David Moyes' First Game in Charge: A New Era Begins
- Spirit of The News
- Jan 14
- 3 min read
A new era begins for Everton tomorrow as new manager David Moyes takes charge for his first game after being appointed on Saturday morning against Unai Emery's Aston Villa.
Moyes has spoken out about the fixture and the future for Everton Football Club that he is hoping to be a part of:
David Moyes Interview:
“We can have all the fancy plans we want but, let’s be fair, we’re probably not quite in the position to do that yet. But we do have to look to see what’s going to go on in the future,"
"I’m here and I’m going to try to put as many things right as I possibly can. The first thing I have got to try to put right is that we get results to make sure we’re going into our new stadium as a Premier League team."
"I see it as a huge pressure. I think when you care so much about the club and you’ve had such a long period here – even today, there are a lot of people here who were here 11 years ago – it makes me realise it’s a really popular football club, one that needs to be in the top flight.
The Blues currently sit 16th in the Premier League, only one point above the relegation zone; a game in hand is present, but it is against title contenders Liverpool. Also, Everton has conceded five fewer goals than Ipswich, giving the Toffees the advantage at the moment.
Everton are without a win in five league games, with Moyes looking to turn that form around. In his first spell with the club, the Scottish man spent 11 years at the club, being extremely successful through financial challenges. During his spell, his preferred tactical approach was a 4-4-1-1, building around a solid defence, with Lescott and Jagielke at centerbacks, allowing forward creative players such as Pienaar, Osman, and Arteta to roam around the final third. The pacey characteristics of these playmakers allowed the Toffees to spark a frequent amount of counterattacks, something David Moyes has implemented into numerous teams during his managerial career.
On the other hand, in the attacking low build-up, Aston Villa manager Unai Emery opts for a 4-2-2-2 formation with a central forward, a drifting forward, two number tens, and no one on the left-hand side wing. In the high buildup, the approach Villa takes is down the middle; therefore, Emery sets up his wingers to drag the backline of their opposition to extend their width, giving more opportunities to find gaps between the centre backs and fullbacks. In his press conference, Unai Emery has admitted that "The crowd and Everton players will be very motivated. We have to try and focus on our match and our game plan."
Emery also told the press in attendance that ex-Everton player and current Aston Villa player Ross Barkley will be injured for "two to three weeks" and centre back Pau Torres a further six to eight weeks.
On the other hand, in David Moyes' first press conference as Everton manager, he revealed that Albanian loanee Armando Broja, who signed on deadline day in the summer and who went down injured in the 2-0 victory against Peterborough United in the FA Cup Third Round tie, is having a second scan as the Everton staff believe it may not be as serious as initially thought. As well, Dominic Calvert-Lewin, who was isolated under the management of Sean Dyche, has trained in preparation for the game on Wednesday night. Finally, Moyes revealed that Dwight McNeil is not fit to feature in the fixture due to a knee injury.
Matchweek 21:
Tuesday 14th January:
Brentford 19:30 Man City
Chelsea 19:30 Bournemouth
West Ham 19:30 Fulham
Wednesday 15th January:
Everton 19:30 Aston Villa
Leicester 19:30 Crystal Palace
Newcastle 19:30 Wolves
Arsenal 20:00 Tottenham
Thursday 16th January:
Ipswich 19:30 Brighton
Man United 20:00 Southampton
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