David Moyes returned to Everton on Monday night, nearly a dozen years after he left Goodison Park for an ill-fated stay with Manchester United.
His second coming raised any number of questions that remain to be answered over the second half of the Premier League campaign.
What the owners told him they wanted from him
Hurried talks with owners The Friedkin Group took little time in bringing Moyes back to the club he managed over 500 times in an 11-year spell.
And the Americans were clear what they wanted from the 61-year-old Scot.
“My experience and knowledge of the club a little bit, but I have been away for a long time,” Moyes said.
“I do think I have an idea of what the supporters like and what’s required.
“I think the owners might help use me as someone they can bounce ideas off, as well.
“They are new to it. They were a bit stunned this happened so quickly. They were hoping to be in a situation where Sean Dyche would see the season out and then see where it goes from there.”
The hopes for the season
The aim for the Moyes regime 2.0 seems fairly straightforward: ensure Premier League survival ahead of the move into the new £550m stadium this summer.
“Somebody asked if we are in a worse or better position than when I took over last time, I think just because of the scrutiny of football and the time you get in a job, maybe it is a more difficult time now,” Moyes said.
“They have just come through a couple of difficult years anyway, and the financial situation is really difficult. I hope I can regenerate the club.
“I am excited by the thought of everything going well and getting into the new stadium. I would love the opportunity to do that.”
His ties with Goodison Park
Moyes made it a point never to return to Goodison Park as a “fan” since leaving the club, out of respect for the men who replaced him in the hot seat.
Now, his new “old” job means he can make his personal farewell a fully family affair.
“I’d had a message asking me to come to one of the games before the end of the season,” Moyes said.
“I thought it would be brilliant to get back to Goodison before the end and to bring my dad down.
“You have to remember my family were so embedded in Everton. My kids were young, my dad was drinking with all the boys in the street, and leaving was terrible because we were really close after 11 years. Now I’ve got the chance to manage here again.
“I’ve just got to make sure that when we walk out of Goodison and lock the door for the final time, we can all walk down to the new stadium in the right position.”
The U-turn after his insistence he would not take a job at a struggling club
As recently as last month, Moyes insisted he did not want a job at a struggling club – that was until Everton called.
“Everton is different,” he said.
“I’ve come into the seat now, so I believe we’ll be strong enough to stay away from it.
“I think if people looked at David Moyes’s career they would probably think ‘Everton’. It was a long time ago and it’s a different David Moyes who’s coming back to Everton but it’s also a completely different Everton that David Moyes is coming back to.
“We’ve got brand new owners who we don’t know and no-one has any real indication of their levels. But, overall, it was an opportunity I’d want to take. I won’t overstay my welcome this time.
“I don’t think I’ll be here for 11 years, but I hope that I can guide the club a little bit towards, and steer the ship, in the right direction.”
The January transfer window
Moyes insists there is money available in the little over two weeks left in the transfer window but knows it could be a challenge to improve the squad greatly.
“It’s never that easy,” he said.
“It’s probably even a little bit more difficult here because it’s not been a great situation for a while.
“I need to impress the people, tell them we need them to come, what we’re going to try and do here.
“The new players who are going to come here, we want them to be excited about the thought of going to the new stadium.”
from Football - The i Paper https://ift.tt/ZHSKyO9
Post a Comment
EmoticonClick to see the code!
To insert emoticon you must added at least one space before the code.