Just over three weeks ago, David Moyes admitted that he can’t “magician” Everton into scoring goals on the pitch.
Eight goals against Tottenham, Brighton, and Leicester City in their last three fixtures, however, suggest that his spell might be working.
When Moyes took over from Sean Dyche last month, he had inherited an Everton side that had reached an unfortunate plateau. Before the Scot’s arrival, the Toffees had scored just 15 goals in the Premier League with only Southampton faring worse in front of goal. Their expected goals (xG) stood at a low 18.33 across 19 matches showcasing the lack of creativity and the dull and uninspiring football that fans had gotten used to in the final months of Dyche’s tenure.
In his second spell at Goodison Park, Moyes could’ve hardly asked for a better start. Three wins on the trot have seen the Toffees move nine points clear of the relegation zone (with a game in hand over sides in the bottom four).
Beginning February with a 4-0 thrashing of Leicester City headlined by Abdoulaye Doucoure finding the back of the net inside 10 seconds has gotten the fans believing again. Suddenly, every player looks more resilient and hungry on the pitch. Even Beto, who has been thrust into the limelight following injuries to Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Armando Broja and Youssef Chermiti, seemed mighty impressive following his brace to dismantle the Foxes.
Perhaps the key to unlocking the best out of his players is the confidence that the manager transmits on a regular basis. “I want them to play with a bit of confidence. I want them to play with a bit of control, a bit of belief as well without feeling that there is a huge pressure they have to deal with. Goodison is enough pressure itself, being inside it as a player. So we want the players to play with a bit of freedom and take the ball and hopefully do all the right things,” Moyes told beIN Sports recently.
Everton’s nine-point cushion, at this stage of the season, was almost unthinkable even until a month ago. While there’s still a long way to go with 14 matchdays remaining in the top flight, one can sense that the team is in a position where it can finally start saying goodbyes to Goodison Park as the season rolls over.
Moyes, with over 27 years of managerial experience, knows that the only thing that the players need to focus on is “the next game”. “There’s definitely that stage where we move on next, but at the moment I’m finding it very hard to think further than gaining the points to be a Premier League club. I think that I can’t even look to consider it (focusing on the Goodison goodbye) at the moment because I’m saying ‘Let’s just make sure we’re in this position’”.
While there’s certainly magic associated with new beginnings, this time, however, the overwhelming feeling is that David Moyes has returned home and the Toffees are certainly the better for it.