Everton reality dawns after mood change at David Moyes press conference
The hope will be that the start of this press conference was not a metaphor for the days to come.
As a room filled with reporters anticipated the entrance of David Moyes there was a pause of confusion as the Everton manager tried to make his way before the camera crews only to find the door into the media suite locked. It took BBC’s Giulia Bould to step to the rescue, unlocking the door and sparking plenty of jokes about who may have been responsible.
The laughter of the start was a stark contrast to the seriousness of the Q&A that followed.
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Everton has long felt like a club that has been battered by bad luck. Events at Brighton last weekend only served to underline that a change in manager may not mean a change in fortune.
The win was of immense value to the Blues and increased the distance to the bottom three as the club started to dream of looking up the table. But it was overshadowed by the severity of the injuries suffered by Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Orel Mangala, two first team players now lost from a squad that Moyes had already concluded needed to be strengthened.
Everton already had Armando Broja, Dwight McNeil and Youssef Chermiti on the long-term injury list, now they have more.
The result is that the final days of the January transfer window are now more important than they already were. Which brings us back to the club’s position with Profit and Sustainability Regulations (PSR). While Everton passed the 2023/24 checks and now have the uncertainty of the stadium loan interest issue behind them, the club remains constrained in what it can do. New owners The Friedkin Group should have the opportunity to become more ambitious once this financial year is over in July, but until then the effects of the club’s mistakes of the past continue to linger.
Moyes, therefore, is the latest figure of note at the club to be left to deal with the fallout of problems he did not create. He spoke to Sean Dyche, well-versed on the matter, after taking over from him a few weeks ago but reality now appears to be dawning on the extent of the issue.
It is, therefore, a bad time to lose players of importance to the first team. It is also a tough time for Moyes and director of football Kevin Thelwell. There is an acknowledgement that for all the progress of the two wins overseen by Moyes, there are months left of the season and the squad can ill-afford to risk closing it out without new signings to strengthen the existing group.
The problem is that Everton are seeking short-term solutions in a tough market for such an effort. Suitable players are in short supply, more expensive and, because Everton’s predicament is clear to all, the club’s bargaining position is weak.
It is also complex because the same problems that are hampering Moyes’ efforts now were caused by spending too much money to satisfy short term goals. Everton and Moyes want to rebuild in the summer and want to do so looking up the table, not down it. Sacrificing money, PSR wriggle room and squad places on players that may not fit into those longer-term plans is a risk.
As Everton head into the final days of the window there is jeopardy whichever path they take. With Moyes set to push on more doors as he looks for the best solutions, hopefully one will open for him - just as it eventually did at Halewood on Friday afternoon.
