A best XI of the Moyes era(s)

Last week, Everton’s official social media account posted on X, asking fans to share their best XIs from across David Moyes’ time in charge, which, of course, spans two stints at the helm.

This drew plenty of interest and many fans, including this one, began to have a think about which players would make the cut.

With the international break now over, and focus switching back to the Premier League and Everton’s push for Europe, then before we delve fully into previewing what is to come, I thought I’d have a go at naming the all-time Moyes, Everton XI.

Agree? Disagree? I’d love to know in the comments.

GK: JORDAN PICKFORD

Nigel Martyn was fantastic for Everton, playing a crucial role in the fourth-place finish in 2004-05, while Tim Howard was also a classic Moyes signing, coming in off the back of a tough stint at Manchester United to become a stalwart for the Toffees.

But Pickford has to get the nod here. He is arguably the best goalkeeper in the Premier League right now, and has probably made four or five save of the season contenders this term alone.

RB: SEAMUS COLEMAN

Cheating a tad here, as Coleman was not actually always used as first-choice right-back by Moyes until the 2012-13 campaign — the final season of the Scot’s first stint in charge.

But as a modern-day club great, there’s just no way I could leave Coleman out. The one thing missing from his career is a trophy, but there can hardly be blame attached to him for that.

CB: PHIL JAGIELKA

Signed from Sheffield United in 2007, having played predominantly as a midfielder for the Blades, went on to make almost 400 appearances for the Toffees across a 12-year stay at the club.

Jagielka cost just £4million; a classic bit of Moyes recruitment. He led by example and, at one point, was one of the Premier League’s best centre-backs.

CB: JOLEON LESCOTT

Back in the mid-2000s, it was much easier to pick up lesser-known talents from the second tier for reasonable fees than it is now.

Lescott was a long-term target for Moyes, but — if memory serves — there were concerns over his fitness. But the defender would go on to become an England international, and make Everton a tidy bit of profit when he left for Manchester City.

Sure, it ended on a sour note for Lescott, but he was a superb centre-back, and formed a great partnership with Jagielka. He was also a goal threat, scoring 10 times in the 2007-08 season.

LB: LEIGHTON BAINES

No reason to justify this one. Baines, like Coleman, is an Everton great. A sublime footballer who never got the widespread claim he deserved outside of the club.

Baines is the defender with the most goal involvements in Premier League history, with 85. He was a creative force, instrumental to so many of Everton’s best displays in the latter half of Moyes’ first tenure, and not to mention, as cool and collected as any footballer will ever be. 

CDM: LEE CARSLEY

It was in the 2004-05 season that Carsley truly established himself as an integral cog in Moyes’ team. His crowning moment was the winner in the Merseyside derby in December of that season, as Everton charged towards a top-four finish.

Injury derailed his 2005-06 campaign, and his absence was felt as the Toffees failed to qualify for the Champions League proper, but he remained a key part of the team once he returned to fitness. You wouldn’t be shocked if he returned to Everton one day in a managerial capacity.

RM: MIKEL ARTETA

It wouldn’t be a Moyes team if at least one player wasn’t playing slightly out of position now, would it.

Arteta, though, did first establish himself wide in the midfield when he first signed in January 2005, before eventually moving centrally. Equally capable of creating from either role, he takes up a spot on the right in this XI.

CM: TIM CAHILL

With Carsley anchoring the midfield, Cahill takes up one of the more advanced central positions.

He cost just £2m from Millwall back in 2004, as Everton had to somehow replace a generational talent in Wayne Rooney, who had been sold to Manchester United.

Cahill went on to enjoy a spectacular eight years at Goodison Park, and he created an iconic Premier League celebration to boot. A shoo-in.

CM: MAROUANE FELLAINI

Next to Cahill, and hopefully getting on the end of plenty of crosses from Baines, Coleman and Arteta, is Fellaini, who signed from Standard Liege in a club record deal late on deadline day in 2008.

It took Fellaini time to get into his groove, but once he had been freed up from playing a solely defensive role to attack, he was a force to be reckoned with.

I’m still not sure I’ve seen chest control quite like it. On his day, Fellaini was a different beast.

LM: STEVEN PIENAAR

Another bit of excellent recruitment from Moyes’ first spell — picking up a player that had been unable to establish himself after a big move from Ajax to Borussia Dortmund, initially on loan.

Everton gave Pienaar a second chance, and the South African made sure to take it. Not exactly an assist machine or the most clinical finisher, Pienaar’s quality came from linking the play, playing the pass into the assister. And that’s without mentioning his mesmerising, telepathic partnership with Baines. A truly magnificent player.

ST: WAYNE ROONEY

Duncan Ferguson, Yakubu, Louis Saha… There have been some fine centre-forwards to play for Moyes’ Everton teams, even if they have perhaps not always been able to get the goals their quality warranted, whether due to tactics or fitness or a combination of both.

But I just couldn’t leave out Rooney, the once-in-a-generation talent that came through during Moyes’ first couple of years at the club.

If there are frustrations now over the lack of minutes for Tyler Dibling and Adam Aznou, then one can only imagine the ire there may have been in the fanbase, if social media were around, back in 2002-2004, when Moyes often held Rooney back as to not overexpose the teenager.

Yet even with the caveat that he didn’t make as many starts as he perhaps could or should have, his world class talent was evident throughout, and he just had to lead the line here.

 

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