Drenthe: I wish I’d adapted to Moyes instead of telling him to f*** off

[Evertonian in NC]

I prefer to watch mid-80s YouTube clips when I am wistful about the present not living up to the past, rather than waxing poetic about Moyes (who, to be fair, took us as far as he could).

[Juanito]

For a few years we were either 5th or 6th and once 4th. We had a football identity, players during those times worked for each other and Goodison was a tough place to come. Yes, we had shit times and bad runs but in the main, he took us from a side flirting with relegation every year to a solid top 6 side. We also simply didn’t have the finances to compete with those above us and the glass ceiling was not all his fault. He got stale and tired towards the end, yes but there was a large part of his time we could be extremely proud of Everton. Martinez first season benefited from Moyes’s rigerous well drilled defence and the debacle of Koeman, Allardyce and second season Martinez shows what we have been missing. I remember the Walter Smith days, Howard Kendall’s JD spells and Mike Walker’s near fatal reign. Moyes got us to believe again and he would have benefited from our current owner in his pomp.  Our 2004 side with Bent, Kilbane, Carsley etc would have the current side cowering, despite being half as talented.

[Bob Sacamano]

I wonder if other clubs go on and on about managers who ultimately won fuck all, and then snaked off at the end.

I appreciate the job he did, but funnily enough that’s how I’d describe his tenure here, he did a job.

[Lxxx]

Think we/ you look back fondly as time has passed. Totally frustrating times, never winning v the top 4, bottling it in big games etc. Not the best times and certainly not something i would want back!

Good point but things were pretty steady. We usually despatched the poor sides, Goodison was a tough place to come in the main and granted we bottled the big games but expectations were lower.

We just need some stability and consistency back before the end of the season to settle everyone down again.

[JordanianEmbassy]

Our wide players that season had been Donavan, Pienaar, and Drenthe. With Pienaar cup tied and Donovan back in the USA we needed Drenthe for that Semi Final. Shame he basically didn't care (to put it politely).

[Shogun]

Moyes is yesterday’s man. His ilk are done in the premier league.

[ally2]

I didn't like Moyes at all but you have to say he did well for us. The evidence says he performed better under financial constraints. He might be ok now having been taken down a peg or two. I doubt it though. Still too arrogant. I think he's done. Curious how fast a manager can get left behind.

[GLewis]

Don’t think anyone wants him back now surely?

We did do consistently well though given our financial position.

Consistently achieving your “expected” level is easier said than done, as we’re seeing

When looking back to that period, rather than individuals, it should be that overall the club was more in sync with everything.

We didn’t have money so Moyes meticulous/ cautious (depending on your slant ) in both the market and on the pitch suited the low level of risk that we could afford.

We needed to finish high up the league as the placement money paid a big chunk of next year’s transfer budget (or lack of need to sell).

Paradoxically too, that lack of money meant that as soon as we gave him his big deal in 2008, we couldn’t actually afford to sack him.

Having to pay out £12m in 2011 say, would have meant that we’d have had to sell Baines (for example) just to pay him off.

That meant there was the stability that enabled better squad planning and transfers to compliment that.

Until this summer with the appointment of Brands the last 5 years haven’t matched that for a number of reasons.

Time will tell whether the quality of decision making is good or not, but at least we seem to have a goal now to which things are being coordinated