The David Moyes Situation
December 5, 2011 
3 Comments
After an altogether dismal defeat (again) to a poor Stoke City this past Sunday, Forums, Twitter and Facebook were rife with the usual Monday Morning Managers syndrome from fellow Blues, writes Simon Magner.
Whether you like David Moyes or not looking back on the game in my opinion there wasn’t an awful lot more Moyes could have done with regards to the starting line-up, formation, substitutions and tactics for the tie against Stoke Rugby team.
I like to think myself a fair man. I try to judge everyone on their track record whilst also holding on to the ideal that “you’re only as good as your last game”. That being said, I don’t think it’s fair to lay all the blame solely at the door of the manager. I can and will be Moyes’ biggest fan when he deserves the praise. Without him, I don’t even want to begin to think where we would be as a Football Club now. We certainly would not be crying about defeats at home to Stoke City. However, I can and will also be his biggest critic when he deserves criticising. His insistence with 4-5-1 is beyond tiresome and the continual playing of “favourites” who are obviously out of form or simply aren’t good enough anymore like Cahill and Neville earlier in the season bewilders at the best of times, especially when you have young, hungry promising youth on the bench, most notably Ross Barkley.
Moyes has been at Everton almost 10 years now. He is one of the most experienced managers in the league, and the team that was fielded yesterday is all his. No leftovers from previous regimes to blame. Each player picked by himself or his scouting system or elevated by himself through the youth ranks. That being said, it’s obvious that Moyes is turning into the victim of his own success.
We don’t need reminding of the days before Moyes. The drivel that was served up by Smith, playing defenders as strikers was so much worse than what we are watching at the moment, but not by much. Already we have suffered 4 defeats at home this season, and the form that we managed to create against the better teams in the league last season has disappeared. But it is David Moyes who single handed reinstated that expectation and pride amongst Evertonians. We owe a lot to David Moyes; none more so than the continued existence of the Club in the Premier League. If the decision in 2002 had been left with the Chairman, then we would have had Gary Megson in charge and playing Championship football quicker than you can say “Watch this space”. It is to Bill Kenwright’s credit however, that he listened to the advice of the man he had just sacked and employed David Moyes.
At the moment, the long and short term future for the Blue half of Merseyside is bleak. The manager has been promised “funds” in the January transfer window, but we all know that what is needed will not be given. Despite the promise of “funds”, I don’t expect any new faces in January, and if they are they will be loan deals who will only come for a limited amount of time and have a very brief impact on the team (Donovan) or an aging star whose consistent form in the league is questionable (Anelka). Being dragged into a relegation dogfight is a very scary and very real possibility this season and you have to begin to ask, does this team and the manager have the fight and fortitude to battle itself out of one?
The answer is… I don’t know. Three years ago, the manager had my full 100% backing, but so too did the Board of Directors. The fact remains that David Moyes is currently Everton’s biggest asset, despite that whether he is the right man for the job remains to be seen. One argument that has to be raised is whoever replaced him would have exactly the same tools to do the job as Moyes and not much more to improve come January or in the Summer, but that is no reason not to make change at the top if the right man is available.
The future of Everton Football Club is paramount. We will not survive relegation, the important decisions to be made are here, today, and not 6 months down the line when it is too late. For what it is worth, my opinion is that change is essential, but at the moment not that of David Moyes. Moyes is currently lying in the bed that he made, however as stated he has the experience and he has the support of the team which is invaluable and could be the difference.
The change has to, no NEEDS to come from the men that pay the bills and sign the cheques. Last season, Aston Villa was in a very similar position to us, maybe even worse. Their problem was the same as ours, goals. Their answer was to go out and ensure their Premier League survival by buying one of the best goal scorers currently in England in Darren Bent. Will we be able to say the same? I doubt that we could even afford to buy back Marcus Bent. Since 2009 David Moyes and Evertonians have been severely let down by a Board of Directors who lack the ambition and foresight that our great Club deserves. They gambled the Clubs future away on the decision to move to Kirkby and since that failure have been unmasked as the rank amateurs that they are. The Club is being held back, the tactics are tired and stifling, but it’s not Moyes’ that is the major problem. It is that of a Board who have “No Plan B”. It is Time for Change, it HAS to start at the top, and the decision to go and let another group of individuals come in and take the Club forward to match the ambitions of the manager and supporters has to be made now.
One last note in the defence of David Moyes. Despite the failures in the transfer market, the Kroldrup’s and the Bilyaletdinov’s, whenever Moyes has consistently had money to spend to improve the squad we have progressed and improved on the field. In May 2009 we had finished 5th for the second consecutive season. In the three years previous we had League Cup semi-final appearance, UEFA Cup Quarter Final appearance and finally in 2009 an FA Cup Final appearance.
We were in my opinion, 2 or 3 players away from finally bringing home some serious silverware and overtaking Arsenal and Liverpool in the then “Top 4”. Since then, Moyes’ hand has been forced.
We split up one of the strongest defences in the league that has not looked the same since. We have sold two of the most creative players outside of the “Top 4” as well as two proven Premier League goal scorers without replacing any. Despite his failures, to which I openly admit he has a few, I honestly believe that given the money and allow him to consistently improve the squad where needed David Moyes can finally complete the job that he started 10 years ago. To take Everton Football Club back to where we belong.
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i totally agree with your comments on moyes playing his favourites no matter what, it must be disheartening to sit on the bench while his favourites under perform week after week, i have consistly criticised his 4-4-1-1- formation that every opposing manager knows how to play against, playing with this formation we could have the best striker in the world and he would fail to score goals, dave it’s not working, we know it did at one time but now it’s out dated, it’s time for a change to either 4-4-2 or 4-3-3
Well this is yet another thinly disguised go at the board
If you can say that there are no left overs from previous managers then you cannot go back less years to blame the board
I am stuck what to think about the board because I cannot get an unbiased opinion
Nevertheless
that is not the point ,what is the point is that we are playing shit ,that I am sorry to say rests at his feet ,is it because of the style we play or the players we use / ignore I don’t care it is his choice .His ability to mould the players three or more years ago deserved credit but now it deserves criticism ,simple
We cannot cover it over any more we are simply predictable and too weak
The answer I don’t know but the problem is there for us all to see and the past is the past
Sadly the signals coming from the club are not good selling too many players and bringing in the likes of Mcfadden and may be Donovan is just desperation both are past it
The situation with our strikers is crazy sadly Louis is past it but he definitely doesn’t get a good supply either ,the midfield is not doing enough and why we don’t play Barkley is a puzzle because the pace of the prem won’t be a worry for us or him next year if this continues
Sad but blue
Whilst your comments about Stoke have some merit, I think it would be more productive to focus on our short comings rather than focus on the opposition or the Ref (as Mr Moyes did!)
To say that there is little that he could have done…I think that is incorrect. The fact that he refuses to change his “style” is far more worrying.