Will TFG offer David Moyes a new deal in the summer?

Will The Friedkin Group offer David Moyes a new deal in the summer?

That's what is claimed in a piece in The Guardian, by Matt Hughes, because TFG are so pleased what David Moyes has achieved after they made him the manager in waht was expected to be a short-term appointment back in January 2025.

At the time, the move was billed as a short-term stabilizing measure — a safe pair of hands to navigate the treacherous waters of another relegation scrap after their takeover of Everton Football Club was finalized. Yet, here we are, after a rollercoaster spell of away wins and home losses, and the narrative is already shifting from "emergency cover" to "long-term vision."

The argument from the Friedkin camp, at least according to Hughes, is built on the following pillars:

• Defensive Solidity: Moyes has undoubtedly tightened the ship. The chaotic "basketball scores" of the early season were replaced by the grim, gritty low-block defensive object lesson we all know and love as Evertonians.

• Dressing Room Harmony: Reports suggest the senior players have bought into the "Moyesiah’s" pragmatic approach, appreciating the clarity of a system that prioritises not losing over the uncertainty of flair and the excitement of front-football.

• Financial Prudence: With TFG looking to balance the books after years of Moshiri-era profligacy, a manager who prides himself on "value" and "diligence" fits the corporate spreadsheet perfectly, despite their profligate purchase of over £100M in player value that has been blatantly spurned while Moyes sticks with his old and experienced favourites.

Recent games have shown something of a turnaround from the ultra-defensive Moyes playbook of old, and this has brought with it better performances and some better results.

However, for many of us who remember the "Knife to a Gunfight" era, this feels like a massive step backward before we’ve even taken a step forward under new ownership. Is this really the "bold new dawn" we were promised?

If the Friedkin Group’s ultimate goal is to emulate the success of AS Roma — or better yet, break into the top tier of the Premier League — is David Moyes the man to take us there after just one season in the new Hill Dickinson Stadium?

There is a nagging fear among some of the Everton faithful that we are settling for competent mediocrity because it feels safe, rather than pursuing the modern, progressive football that the elite clubs now demand from younger, more expansive managers who can relate better to the younger players forming the heart of their teams going forward.

Are we rewarding a "job well done" in a crisis, or are we accidentally capping our own ceiling before the new era has even begun?

The optics of moving into one of the world's most stunning new stadiums while playing a brand of football that belongs in 2012 are, quite frankly, depressing. TFG might be pleased with the stability, but the fans want more than just "staying up."

If Hughes is right, the "short-term" tag was just a polite fiction. We might be looking at Moyes at the helm for a lot more seasons than we thought possible when he returned. Be careful what you wish for.

Read the full article in The Guardian

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