Moyes faces plenty of pressure in second spell at Everton
text size

Moyes faces plenty of pressure in second spell at Everton

KICKBACKS

Listen to this article
Play
Pause

There has been considerable interest in David Moyes returning to Everton as nobody can really predict how things will turn out.

Although he received a warm welcome from Everton fans, his first match on Wednesday night was not the ideal start as Everton went down 1-0 at home to Aston Villa thanks to an Ollie Watkins goal. Moyes saw enough to confirm the next few months will be quite a challenge.

Moyes will be hoping his team delivers at Goodison Park tomorrow when the Toffees take on shaky Spurs.

Some feel Sean Dyche was unfortunate to be sacked by the Toffees considering his successful efforts at keeping them in the Premier League over the last few seasons, especially after the club had been deducted points.

Dyche's team weren't pretty to watch, but there was simply not enough talent in the squad to play expansive football. That he was able to keep the club in the top flight was partly due to some fine performances by England goalkeeper Jordan Pickford and solid defensive work by Jarrad Branthwaite and James Tarkowski. Whether Moyes can make the team easier on the eye is unlikely unless there are some smart transfer deals during the current window, which may be wishful thinking.

So Moyes' main task will be to ensure they are not relegated and if things go well even move up to mid-table.

After leaving West Ham at the end of last season Moyes had said he did not want to move to a club that is fighting relegation. Yet that is exactly what he has done with Everton struggling in 16th place just one point above the relegation zone.

Yet you can see the attraction Everton holds for Moyes. He enjoyed a successful time at Goodison from 2002-2013 before his ill-fated move to Manchester United. So he should start with most of the fans behind him which is an important factor at Everton.

Another attraction for Moyes is the club moving to a new stadium next season. It has the potential of being the start of an exciting new era for the club and Moyes would love to be part of that. However, he needs support from the new owners in the transfer market.

As Moyes told the BBC, returning to Everton "was too big an opportunity to turn down." He admitted he had received other job offers but it was Everton that fit the bill. "I want to show I can go again," he said.

Moyes certainly doesn't expect it to be an easy ride, "I see it as huge pressure," he said. "Ultimately we've got to make sure we're not near the bottom."

Another manager facing a huge test is Graham Potter after taking over from Julen Lopetegui at West Ham. After being knocked out of the FA Cup by Aston Villa, Potter will have been relieved to see the Hammers pick up three points at home in a hard-fought 3-2 win against Fulham.

Potter cautioned "we were far from perfect" but praised the effort shown by his players, saying the team spirit was "fantastic"

It is Potter's first managerial job since being dismissed by Chelsea back in April 2023. Potter said earlier that joining the Hammers "felt just right for me. It is an amazing club".

Do you like the content of this article?
COMMENT (1)