have it. Teams would just force the ball to our full backs even more than they do now. A team like us need a big man we can hit and get the ball up the pitch when required, Barry has flattered to deceive on this - flashes where he looks capable but plenty of examples of him being anonymous too. Beto we know has all the physical tools and none of the technical ones. It's a huge problem, but we make it even worse for ourselves by throwing a lad up front with no physical presence at all. Until such time as we have quick wingers who can run in behind, stretch the pitch and create space for a player like Ndiaye to play up front or a significant amount of extra quality through midfield and full back, it isn't worth talking about.

 

[toffeeblue9]

Would also add that our midfield is looking lightweight at the moment. Gana's legs look to have gone. Dewsburth hall is not offering much and spends a lot of the game redundant. I would personally move Garner to left back and bring in Rohl and Alcarez.

If you look at the role that Mykolenko has been playing - i.e. tucked into midfield to create space for Grealish to be 1 on 1 with a full back then yeah, I think the argument for Garner playing there becomes a strong one.

 

[Drago]

Seen a few people suggest playing Ndiaye as a CF but this is counterproductive. He's our most important player at getting us up the pitch, who is going to do that if he's high up the pitch being occupied by centre backs? We'll just be hemmed in constantly. Dibling looks as lost as Barry, even in the short moments he's had on the pitch, he's just nowhere near as good as Ndiaye.

We need to be signing someone in January and unfortunately ride the storm out until then. Selling Beto can't be that difficult because there's seemingly always been interest from Italy.

How much wriggle room we have with PSR / money tho, I've no idea.

 

[Drico]

I reckon we lose the Sunderland game due to it being a Monday night game away and the pressure starts to crank up a bit.

In football, any team can lose to another. Losing to Sunderland is not a crime in itself. However, if we don't go there expecting a performance and demanding a win from the players, then that's a very different matter.

I expect us to go there and perform and I expect the manager to target three points. We've had to put up with taking knives to gunfights for years. But I'll be damned if I'll tolerate taking a toothpick to a knifefight on Monday.

 

[Simon Buttle]

More so if he doesnt change it up a bit mate.

Id be surprised if he does for this game mind.

He needs to do something, we have a few extra days with it being a Monday game for him to problem solve and come up with a plan.

 

[windymiller]

He needs to do something, we have a few extra days with it being a Monday game for him to problem solve and come up with a plan.

We all know how he'll line up and exactly how we'll play. So do the opposition, unfortunately.

 

[Curtis]

Has a reporter ever inquired with Moyes why they haven't brought in an official set piece replacement for Charlie Adam instead of sharing duties ?