Gillian Kasirye, TFA 07/06/2026 50comments  |  Jump to last

David Moyes has become a poor coach, but Everton are no longer at the stage where stability is the ceiling. New ownership and a new stadium shift the club's internal expectations, whether stated publicly or not. 

Home form in 2025-26 ranked 14th, which is not what is expected of a side hoping to push into the top half, and the recent run of seven games without a win has heightened the criticism.

This becomes alarming when teams like Bournemouth and Crystal Palace, who have comparable resources (or even less), are breaking trophy droughts and chasing European places.

Everton spent €150.66M across the two seasons, yet only finished 13th with no major success to show for it. However, Crystal Palace spent far less, at €56.65M, yet won the FA Cup and UEFA Conference League during the same period. Bournemouth also outperformed Everton, by finishing 6th despite losing key players and operating with fewer resources.

Everton have leaned too heavily on directness, without the supporting structure that makes direct football sustainable against modern-day Premier League pressing and second-ball preparation. 

At the same time, the squad have felt under-rotated and under-optimised, with match plans that appear to flatten the differences between players who can solve different problems. 

The football is structurally incoherent against the way modern Premier League sides defend their own build-up and attack second phases. If Everton are to consider change, the selection criteria must match the moment. 

A new head coach needs to deliver three things quickly:

  • A clearer in-possession identity that raises the floor against low blocks and mid blocks at home. 
  • A transition and rest-defence framework that prevents the team from becoming weak when it tries to attack with more numbers. 
  • An improvement pathway for key assets, particularly the younger and higher-value players. 

The current meta at the elite end is possession that preserves directness. It is the ability to access the final third through structured build-up and still execute fast once the advantage appears. 

This tactical analysis explores Everton's two most credible next-step candidates in that mould: Claudio Giráldez and Iñigo Pérez. They are aligned in principle and different in their execution. 

Most importantly, Everton need a model that fits their squad and a recruitment plan that closes the gaps without forcing a three-window overhaul before the football works.

Read the rast of this fasinating independent tactical analysis by Gillian Kasirye at the TFA website via the link below — sorry but you'll have to subscribe at a hefty £60 annual fee... although there is a 7-day free trial option.

» Read the full article at TFA — Total Football Analysis

Reader Comments (50)

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Michael Kenrick
1 Posted 07/06/2026 at 12:59:24
Perhaps we can translate the tactical talk into something we can all understand and relate to?

A clearer in-possession identity that raises the floor against low blocks and mid blocks at home.

ie, with the ball, play proper attacking joined-up front-foot football.

A transition and rest-defence framework that prevents the team from becoming weak when it tries to attack with more numbers.

I guess this is focussing on the glaring weaknesses exposed when we try to do the above... but almost inevitably lose position and then have to resort to planic stations.

An improvement pathway for key assets, particularly the younger and higher-value players.

Oh goodness. No translation required. It's as plain as the nose on yer face, Davey!
Mark Ryan
2 Posted 07/06/2026 at 13:34:52
The answer to the question is 100% yes.
Terry Downes
3 Posted 07/06/2026 at 13:57:54
Yes!
Darren Hind
4 Posted 07/06/2026 at 14:02:47
Never heard of this lady. She clearly knows her stuff, but she seems to have been trawling Evertonian websites and is trying to find new ways to tell us everything we already knew.

Fair play if she is earning a decent shilling, but Paddy Boyle will be furious!
Andrew Merrick
5 Posted 07/06/2026 at 14:33:03
The fans have already spoken, but I guess an independant view reinforces popular opinion.

Im not paying for the full article as I’ve read a good few comments on here and Evertonia saying how it is... No sign of change though...
Raymond Fox
6 Posted 07/06/2026 at 14:33:59
A lot of fancy sounding bullshit I'd say, sounds more like business speak.

Football is a simple enough game if you have outstanding players that can do the basics of each position extremely well. We have failed season after season predominately because our squad doesn't match up quality wise to the best teams.

Look at the managers we've tried, none have made much difference, even Ancelotti couldn't.

Poor old Moshiri had the right Idea, spend big, unfortunately we still couldn't attract the very best players.
Dale Self
7 Posted 07/06/2026 at 15:50:39
Oh, sorry, dozed off when I read "The current meta at the elite end is...".

This is like the prose from some third-rate investmestment blog. I guess it had to be upgraded in its translation in order to look like the author figured it out on their own. Talk about structural incoherence, ya.

I bet there is a crypto ad on the site hosting the full article.
Dave Abrahams
8 Posted 07/06/2026 at 15:51:01
Raymond (6),

I think Moshiri put Usmanov's money into the wrong hands and they wasted nearly all of it, mind you the new owners are making hay while the sun shines with the remains of those two's generosity.
Raymond Fox
9 Posted 07/06/2026 at 16:17:27
I agree, Dave, now we have SCR and SSR instead of the past Profitability and Sustainability rules (PSR).

I understand the reason for these rules but they give the usual Top 4 sides more advantage because they have by and large more expensive players on their books already, while we are restricted from buying players of the same ability.
John Atkinson
10 Posted 07/06/2026 at 16:21:24
Any chance the Fans Forum representatives can get an audience with Moyes and address his many shortcomings?

Firstly, his refusal to play our younger players, and secondly his stupid substitutions. The man is stale and always just looks at safety first.

The Red Shite now have the man we should have had. I'd take Thomas Frank.
Mark Ryan
11 Posted 07/06/2026 at 16:32:12
John @10,

I'd take Frank Spencer over Moyes.
Oliver Molloy
12 Posted 07/06/2026 at 16:58:17
I think Moshiri, for all his faults, actually got the club and the fans and desperately wanted to make us a formidable club once again.

From what I read about TFG and have seen to date, I suspect they never will: it's all about the money -- end of story.
Terry Downes
13 Posted 07/06/2026 at 18:43:48
Glasner for me.

If not, go all in for Pochettino... pay him whatever he wants... and if that fails, then Frank?
Jim Bennings
14 Posted 07/06/2026 at 19:13:47
'Outgrown' is a good way to describe managerial situations.

Under Dyche, I mentioned many a time that he should have been moved on in summer of 2024, albeit many deemed it harsh because of the way he helped navigate a difficult time with the points deductions.

For me, I looked at the bigger picture and saw a manager without a win between December 2023 and April 2024 and football that was mundane, and very much bog standard, to be kind here.

It was obvious Dyche wouldn't change and the wasted half season between August 2024 and early January 2025 suggested he shouldn't have been given that time.

We had simply outgrown Sean Dyche, he came with a task and expiry date, and we kept him past that date.

With regard to David Moyes, you get the feeling we are reaching a similar area now.

I'm not completely against Moyes; I appreciate that he steadied the ship when he took over and he definitely was the right man to see out the final days at Goodison Park, even though many didn't want him back.

However, as last season ended and the way the same old habits tended to creep back in that we remember from Moyes's first There, it has began to turn the tide and as we know too well, once the majority of a fanbase turns, then it's very hard to win it back.

The meek surrendering of too many games late last season and the lack of flexibility with the players he could have used on the bench irritated supporters. The lack of ambition in games that were there to win evidently cost us 7th in the end.

If Sunderland could finish 7th, then we certainly could, and should have.

So the answer to the question should really come from our invisible owners.
Paul Hewitt
15 Posted 07/06/2026 at 19:51:09
Great article. But I do find this "Should we get rid of Moyes?" talk now boring.

He clearly will see out the last 12 months of his contract, and if we qualify for Europe, then he will get an extension.
Tony Abrahams
16 Posted 07/06/2026 at 20:18:04
Just thinking about Everton makes me feel bored right now, Paul.

It's the summer time, I'm glad I have mostly been able to switch off from them but, I saw my brother today who was asking me if I had got the money he had sent over for his season ticket. He then said that, if Moyes is going to be leading the team next season, he might just send it back to the club and ask for a refund.

I was telling my oldest son that story before and he said, "Are you sure it wasn't the other way around, and it was you who said that?" "No," I said, but I completely understand his feelings, because I'm sure you're fucking bored with Moyes as well.

He just nodded and said, he might not be here long and if you get rid of your season ticket you might never be able to get another one.
David West
17 Posted 07/06/2026 at 20:27:11
Sounds like David Brent and ChatGPT got together with some of this nonsense language. I hope we don't end up with a manager that speaks this way, I know the game has changed tactically over the years, but it's still football.

If you've got 2 mangers in an interview and 1 says: "You've leaned too heavily on directness, without the supporting structure that makes direct football sustainable"

The other says: "You haven't got the players to play long ball."

I know who I'm taking.
Brendan McLaughlin
18 Posted 07/06/2026 at 20:32:31
For fuck's sake, David (#17)...

Don't leave us hanging!!!
Tommy Meehan
19 Posted 07/06/2026 at 20:41:57
In fairness: relying on the predictive analytics that generate foward momentum in the modern game will be a primary determinant of the fate of the club next season...
Tony Abrahams
20 Posted 07/06/2026 at 20:46:40
I see Cristian Ericksen has collapsed on the pitch again whilst playing for Denmark against Ukraine.

Eriksen is a very brave man who obviously lives for playing football but, if he gets over this, I can't see him being allowed to play competitive football in the future.
Paul Hewitt
21 Posted 07/06/2026 at 20:58:20
Ideal Moyes signing, I'd say, Tony.
Jim Bennings
22 Posted 07/06/2026 at 21:01:08
His pacemaker worked as it should.

It was likely to happen again, I'm sure Cristian was told there by the specialists but the main thing is the pacemaker worked for him, thank God.

At 34 he's enjoyed a good career and played at the highest level.

For his health, I hope he is safe and maybe he can get one more season; if not, then retire at 34, head held high, and enjoy life.
Paul Kossoff
23 Posted 07/06/2026 at 23:50:17
£60.00?

Where have I put my cheque book?
Paul Kernot
24 Posted 07/06/2026 at 23:53:58
Mark #11. Love that Mark. 'Oh Betty, Moysey's a failure's.

John #10. If today's goss is correct, Thomas Frank is destined for Fulham.
Mike Gaynes
25 Posted 07/06/2026 at 00:07:10
I think we can safely write off this Gillian Kasirye as a blathering idiot who can't be bothered to do even basic journalistic background checks on her "recommendations" for our next manager.

Inigo Perez signed six days ago as manager of Villarreal, and is therefore completely unavailable.

And Claudio Giráldez apparently doesn't speak a word of English, or at least he never has in public. He has never played outside Spain and hasn't worked outside Galicia in at least ten years. There is no indication he speaks anything but Spanish and Galician, and would therefore be totally unsuitable for a club where nobody else besides Alcaraz communicates in Spanish.

I found this information in about 10 minutes of research. This "reporter" apparently doesn't know how. Her Moyes analysis may or may not be spot on, but her picks for his successor totally deflate her credibility.
Derek Thomas
26 Posted 07/06/2026 at 01:02:07
Disclaimer; have only read title, so...

Q) Have the Toffees outgrown David Moyes?

A) Everybody and Football it's self has out grown David Moyes ( except Kinnear and TFG apparently).

Now to read all the words of wisdom both for and against above...

Having now read and given it a quick speed read scan...(and yes it does sound a bit David Brent-ish). Though this bit does ring true:

"Most importantly, Everton need a model that fits their squad and a recruitment plan that closes the gaps without forcing a three-window overhaul before the football works."

This is true because, after 3 years, you've got new players but some players that were fit for purpose 3 years ago are now past it and you're more or less back where you started - needing a 3-year window again. Which is why younger is mostly better.

My current 'saveur du mois' is Regis Le Bris from Sunderland.
Derek Thomas
27 Posted 08/06/2026 at 03:57:28
A very good BBC article about the evolution of Football and Messi, which basically starts in 2005... a bit like Moyes, who was -- and to my mind still is -- looking for a successor to Marcus Bent.

And, as it seems, we are either going to loan Grealish again or even worse, pay City £20M to get his £330k? a week off their wage bill.

Again with the disclaimer; No! I'm not saying Grealish is as good as Messi -- but they are a sort of 'similar type'.

Anyway, after you've read it, if indeed you do, compare the change in tactics from the 2005 Messi to the 2026 Messi -- 4 different incarnations according to the article.

Then compare the 2005 version of Moyes to the 2026 version of Moyes -- then ask the question at the top of the page again.
Jimmy Hardacre
28 Posted 08/06/2026 at 06:48:57
I could not agree more. The possession side of Moyes's game plan is mainly passing back in the midfield. On numerous occasions, we have had 8 to 10 passes and moved in an area of no more than 4 m forward then back; this is tactacal -- the players are told to keep their positions.

I often wonder... Do they train together? No one seems to know what position anyone else is supposed to move into. They wait for something to give, which as we all know does not on lots of occasions.

With massive holes all over the park and wrong players fitting in wrong roles. Let's look at the Red Shite's first goal in the derby -- from defence to goal in about 3 passes... I never liked Moyes the first time but I felt he was needed when he came back. He cannot admit he is wrong.

Wake up, David! Thanks for steadying the ship but time's up... Go, Go, Go!!!
Paul Griffiths
29 Posted 08/06/2026 at 07:58:51
Inigo Perez is actually the sort of manager that I would like, but as MG said, that horse has bolted.

We just have to get out of the 'plucky' 'stability' mould that Moyes exemplifies. Other clubs - we know who they are and they were once beneath us for the most part - have a track record of younger more 'modern' coaches. Why can't we? Moyes makes us look old-fashioned now.

Mind you, TFG appointed Claudio Ranieri as Roma gaffer in 2024.

The next season, if it is to be with Moyes, will only increase the ironic reality of a club with a state-of-the-art 2026 stadium - and owners who seem to value this - and a Steptoe-and-Son coaching team.
Mark Murphy
30 Posted 08/06/2026 at 08:24:56
“It's the summer time, I'm glad I have mostly been able to switch off from them”

Me too Tone, yet here we are!

I'm used to Everton doing fuck all in the early days of the transfer window and I'm usually okay with that but kinell I'm getting frustrated as hell with the silence from TFG and the club.

I feel they're taking our acceptance of this mediocrity for granted!
Annika Herbert
31 Posted 08/06/2026 at 08:27:22
Everton outgrew Moyes about 20 years ago.

A few months after he left to guide Man Utd to even greater glory…
Paul Griffiths
32 Posted 08/06/2026 at 08:33:21
It's absolutely impossible and a daydream for Tony A or anyone else to 'switch off' from Everton:

With the window opening in a week from now.

The widespread scepticism about TFG and what they will do and sheer curiosity about what they might do.

The daily debates about Moyes.

The inextinguishable memory of the last seven games of the season.

And, quite frankly, the utter unmitigated love that we fans have for the club we have loved since we were a few feet high that matters so much for who we are.
John Collins
33 Posted 08/06/2026 at 10:27:25
Football in general has outgrown David Moyes imo.
Andy Meighan
34 Posted 08/06/2026 at 10:40:53
We've outgrown him, the Friedkins and Kinnear haven't.

Were stuck with him for another year.
Jack Convery
35 Posted 08/06/2026 at 10:59:45
The Moyesiah reminds of that phrase "After the Flood".

Only in his case it was an uninspiring trickle.
David West
36 Posted 08/06/2026 at 11:30:04
Would be good if we could get an article on the impact of SCR on our transfer budget this summer from someone.

My understanding is that the club have to estimate their revenue to the Premier League and then stick to 85% spend of that revenue.

It would give us all an idea of what the budgets are this year, knowing what levels of players we are in for, knowing what budget is left after signing players, and knowing what TFG are willing to spend in relation to the SCR limit.
Len Hawkins
37 Posted 08/06/2026 at 11:33:36
In his first coming as Everton's saviour, he did get us into Europe... but, after more than a decade, his failings showed the play was at a consistent level of mediocrity with his stubbornness coming through.

He then got head-hunted by Sir Alex Ferguson to carry on the Clydebank roll Man Utd were on and he took over the then current Champions... but was invited to clear off 10 months later.

He dabbled in Spain but, not surprisingly, Drumchapel and Northern Spain dialects are not good bedfellows and off he went again.

Sunderland tasted his brand of football as he got them relegated and his on-off affair with West Ham proved he was more Marmite than Caviar although he did win the European equivalent of a non-league trophy against teams from the arse-end of nowhere.

After trying every available manager in England at the time, the graffiti hearts adorning every wall inside Goodison with BK loves DM won the day and he was hot-footing it back to Goodison Park.

The wave of emotion from a\mnesiac Evertonians was tsunami like and soon began to subside as Hill Dickinson Stadium became the new hope crushed by mediocrity and 88th minute substitutions.

I am one of the Never Go Back brigade after two attempts by Howard Kendall to relight the blue touch paper failed miserably and tainted our best-ever manager. But no, "Moyes is our saviour" was the clarion call.

And where are we now? In the normal mid-table mediocrity with his block headed refusal to alter things and consistently playing players that Stevie Wonder could see were a disaster... and buying the biggest joke ever of a centre-forward -- the only thing missing were the size 36 clown's shoes and a red nose.

Moyes is more than yesterday's man -- he is more 3 weeks ago and, when you look at the crap teams who did the double over us last season, when they were easy prey to other teams, any iota of faith I had that Moyes was the man to take us forward in a bus with only reverse is not nor will work.

We need a serial winner -- not a serial mediocre. I am 76 and want to see us win something in the twilight of my spell on Earth.

After starting watching Everton in the mid-'60s and seeing players walking on broken glass for the chance to play for Everton, I now see run-of-the-mill players turning their nose up when the name Everton is mentioned.
Phil Roberts
38 Posted 08/06/2026 at 12:08:50
Len, "Graffiti hearts adorning every wall inside Goodison with BK loves DM won the day"

Kenwright died in October 2023 and Moyes was re-appointed in January 2025.
Get over it.

Hate leads to anger and anger leads to the Dark Side... and you wouldn't want to support them. Would you?
John Collins
39 Posted 08/06/2026 at 12:37:17
It's realism more than hate, Phil.

More people are waking up to the deception spread amongst the fans from Kenwright and Moyes first time around.
Rick Tarleton
40 Posted 08/06/2026 at 13:34:48
If I wanted a manager to just about keep me in the Premier League, I'd go for Moyes or Dyche or Allardyce or Pulis. We've tried most of them, and they do what it says on the tin.

However, if I wanted a manager to push on and look towards a European place, I certainly would not look at any of the above.

Of the present squad, I see Pickford, Branthwaite (if fit), Garner and Dewsbury-Hall as players of the necessary standard. Ndiaye has feet and talent but makes very little and scores too rarely for a player of his ability.

Keane and Tarkowski have given stirling service, O'Brien may be a very good centre-back, I wouldn't really know... and the rest are simply below standard.

But they are Moyes-like pawns who tear up and down the pitch and give plenty of effort. Dibling and Grealish have ability, but aren't ideally suited to the Moyes blueprint.

I'd like to see a younger coach who trusts skilful players. One who goes out to win games rather than stopS the other team, and one who actually frightens other teams with his ingenuity and tactics.

In my 70+ years as an Evertonian, only Catterick and Kendall have done so. Ancelotti may have also done so if he'd stayed around a bit longer. Bournemouth, Brighton, Brentford, Villa and Palace have found such managers, they do exist. We have not.
Tony Abrahams
41 Posted 08/06/2026 at 14:07:16
Get over not wanting a manager who has delivered the sum total of zero trophies in twelve full seasons Len. Stop feeling hate, because it will only lead to anger, which leads to the dark side🙈

There is no darker side than supporting a football club that doesn’t even look like it has got the desire to really compete Phil, never mind trying to actually win something.

In the thirty one years since we last won a trophy the club on the other side of the city have won The Champions league, the UEFA Cup, the fa cup, the league cup, and also The English premier league, some of them more than once, and a man is getting told that it’s better not being angry because it will only send you over to the dark side? No wonder they laugh at us and mock us with that horribly galling fucking song.
Stu Darlington
42 Posted 08/06/2026 at 14:19:24
With the growing influence of technology and statistics in the modern game, has anybody considered the need for a human manager at all?

The massive success of VAR in improving the spectators' experience of the game and use of statistics to assess players' performance on the pitch (xG, distance covered, etc) could all be used to create an AI Football Manager.

Feed in our squad's statistics, and our opponent's statistics, aided perhaps by a little training ground spying, and we are almost there. Tactics, formations, line-ups etc could all be decided beforehand and a real-time feed from the game itself would allow changes, substitutions etc to be made automatically.

Ergo... no need for any human intervention!!!

We could make it more realistic by having an AI-generated Avatar in the dugout of anyone we chose, and changed every game if we wished. That would allow us to have any world class manager we wanted on the touchline! And no big payoff when we sack them!

In fact, we would not need to go to the game at all. We could sit in the pub, or in the warm at home, confident that we already knew the outcome.

The possibilities of such a system are virtually endless and certainly no periods of Moyes hate, Dyche hate, Koeman hate, Carlo worship etc. So much less stressful!

I know... I'm a genius.
Tony Abrahams
43 Posted 08/06/2026 at 14:40:38
Soulless Stu - I get a similar feeling when I think about The Silent Friedkins.
Sean Mitchell
45 Posted 08/06/2026 at 15:58:00
Mykolenko has signed a 3-year deal. The club are showing ambition… 🤦🏻

Oh, wait. Another 30 years pending because this club doesn't fuckin’ learn.
Phil Roberts
46 Posted 08/06/2026 at 17:23:45
Tony,
Kendall 3rd time around
Walter Smith
Roberto Martinez
Ronald Koeman
Marco Silva
Carlo Ancelotti
Rafa Beneathus
Frank Lampard
Sean Dyche

But it is all David Moyes's fault we have not won a trophy? They all failed to bring us a trophy. The nearest we have been was an FA Cup Final in 2009 and 4th place in the Premier League.

It is an uncomfortable fact that in those 30 years, we have finished in the Top 7 only 10 times. Martinez once, Koeman once and the other 8?

We are fixated on this manager being the problem but it is the club in general. If he was the problem, how come after he left we had 11 seasons where we did not finish in the Top 7 and only 2 when we did? Surely we should have won something once he left given he was the problem.
John Collins
47 Posted 08/06/2026 at 17:28:58
Phil.

It's people like you who are ruining this club.

David got us to Top 10. Yipp-fuckin-yeeh!
Sean Herbert
48 Posted 08/06/2026 at 19:29:26
Phil @ 46,

How many years has Moyes had as Everton boss now? In all those years, the height of his achievements is a Top 7 finish?

You consider that as an achievement? It just proves how successfully Moyes has got away with conning the fans.

For years, he has convinced the fans what a great job he is doing as he lowered the expectations of plucky little Everton. So much so that we now consider not being in a relegation battle as great progress.

After a season in which the Moyesiah spent over £115M and earned one more point than Dyche did in his last season. Truly a wonderful achievement.
Tony Abrahams
49 Posted 08/06/2026 at 21:02:50
I have seen you give those same lists before, Phil, but my own view is that I think we would have definitely had a much better chance if his sidekick would have been made to leave the club when Usmanov purchased us, instead of hanging around like a bad penny, along with all his mediocre nepotistic friends who were on the payroll.

I don't blame Moyes for us not winning us a trophy; I blamed Bill Kenwright for actually allowing Everton to have a manager who delivered the sum total of nothing in 11 years.

I then blame a lot of our own fans for not seeing through Bill Kenwright, and instead accepting the complete mediocrity that he delivered.

I don't want to come 7th and qualify for Europe, only to be knocked out before the competition gets serious... but I wouldn't mind coming 15th like we did in 1995, when we last won a cup.

Moyes had his good points but only when the goal was not to expect too much because it was never his fault that his hands were tied behind his back.

The title of this article actually makes me feel a little bit nauseous when I think about it, simply because, rather than outgrowing David Moyes, I don't believe he was a manager that was ever good enough for Everton Football Club. That was until we got a third-rate owner who was never good enough for Everton Football Club either.
Jimmy Hardacre
50 Posted 09/06/2026 at 14:04:19
To sum all this talk up, it does not matter where we were. What matters now is where we are going... and Moyes is not the answer.

I buy this season ticket every year, aiming to win the Premier Leauge, or at least try... which we don't, full stop.

If you want great days out, semi-finals etc, you need someone at the helm who is trying to do the same.
Eugene Ruane
51 Posted 10/06/2026 at 13:47:08
.
Yes

In fact imho, we'd 'outgrown him' (?) just after the final whistle of the 2009 FA Cup final and I haven't seen anything since to make me change my mind.

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