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What Everton supporter shouted says everything with David Moyes facing problem he spent millions on

-Credit:James Gill - Danehouse/Getty Images
-Credit:James Gill - Danehouse/Getty Images


The more things change, the more they stay the same...

Almost 23 years after he was first appointed by the club and a dozen after he left, returning Blues boss David Moyes acknowledged that he was coming back to a very different Everton to the club he left, but he too had evolved from his subsequent managerial experiences.

The Scot, who was the Premier League’s youngest gaffer when as a 38-year-old he dubbed his new employers ‘The People’s Club’ in 2002, has now come back as the division’s elder statesman aged 61.

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That previous 11-year spell, that produced nine top-eight finishes, including Everton’s highest ever Premier League position of fourth in 2004/05, ensures Moyes enjoys the support of the Goodison Park, “Come on Davy, do something lad,” was the cry from one Main Stand supporter after the team fell behind, but it’s also his recent pedigree at West Ham United that makes him the best man to get the Blues out of their current bind.

Even when Everton were at the peak of their powers first time around under Moyes, finding a prolific marksman often proved elusive and now more than ever, that remains the case.

Three times in as many years he broke the club’s transfer record to bring in James Beattie, Andrew Johnson and Ayegbeni Yakubu while during his final years, Nikica Jelavic enjoyed an initial purple patch, but none of them were able to enjoy longevity when it came to being an effective force up front.

Given that this Everton side had failed to score in eight of their previous 10 Premier League games, it was perhaps asking a bit much for them to replicate Moyes’ dream start from 2002 when David Unsworth fired the hosts ahead barely 30 seconds into the contest and in truth it was Aston Villa who looked the more dangerous side in the opening exchanges.

Returning to Goodison Park for the first time since his £50million transfer in the summer, Blues old boy Amadou Onana has looked like a different proposition under Unai Emery this term and having raced to three goals in his first month with Villa, his fourth goal of the campaign against West Ham United in the FA Cup on Friday night matched in scoring total for his two years combined on Merseyside.

Just a couple of minutes into this contest, Onana looked like he might be about to ruin the script and return as a Goodison bogeyman as the Grand Old Lady played host to her first fixture of her final year, when he surged forward and let fly with an ominous shot from outside the area, but home captain James Tarkowski got his body in the way to make a crucial interception and deflect the ball wide.

Moments later, Everton were opened up again as this time Morgan Rogers fired in a goalbound effort but thankfully Jordan Pickford was alert to get down well to his left and turn the ball around the post.

Onana, who often did more to try and rouse the Goodison crowd with demonstrative gestures rather than inspirational play during his own time in royal blue, swiftly threatened to become a pantomime villain as, after being shown the yellow card for bringing down his former team-mate and close friend Idrissa Gueye, he was involved in a series of skirmishes with Orel Mangala, one of his rivals for a spot in the Belgium team.

Another player turning out against an old club, Ashley Young looked like he was inadvertently rolling back the years and back in claret in blue when his misplaced back pass served as an inviting through-ball for Watkins to chase on to, but when one-on-one with England international team-mate Jordan Pickford, making his 300th Everton appearance and along with Young, the only other player in the home side to have turned out for Moyes away from his previous spell with the Blues, the striker surprisingly skewed his shot wide of the post.

There was no such let off when Watkins was played through again though six minutes into the second half and after that there was no way back for a team as out of sorts going forward as Everton right now. Ironically, for Moyes, who did so well polishing up rough diamonds from the Championship during his first spell at the Blues, it was two such Villa players, who opened up the hosts as Jarrad Branthwaite’s loose pass was picked up by Morgan Rogers, signed from Middlesbrough, who found Watkins, plucked from Brentford when they were still in the second tier, and this time the striker slotted home with a clinical finish.

Moyes responded by making a straight swap on the right wing as Jesper Lindstrom replaced Jack Harrison while late on, Everton switched to a 3-5-2 formation as Beto and Jake O’Brien entered the fray but for all the perspiration for the returning Blues boss, there was little inspiration. Loan pair Harrison and Lindstrom have been jockeying for the same spot all season but neither of them has either a goal or an assist to their name, although that could have changed when the hosts finally found a breakthrough a couple of minutes into stoppage time.

Lindstrom squared the ball to Dominic Calvert-Lewin for an inviting opportunity with the Gwladys Street goal gaping, but the Everton number nine’s scoring drought was extended to a 16th game as he scooped his shot over the bar.

Those same issues that dogged Dyche, and of which he would complain had existed before his tenure, must now be tasked by the Blues returning managerial icon.