Moyes in no hurry to sign new contract

It's speculation as to whether Moyes is using this to put pressure on the board (though short of selling the club, there's nothing they are capable of doing), or whether he's posturing to see if a "bigger" job comes up.

If the board have not had any sort of confirmation from him one way or the other, they should already have started looking for a successor (unless they have identified someone internally – BK has already suggested Neville has the qualities). Any responsible business considering a key change (on a £3.5M salary) should be on top of succession planning.

Football clubs are always susceptible to having their manager poached, as they are for their best players. Some quietly replace them and move on, others play it out publicly and embarrassingly spurred on by a frenzied media – viz-a-viz the farcical events over the park this summer. Because the media really doesn't give a shit about us, it'll be down to how much airtime BK fancies.

Fans being fans bury their heads in the sand over the Moyes situation but players won't; their futures are tied up with who the manager is.

The the manager and board have no plans to discuss a new contract – tells you all you need to know.

It is no good saying "we will sit down and talk", as this just breeds further uncertainty. This happened the last time his contract was due, we were in a bad spell of form, then – as soon as he signed – we picked up noticeably. Bill and DM need to sort this as a matter of urgency; otherwise, it will further affect the players' confidence and attitude.

Leighton Baines talking in today's Sun He said: “I wouldn’t have thought I’m on an even keel with Ashley because he’s with a club that’s playing at the very top level.”

David Moyes in Saturdays Echo about his contract:
“No doubt I will be asked the question every week but I’m in no great hurry,” said the Toffees boss.

“I just want the season to go on, see how we do and overall if we do well it will make things a lot easier.

“I want to see how we are progressing and also I don’t want supporters to get too sick of seeing the same manager all the time.

“I am not (concerned) but I can understand maybe people will be.

Well David we are concerned and rightly so.

It is obvious that BK wants to keep his manager judging by recent quotes in the media, but it is not as obvious that David Moyes wants to sign a new contract.

BTW, David Moyes is a guest on Goals on Sunday as I type.

Does he really think that thought plays for one second down the other end of the East Lancs Road? Or is that what he's hoping for?

Here's what he added on Goals on Sunday

"I have a great relationship with Bill," said Moyes. "We'll get round the table to talk about the contract in time. He trusts me and I trust him, we can do it in five minutes when we sit down.

"At the moment I just want the focus on the team."

He comes over as a nice enough bloke Moyes the sort who happily lends you his ladder if you live next door but he does think we fans are thick with his rehearsed answers.

The show he was on today is renowned as footballs job club so given his distaste of the media you can't help think he's getting his mug around for the upcoming managerial merry go round.

Probably spurs.

Moyes knows the parameters he has to work within, it depends if he is prepared to work within them anymore. He has shown an ability, in 3 phases for me, to fashion a side that can mix it aound 4th/5th/6th on buttons. Every time he hasnt been able to progress it because we basically don't have the transfer or wage budget.

There was the side that actually finished 4th and we didnt move much in the market, there was the Lescott, Arteta, Cahill & Yak side when we really progressed and a couple of extra players(original Donovan deal £8million couldnt do it) could have seen us make the jump. That side ultimately stagnated due to lack of investment and injuries to key playets and the high water mark was the 2009 cup final.

Currently its a safe bet the same is happening. If Moyes is told that he can expect nothing more than to keep banging his head on the glass ceiling for another 3/4/5 years, if he got an offer he found attractive then, as exemplified by the Spurs job and his carefully phrased statements, it seems to me he would ultimately leave.

I feel hes come to the stage that he knows he cant fulfill his ambitions at Everton under this set up. Everyone thinks just Premiership for Moyes. There could be an offer from abroad maybe, freshen himself up. He is clearly gagging for some European football and wants to be at the sharp end.

I could understand it. I personally think that without a couple of sage loans to freshen it in Jan our ambitions extend to Europa League.

Ultimately though, it all depends if he gets an offer. Its ok thinking you may be done here if the right offer comes along but, as shown with the Spurs job, you need an offer first!!!

Moyes two weeks ago: "I don't want the contract issue to distract from the football"

Moyes today: "I will be asked the same question every week"....

Sooooo.............????

Personally I think he wants a crack with a club that will give him the financial back up to build a side that can compete on a consistent basis. However, and this is this big if, he may well hold out until the summer to see what is available (hence maybe the more expansive style of play this season to get away from the negative shite from before) but there is no guarantee that a club 'bigger' than Everton is going to come in for him.

If Mancini or Di Matteo are booted out, I cannot see city or chelsea coming in for Moyes, who has little European experience and has not won any trophies. Still who knows, nothing is going to happen soon as we approach the key xmas period - need to get back to winning ways against Norwich.

I don't agree with those who think DM is trying to force BK to find a buyer or magically produce funding out of the blue; I just think that DM is seriously considering his future and whether it is worth his while committing to Everton for another 3-5 years.

He may well decide to stay where he has the power to master his own destiny – even if it means that his true ambitions are thwarted. Of course, it could be another of those BK theatrical moments: get DM to sign just before the Early Bird window, around DM's 11th anniversary in March... and, hey presto! Season Tickets are purchased, even though nothing has substantially changed. No, surely that is too cynical – even for our Bill?.

It is now openly recognised he was passed over for the Spurs job because of his style of play, it's just a pity he has decided to play more open football in what may be his last season.

I will wish him all the best if he leaves, but I hope he does not begin thinking he can hold the club to ransom. He is a good manager, but he has won nothing.

Dunno about "openly recognised he was passed over for the Spurs job".... openly speculated, yes. But that's a completely different thing altogether.

Has he started reading the comments about how he gets 'praised' a lot on here?

An extract from an article by Jason Burt recently reads ;

“I know for a fact that Tottenham decided they didn’t want to look at him because of that. They actually thought he was a defensive manager, that it wouldn’t work, that kind of football. But he’s not a defensive manager, he’s a very positive manager.”

This journo has no reason to speculate, and It was something I also said at the time. I have witnessed a massive change this season, it's not all down to new personnel either. He was seen as a safe pair of hands, but very defensive.

At no time while the job was up for grabs did Moyes say he wasn't interested, unlike the Villa, Sunderland and Scotland jobs when he more or less instantly ruled himself out straight away.

I said on this site in the summer that I think this will be Moyes last season with us and, barring qualification for the CL, I still think that's the case.

I also believe his signings along with our more expansive style this season could be him trying to change this perception that the media and other clubs may have of him.

I really wouldn't have been bothered over the last couple of seasons if he'd left us, and although I like the way we are playing at the moment, I can't say that I'm that bothered now.

I would be gutted to lose him. He has gone through periods of criticism as a manager, most especially last year, but few managers in the history of the Premier league can offer such consistent results with such a negligible budget. He transformed our squad from relegation fodder, to a solid top six side, and I generally believe we would have seen Champions League Football if he had been supported financially to the degree Spurs and Liverpool have been. In an ideal world, he will sign in January after signing the couple of players we need to compete for fourth place. In more realistic world, I can see us signing Cahill on a 2 month loan, finishing sixth, and Moyes replacing AVB after another substandard Spurs season

In a really ideal world(because dreams are fun)...Kenwright would sell up, Moyes would be supported financially by a new owner with big pockets, and we'd all get to see Everton vs Real Madrid at Goodison (Group stage obviously...it takes us a couple of seasons to make the Quarters).

Don't need a journo to tell you that.

The excuse about the money is a crock of shit as well he could of done what he's done this last 12 months ages ago.

Wheeling and dealing wasn't invented last year.

I do not go along with the new buys making the difference. I think that David Moyes has fundamentally changed his outlook and I think that he has, with his media work, developed into a manager who can take a really big job. In my view, Everton is such a job... but I think Moyes has outgrown Kenwright.

The fact is that no Champions League team really wants to take Moyes as he has no experience there but outside the Champions League there aren't really any teams who are doing better than Everton consistently. That in a nutshell is why he is stuck with us... or we are stuck with him – depending on which way you look at it!

I would swap managerial stability for the CL every time.

Quite bizarre comment you've posted there.