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Friedkin Group must understand David Moyes transfer plea to avoid new Everton Stadium catastrophe

Everton director of football Kevin Thelwell and executive chairman Marc Watts of The Friedkin Group need to ensure returning manager David Moyes is able to make the squad additions he feels are needed in the January transfer window to ensure the Blues move into their new stadium as a Premier League club
-Credit:Reach Publishing Services Limited


Even our future king was expecting to see a new manager ‘bounce’ for Everton under David Moyes but while the Aston Villa-supporting Prince of Wales was able to cheer his side ending their away day woes, for all his know-how, the returning Blues boss was left acknowledging that he’s no “magician.”

Heir to the throne, William, who has followed the West Midlands outfit since childhood, visited a Wetherspoon pub at Birmingham New Street Station, to sip on a pint of Bulmers cider after asking the club to arrange a gathering for him with some of their die-hard fans.

The meeting took place before the supporters made the journey up to Liverpool for Unai Emery’s side’s 1-0 win at Goodison Park in what was the first game of Moyes’ second spell in charge. The BBC quote John McEvoy, 64, from Solihull, who runs a catering equipment business, as saying: “William said a family friend took him to his first game – Villa against Bolton – and he’s loved the team ever since.

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“He said he would be watching the match on TV tonight. He was just a really nice, genuine bloke who really loves Villa. William thought it would be a tough game as Everton have got their old manager back and teams get a bounce when they have a change of manager.”

Moyes, who might get to meet either Wills or his dad when he picks up his OBE awarded in the King's New Year Honours List, will be looking to instil some more steel into the Blues in the coming weeks but, yet again this season, they were left to look like a ‘soft touch’ by handing an opponent a timely boost.

Rock bottom Southampton picked up their only win in 20 games so far against Everton; after losing their opening five away games, Brentford collected their first point on the road at Goodison Park, despite being reduced to 10 men for over half the match; and now Aston Villa, after being beaten in their five previous Premier League away fixtures, have cured their travel sickness thanks to Ollie Watkins’ strike.

Indeed, despite Everton having recorded 76 league wins over Villa, a club record against a single opponent, they haven’t beaten the Brummies in a dozen Premier League clashes since they were last promoted in 2019.

Everton versus Aston Villa is the most played fixture in English top flight football, but with the 214th meeting being the final encounter at Goodison Park, the venue that has staged the most English top flight matches, it’s imperative that the Blues are able to continue that enduring rivalry by hosting Villa in a Premier League match at their new stadium next season.

That is why Moyes has been brought back now because he’s Everton’s best bet to ensure that kicking off what should be a bright new dawn by the banks of the Mersey, does not become the unthinkable of starting in the Championship. Sean Dyche departed with just 17 points from 19 matches, less than half the team’s total of 36 at the end of his first season in 2022/23 – the lowest equivalent tally in their history – when they avoided a first relegation in 72 years by a single Abdoulaye Doucoure goal on the final day.

That is far too close for comfort and while the Blues are the only Premier League club to have made a profit in the transfer market since the summer of 2022 – the first window after director of football Kevin Thelwell came to the club – it’s not enough for a squad that is generally considered to be stronger than last season when, despite suffering a brace of sporting sanctions, their on the field results would have put them level on points with 11th placed Brighton & Hove Albion.

Moyes himself has gone on record as saying that he hasn’t come back to be managing a team near the bottom of the table and hasn’t been backwards in coming forwards when it comes to highlighting the need for new faces to be added to the squad this month. In major US sports, a bad season can just be written off and with the draft system it can even provide a platform to acquire one of the most talented up and coming star players, but Everton’s new owners, The Friedkin Group, who were represented by Marc Watts and Brian Walker in the directors' box against Villa, will understand there are no such security blankets in the organic pyramid of meritocracy in English football.

Instead, there is a relegation trapdoor to avoid. Given that the Blues have ridden the storm of previous battles to stay up, points deductions, PSR-enforced asset stripping, and the prospect of being bought by the now crumbled empire of 777 Partners, falling at this final hurdle when they have almost moored up at Bramley-Moore Dock and ready to rebuild their team and their finances in a magnificent 52,888 capacity stadium that will enable them to play in front of the biggest regular crowds in their history, would be a catastrophe.

With his proven track record, having Moyes’ steady hand back on the tiller should enable them to navigate these remaining choppy waters and come safely into port for Goodison Park’s farewell in May. However, the man at the helm has made it clear that he’s aware as the rest of us that he needs some additional crew to ensure the end of this turbulent journey avoids a football shipwreck at a pivotal moment in Everton’s history.