Moyes demands more ruthlessness ahead of the derby

Michael Kenrick , 4 May, 31comments | Jump to most recent

David Moyes has called for his side to be more ruthless in front of goal as they head into their final three games of the season.

"We have played well," Moyes said. "We have done a lot of good things, but we would like it to be better. We have just dried up a little bit on the goals side at this moment in time.

"I couldn't say all year that we have been banging them in as I would like, but I think we have been up there with the most shots and crosses. We have made plenty of attempts, but then we are maybe just not getting the finish to it.

"So it is something we have got to try to make sure of in these final three games — that when we get opportunities, we take them, we are clinical and we make them count.

"Especially if you are not scoring, or if you have just dried up a little bit, you have to make sure that you don't concede to give yourself the chance of at least getting a draw, or maybe nicking a goal to win it. It has been good and I'm pleased that we have tightened up.

"It is important that you get a certain amount of clean sheets during the season and we are beginning to get much closer to it now."

If the Toffees win on Sunday it will guarantee that for a second successive season they will finish higher in the table than Liverpool, who are currently seventh.

Quotes or other material sourced from Sporting Life

Reader Comments (31)

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Tony J Williams
1 Posted 04/05/2013 at 21:08:47

God, the MOB are going to have a field day with this one

Dennis Stevens
2 Posted 04/05/2013 at 21:30:24

I will be more than pleased to see ruthless finishing [from our players, of course] & for Everton to keep a clean sheet.

Mark Frere
3 Posted 04/05/2013 at 21:18:41

Well DM, that's been the problem all season. Jelavic has turned into complete gash, We've had to rely on a Belgium defensive midfielder to play out of position just to get us a few goals. If we look at our midfield theres not many goals coming from there either. We've got powder puff shooters Pienaar and Osman, then we've got Gibson who never gets no where near the goal to get a chance to score. Mirallas at least looks like he's got a goal or two in him, but he's hardly been prolific.

We've really struggled this season to finish off teams and there lies our biggest downfall. A new striker or two is a MUST this summer

Sam Hoare
4 Posted 04/05/2013 at 22:11:00

I read somewhere that no other team in the premiership spends as much time in the oppositions final third. If true it really highlights how we have not made the best of our opportunities and positions as Moyes suggests.

Wonder where we might be this season if we had someone who could consistently make something happen and score/create goals; a hazard, rvp, bale or dare I say ratface. Perhaps Mirallas could be that player for us next season?

John Shepherd
5 Posted 04/05/2013 at 22:24:38

It's been our biggest problem and even more so since Fellaini was given that ban after the Stoke game and then slaughtered by the press and DM, but we've lacked a consistent goalscorer for many years which does make you wonder: What if we had someone consistent especially after some of the draws we've slipped up in.

After the results today, he might as well go for it — shit or bust. It's a game that must be won so I hope we go for it. Their result last week against a shocking Geordie team will no doubt give them a bit of confidence, I just hope we're not looking for the pre-season to come goog — give us something to brag about, eh?

Derek Thomas
6 Posted 04/05/2013 at 22:43:33

Tony J; field day? maybe not.Those of the MOB ilk will just ( mostly ) nod and say the guy just confirms what we knew, that ( via another thread ) a)the opposition strengths and ways to counter them fill most of his time. b) there seems to be, percentage wise, a quota or number of clean sheets that should and must be filled come hell or high water; and that, c) he still has the view that draws are good.

I maybe reading between the lines what isn't there. but I get the impression Re Clean Sheets, that so long as it says Nil in the goals against taken over a season He isn't too bothered how many of them also say Nil in Goals for

The season that promised so much was not wrecked by the 14 draws, but in the manner and causes of them, many, but not all of which were out of our ( his ) hands.

It's the draws seen as our own fault that do the MOB in, playing not to win but rather not to lose.

One reason that has been glossed over but briefly alluded to in a previous reply was Mirallas, had ratboy not clogged him I feel his pre derby form would've been enough to see us over the hump of the first half of the season, then ( 2nd reason) one or two players in Jan may have pushed us on.

It just happens to be Wigan, but it could've been anybody, must win game, go behind twice and come back to win 3-2...I won't hold my breath on Sunday

I think that for many reasons the game has 0-0 written all over it.

Robbie Shields
7 Posted 05/05/2013 at 01:57:26

Tony, I feel the same as Derek, there's nothing new here, he's just confirmed in one interview what we've been saying for a long long time. It might come as a surprise to you and many others, but at least you've acknowledged and understood what DM has actually said and how aligned it is with a lot of what the MOB have been saying all along.

Sam, on the other hand, conveniently completely overlooks the points DM makes in the interview, because it's all too painful for him to acknowledge, there's none so blind as those who will not see.

COYB

Peter Thistle
8 Posted 05/05/2013 at 02:53:14

We don't have the players to give us that ruthless finishing. The ones we have are not good enough to score 20 a season, upto you Moyes to find someone who can bang em in.

Jimmy Sørheim
9 Posted 05/05/2013 at 03:06:54

I would play Mirallas and Anichebe on top. We need to take our chances to win the game.

Also McAleny/Vellios needs to play a part in the game.

Jim Harrison
10 Posted 05/05/2013 at 03:11:19

Derek, perhaps I am missing something here. This has been the most attacking team in the last decade. Chances created, crosses into the box, proportion of time spent in the oppositions final third. All this equates to an attacking team, that are poor at finishing. The best title winning teams don't concede. If it were not for a couple of terrible refereeing decisions earlier in the year the team would be 6 points better off.

All Moyes has done is voice what we already know. And changing this would be easy if we could get hold of someone live RVP, Sewer rat or Bale........But where will the money come from? Jelavic cost 5ish million. Any surprise he isn't world class and consistant? Anachibe has improved, but he will not suddenly become the best striker in the league. Someone talked about Pienaar and Osman being powder puff shooters, both of the have scored belters this season, and who outside of the top 5 have consistant midfield scorers?

Carl Sanderson
11 Posted 05/05/2013 at 07:01:18

Moyes must be disappointed by Jelavic's form this season, must have thought he'd cracked it. If Jelavic had taken even a few of the chances that have come his way then we'd've been in Europe and it would probably be in the Champions League.

Kevin Day
12 Posted 05/05/2013 at 08:16:25

Spot on Carl, that's the only thing that's really been missing, we've played some good football this season with some dodgy days thrown in, even our stats show we have been the most creative, especially in the first half of the season. I think we all thought Jelavic would be banging on the door of 20 goals this season. Now, the anti Moyes brigade will have us believe he's knocked the stuffing out of Jelavic, but how many times this season has he missed from close range or hit the post.

Mike Green
13 Posted 05/05/2013 at 08:38:19

Carl #262 - so how do you explain Jelavics form. How has he gone from Hero to Zero....?

Kevin Day
14 Posted 05/05/2013 at 08:48:40

Mike Green,

That's a question we would all like to know the answer to, my guess would be extra attention from defenders, losing confidence, expectations maybe weighing too much on his shoulders. The same happened to Torres.

Tony J Williams
15 Posted 05/05/2013 at 08:59:16

Mike, like most forwards, he has been found out by defenders, only the better class of forward, ie, expensive ones, get around the extra attention, Jelavic is not one of those better class, that's why he only cost us 5 million

Mike Green
16 Posted 05/05/2013 at 09:11:14

Good morning Kevin and Tony!

So - tying into a thread yesterday, do you think the opposition's 'grunts' might have smashed a load of data and worked out how to stop him?

Back to the drawing board (spreadsheet) David!

Enjoy the game lads

COYB

Kev Johnson
17 Posted 05/05/2013 at 09:58:26

Derek (229) has called it right. There's no need for any of us Moyes doubters to go on about this, because the man simply confesses to what we were accusing him of all along.

Exhibit Z: "make sure that you don't concede to give yourself the chance of at least getting a draw, or maybe nicking a goal to win it" Ho hum. The case for the prosecution rests.

Nick Entwistle
18 Posted 05/05/2013 at 10:22:55

Jely has so many goal scoring chances, easy ones. The same as James Beattie did. But ass cows banjos spring to mind - only thing is Jelavic has proved his lethal ability.

When he strikes the ball defenders sussing him out has nothing to do with it.

On a side note, everyone claiming Duffy should play could well see him being sussed out in the same way strikers can. I'd like to see him play more, but I'm sure Moyes has got this right too.

Richard Dodd
19 Posted 05/05/2013 at 10:24:50

Bit daft, really. Every manager in the world wants his teams to score more goals!

Lets be honest, IFJelavic had `turned up` this season we`d have walked into the top four but that`s like saying IF Joan of Arc had bollocks, she`d have been Napoleon!

Brendan McLaughlin
20 Posted 05/05/2013 at 10:21:50

This piece confirms what the MOB have been saying about Moyes all along? Just keep grasping at the straws lads....

Paul Andrews
21 Posted 05/05/2013 at 10:37:04

Or if David had bollocks he would be Joe.

Richard Dodd
22 Posted 05/05/2013 at 10:45:01

Or if Ross Edwards had a brain, he`d be Richard Dodd!

Kev Johnson
23 Posted 05/05/2013 at 10:48:51

Or if Richard Dodd was funnier he'd be Ken Dodd.

Ian Smitham
24 Posted 05/05/2013 at 10:54:18

Kev, just brilliant

Ray Roche
25 Posted 05/05/2013 at 11:03:24

Or if Kev Johnson had signed the contract we'd have been 2nd.

Kev Johnson
26 Posted 05/05/2013 at 11:09:46

It was a ridiculous contract, Ray. It contained things like "Kev Johnson must not score more than 9 goals per season; any subsequent goal will incur a fine of one month's salary". If I'd gone on to score 25 goals, which was my intention, I'd have ended up owing the club a lot of money!

I think Jelavic was offered a similar contract. Foolishly, he signed it.

Ray Roche
27 Posted 05/05/2013 at 11:21:41

OK, Kev, you're off the hook.

Kev Johnson
28 Posted 05/05/2013 at 11:25:51

On the bright side, Jelavic can still score 2 more goals this season before he triggers his "payback clause" (see above). Might I suggest, Nikica, that you score them today? Overhead kicks from the halfway line or scrambled efforts that come off your arse and bobble over the line - I don't care what kind of goals they are, just as long as you score. COYB!

Sam Hoare
29 Posted 05/05/2013 at 11:35:01

Robbie Shields, I'd love to know what you think it is that is too painful for me to acknowledge?! I've read the interview a few times now and can't find any mention at all of my receding hairline.

Robbie Shields
30 Posted 05/05/2013 at 12:10:42

LOL, great riposte Sam, love it.

Ross Edwards
31 Posted 05/05/2013 at 16:54:32

If Richard Dodd had a brain he'd be Me, Marshy and Barry all rolled nito one!

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