Moyes: We've got great attitude

Lyndon Lloyd , 2 January, 11comments | Jump to most recent

Though disappointed with the manner in which they conceded the early goal, David Moyes was full of praise for his players' response as they got 2013 off to a flyer with victory at Newcastle.

"We had to do it the hard way again, unfortunately, but that has been the way it is," Moyes said after the win that took the Blues back to fifth in the Premier League.

"[The players have] got a bundle of character, they've got great attitude. The result was right in the end.

The defence was slow to get going and a lapse in concentration allowed Papisse Cisse to loop a header over Tim Howard with less than two minutes on the clock.

"It was really poor defending and we should have dealt with it better," Moyes continued. "We expected them to come out strong and they did.

"But I have got to say, apart from that we were fantastic with our football. How we didn't go in at half time a couple of goals up I don't know."

Mindful of the impact that injuries and fatigue are having on his squad, the manager refused to get carried away by the Blues' European chances this season, though.

"You can only ever go onto the next game," he said. "We'll try and keep going, take it one game at a time; it's very simple.

"If I had a crystal ball and said we're going to have a great second half of the season, that'd be great, but I don't, so we have to prepare for every game as if it's our last and hopefully keep picking up three points."

Quotes or other material sourced from Sky Sports

Reader Comments (11)

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James Flynn
1 Posted 03/01/2013 at 00:15:02

"'You can only ever go onto the next game,' he said. 'We'll try and keep going, take it one game at a time; it's very simple'".

Good and good. Who's next?

COYB!

Patrick Murphy
2 Posted 03/01/2013 at 00:13:44

If the team do manage to achieve what they set out to do this season, it is that never say die spirit which will have gotten them there. I have seen so many Everton sides from the past, who following a narrow defeat at home and then conceding a stupid goal early on in an away game would have crumbled and lost.

But these boys are as good as I've seen when it comes to character and spirit. They have their flaws and they probably realise that, but they deserve all the support they can get from the Goodison faithful, because if we can generate the right atmosphere in the ground then the impossible might just happen.

COYB

Si Cooper
3 Posted 03/01/2013 at 01:03:20

Can't help thinking DM isn't really playing a canny game here. Contrast his comments with the usually ridiculously bullish Alan Pardew (who apparently genuinely thought they were the better team when we played them at Goodison earlier this season) after the game tonight. He was subdued and conceded that his team lacked a little of the quality we possessed, after a game were we really rode our luck at times. No doubt he will be visiting his chairman with a long list of expensive recruits (the process has already started), and no doubts he will be able to sign some of them.

Imagine Davey asking for the merest chance of some cash to strengthen the team. BK will simply smile back at him and say something like "But David, you said it yourself, the lads are playing fantastically well. 9 points from 12 over Christmas, 3 defeats in 27, blah, blah, why upset the applecart, too many cooks spoil the broth don't you know..."

Patrick Murphy
4 Posted 03/01/2013 at 01:21:43

Si I don't know how you can come up with that conclusion, I think he's saying the squad is giving as much as is possible to expect and perhaps a little more than that, but don't expect it as a given that a European place will be achieved.

That doesn't mean that he or the players aren't trying to achieve that goal, it's just that he is playing down their chances and will take each game as if it is their last.

He is also possibly saying trust me with the cash - if we have any - and I'll bring the right players to the club - he can't come out and publicy say that the men with the wallets are letting him down.

Si Cooper
5 Posted 03/01/2013 at 01:43:11

I was over-stating for effect Patrick, a bit of satire if you will.

However, I do think DM could have admitted it wasn't our best performance (though the attitude was exemplary again), some of the players are looking a bit tired, and to realistically challenge for a European place we will probably need to have some fresh faces come the end of January.

That wouldn't be being negative, in my opinion, but it would lay out a clear plan to make this season as successful as we would all like it to be, and leave the ball in the board's court..

Paul Ellam
6 Posted 03/01/2013 at 09:02:19

I think we will get a couple of players aboard in January. Have faith people

Trevor Lynes
7 Posted 03/01/2013 at 12:01:41

Your right Si, other teams are rotaing weekly and it means that they remain fresh.
They have the luxury of three or four strikers of almost equal merit that they can use sparingly when the games come thick and fast.
The bigger squads must have a huge advantage.

We cannot carry injuries as we do not have replacements of adequate ability.
This was really shown up in the Leeds game when proved not up to the challenge without our best eleven on the pitch.
We are trotting out other teams discards and freebees and hoping for the best.

Jags is not a fullback but he is a great centre back, when he moves to fullback we suffer and we could have conceded more goals against newcastle.
Distin and Jags are our best centre back pairing and I would try Duffy before Heitinga.
Surely Oviedo can play on the right side, many left footed players are fine on that side of the pitch. It is his natural position and he has a lot more pace than Jags and miles more than Heitinga.
I watched Heitinga really closely and he did not make a tackle and his only block was accidental.
He is a liability at the moment.

Peter Cummings
8 Posted 03/01/2013 at 12:03:45

It always puzzles me to hear of players 'looking tired' when wer'e only halfway through the season. A game is only 90 mins long and they are supposedly finely tuned athletes whose only problem would be injury.

James O'Connell
9 Posted 03/01/2013 at 13:09:23

Was a great result, Pienaar and Baines rocked last night. I think we should move mountains to try and sign Butland as Howard needs to be challenged for his place. Too flappy recently even by his own standards. I agree with Patrick that the spirit and character has been top, West Ham game was a great result after the ref did his best to ruin the match.

Si Cooper
10 Posted 03/01/2013 at 17:56:37

Peter (#823), you must be aware that for any athlete there is a finite number of times they can perform at the peak of their abilities in any given period of time. You must also be aware that at a relatively young age most players pass the threshold of usefulness in the professional game which should give a good indication of how physically demanding it actually is.

Strenuous exercise always damages muscle and will use up energy reserves stored in the muscle, which is replenished / repaired / added to during recovery periods. If you don't get sufficient recovery time, which might happen at busy times of the season such as around this time of year, then you will be both more likely to tire quickly and be prone to more severe muscle injury.

Yes, the players get the best care and advice money can buy, but with variables like age, illness, chronic low-grade injuries, and poor pitch / weather conditions it should not be beyond anyone to understand that some players may already be flagging at this stage of the season.

Mick Wrende
11 Posted 04/01/2013 at 14:33:28

Si that is a good textbook summary but finely tuned athletes will not be tired by 4 ninety minute games in ten days. It is only the overpaid highly pampered modern day footballers who claim to be. No muddy pitches, no heavy footballs to hoof around, never games played on consecutive days. And so should their attitudes be right with all the modern day help like psychologists and nutritionists. Clubs treat us fans like idiots these days by claiming the players are tired when most of us work a physical five day, forty hour week and their training is typically two hours and every afternoon off. Tired - don't make me laugh!

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