Stop Blaming David Moyes

In light of the crap he has to put up with from his board in not giving him finances, forcing him to sell players he has no desire to! In public he could be vocal, arrogant, disgrace the club by belittling things behind the scenes! No, the man shows great loyalty and commitment despite everything.

Some people are so driven by the need to blame someone they forget the obvious! Over 5/6 years we have enjoyed European nights again, and won a great many of them! Been to Wembley for the first time in 15 years!! Finished just behind clubs with 10 times plus the financial muscle we have!

I have backed BK for a long time... Why? Because like every Evertonian he desperately wants success for us but, Bill, as much as you are a nice guy, you are dragging us down now!!

Look at the facts. It was Johnson who enforced Ferguson's sale which most observers felt was wrong, both in a football sense and in his ethical dealings with the manager, and Johnson who forced out the last manager to win a trophy, Joe Royle. Walter Smith was way out of his depth in the Premier League, a fact evinced by the number of Premier League clubs lining up to hire him after he was fired... None. The only miracle was that we somehow avoided relegation under his disastrous tenure. He was statistically and objectively the worst manager in Everton's history.

Kenwright saved Everton from bankruptcy, risking his personal wealth to do so. He took too long to fire Smith and he is taking too long to fire Moyes. It is close to insane to claim that Moyes is prevented from developing a winning team by lack of financial resources when, just a few months ago, many of the same people making that claim were predicting the team he has built without much resources was capable of challenging for the Champions League, thus confirming his talent as a manager, which was an opinion almost universally held last August.

The plain reality is that the manager is ultimately held responsible for the performance of the team he has built. If we were winning games every week, he would surely get the credit. His team has performed very poorly two seasons in a row. If he isn't going to be held accountable, who is? The man who pays his wages? You may as well blame the fans or the groundskeepers. Most managers have to work within a strict and limiting budget. All but four or five have to sell to buy or risk bankruptcy. There is no legitimate defense of Moyes's performance this season. You either accept it and hope for better or look for someone with fresher ideas and perspective. I would prefer the latter.

Years of neglect has reduced our once great Club to a shambles, most fans are resigned to this plight and the majority no longer have either the heart or stomach for the fight.

As for Peter Johnson, I have no idea but if you're going to make those kind of statements, how can we corroborate them? I have no idea about what BK is up to ? it's all about speculation. What we need are hard facts but as usual we, as fans, are always the last to know.

Bad team selection, bad tactics, bad substitutions. He must go ? along with Kenwright ? ASAP!

The only thing we have got left to cheer our team on for is getting in front of Liverpool... but with Moyes at the helm, I very much doubt it!!

If I remember correctly, Johnson was in the Echo saying that we would have £10M to spend on players if he took over. Bill also came out and said he'd match it, only for Peter Johnson to double this figure to £20M. The resulting poll in the Echo was understandably in Johnson's favour.

Bearing in mind that this was before Johnson had done anything wrong, why the fuck did Bill try to buy the club, and where was the cash coming from?

When he first came to us, he was like a breath of fresh air after the Walter Smith experience. Not only did we play decent football, we scored a fair few goals, and if my memory serves me rightly we played 4-4-3 a lot of the time and that was with players like Mark Pembridge, Alexandersson and one or two other duffers whose names escape me in the side.

He had a spark, life and passion but somewhere along the way he's turned into Walter Smith ? a defensive, negative manager with only one thought in his mind: not to get beat.

By his own admission, he's assembled what he thinks is the best squad Everton have had in 20 years... and what's he done with it? ? played the most negative boring lifeless football you could imagine.

He looks out of ideas and I get the feeling the players no longer believe in him. He's gone stale, looks bored/fed-up most of the time.... so now is the time for change, both at board and managerial levels. My belief is that both will change in the close season... and you know what they say ? a new broom sweeps clean!

Bill will tell us that he and our useless directors can't find a buyer. Moyes will be linked with every Tom, Dick or Harry that is available on a free. But guess what: no-one will be signed as we can't afford their wages. To top it all, we the fans will continue to spend our hard-earned cash supporting our club because we are the only people that really care.

I accept that Fellaini has had some good games... but when you balance those against the ones where he has been clumsy, all elbows and hair, when he has been sent off, his time suspended, or out through injury, frankly I'm not impressed.

As for the others, I don't think there's much of an argument that we paid over the odds for players who are just not equipped to meet the challenge. I can think of other managers who could do more with that kind of money.

So much for not having had resources to succeed. Of course, we mustn't blame him! He's only the manager!

Moyes has achieved more than most managers given the circumstances and bought some excellent players from lower divisions BUT, when he has had money to spend, he has wasted much of it on players like the Russian and Heitinga when it was clear we needed a right winger and a proven goalscorer. Tactically he is not a great manager either IMHO.

It is difficult to know how we are going to move forward. I have followed Everton for close to 65 years and I can't remember being more pissed-off than I was during the Reading game ?and believe me, I have been through some bad periods supporting Everton.

Regardless of who is to blame, a significant change is required, the Board, the Manager and the bleeding players need to step up and be counted.

He loves Bill and Bill loves him, time for the pair of them to slowly walk hand in hand off in to the sunset to the tune of "I got you babe".

Regarding Joe Royle, he thumped PJ, after PJ told him he couldn't sell Duncan and buy Flo and another player.
No, I am not PJ, just that I had reliable sources during that time. No, I don't accept second best, but our managers, good or bad, will always fail despite their efforts or talents, due to the restrictions placed upon them. If Moyes goes, be prepared for Allardyce or David Jones... in other words, low budget; you pay low budget, you get low budget, low league placing, and Cup shocks.

It's farcical that he's been integral to so many of the rough times with the club and yet that's washed over simply because he's a blue. 99.9% of Evertonians could not afford financially to be The Chairman of EFC, and surely, you step down, do everything in your power to extract yourself and sort the club if it is a rescue plan. It's quite clear though that it's never been about the benefit of the club, more a status, toy trainset for Bill and he's let the Walter Mitty side of things run away with him.

Other than appointing and not sacking Moyes (though that's being questioned now), what has Bill done in his tenure other than lie, hock everything, and basically be detrimental to the club? In all seriousness, I struggle to see anything positive that he couldn't have done from a club ambassador type role.

My experience of watching, playing and coaching this game tells me that Bily is a pussy cat in the tackle and his work rate is non-existent and those factors will not change, regardless what position he is in. I class Heitinga as world class because he was a vital cog in Holland's qualifying games and finals of the recent World Cup.

When Coleman and Rodwell burst onto the scene, both were a breath of fresh air and widely touted as future stars. Despite having a fair number of games under their belt, their games have definitely tailed off. What I find really annoying is that Moyes and his panel of coaches do not or cannot improve any of the players' basic faults or weaknesses.

To mention a few other than those mentioned above, for incoming high balls, Howard is glued to his line, Neville or Hibbert's crosses, Jagielka's hoofing, Arteta's free kicks, Osman's tackling, shooting and heading, Beckford's first touch. It would take too long for me to list Anichebe's faults.

The point I am trying to make is that the above player faults have been patently evident for some time and neither Moyes nor his coaches have made the slightest improvement in any of them.

Has he failed ? Will he ever win anything? FFS ? Birmingham have just won a trophy after how many years and on paper they have a less talented squad.

What is there left to play for this season? We won't get relegated and, rationally thinking, we won't finish in a European placing... so, if there are more dire games to come, then I look forward to a season where both Kenwright and Moyes have left and any new owners and manager can start building again. I would take a few seasons of mid-table if we were progressing and playing some decent football...

Let's get a manager in that can magic up free top-class wingers, so we don't have to play people out of position.

Let's get a manager who doesn't gamble on Championship standard strikers just because we are skint. One that won't "fuck them up" then make a profit on them. Just because they were/are unable to cut it at this level.

Let's get a manager who will forge a feared world class strike force that`ll cost absolutely fuck all but will terrorise Europe, someone who will somehow create a thus far unknown "12th position" so Cahill still gets a game.

Let's get a manager who, unlike any other manager who ever lived, doesn't lose to lesser teams in a knock-out competition that was made great by ...err shock results ? especially if those "minnows" have spent more than us in the past two seasons... fucken upstarts.

Let's get a manager who will transform Tony Hibbert into Danny McGrain, make Leon Osman two stone heavier and four inches taller, supply Seamus Coleman with a neck brace so he can play with his head up and knows what's going on around him, a manager who can "learn" Beckford to become Gerd Muller, someone who will generally stop wasting the talents of players no other club wants and who cost fuck all, a manager who will turn big Vic into Big Daddy.

Let's get one of those managers who didn't make a mistake in the transfer market. Somebody who works for nothing and calls the board a bunch of wankers on a daily basis.

Let's choose a manager who picks all the players we want him to pick and therefore isn't "negative", somebody who like us, knows money doesn't count for fuck all and will leave the post he's in now to come and work for BK because he wants to prove it.

Yes, guys you`ve won me over, you`re argument was too powerful, there must be dozens ? probably even hundreds of managers who tick all the above boxes.

MOYES OUT!!!

http://football365.com/story/0,17033,8652_6787203,00.html.

After reading all the posts though, there?s too many to respond to, so I?ll make a list of the things I remember agreeing with and disagreeing with.

Agree:
? Almost everything Dick says.
? Moyes supports the board, therefore is one of them, therefore is very much part of the problem.
? Less money that the rest of the EPL cannot excuse losing AT HOME to Reading in the FA Cup.
? Walter Smith has gone on to win and take Rangers back to being a great side. I know it?s a lower standard, but it?s relative, as the players are also worse. A good manager can flourish in any league, just as a bad manager would struggle in any league ? I honestly think that Moyes would struggle at ANY club in ANY league with his current approach.
? Moyes has bought good players, and pretty much fucked their lives.


Disagree
? Fellaini is worth £20mil and was good business. He was a deadline day purchase, and they are rarely good value. I don?t think any team would pay over £15mil for him, especially now after his latest injury.
? Hibbert, Osman, Anichebe aren?t to blame ? I can think of plenty of occasions where these players have single handedly cost us points, but can?t think of many where they?ve single handedly won us points. I know the others aren?t perfect, but these guys have been left behind in improvement.
? We expected too much in the UEFA Cup/Europa League. If you are the ?best of the rest? in the supposed best league in the world, you should be winning this comp.
? Heitinga IS world class, but has obviously realised he made a massive cock up joining a team managed by a clueless twat that rates shite players.

Finally, James Brand, this is not a snipe. What I do find odd, and also kind of quirky, is that we are around the same age, think the same things about the squad and the way Moyes has shaped it over the last few years, but our opinion of Moyes himself is the exact opposite. Fair play to you, but that is kind of weird.

He and the players have been browbeaten by the ineptitude of the board, some will feel they should do more, they get paid, blah, blah, but can anyone in here say they would be pulling their tripe out in their line of employment, if your bosses were as bad as our board?

11 years of zero investment, 11 years of not increasing turnover of the club (only thing has gone up is Sky money) that is our legacy.

To the guy that said Moyes has turned into a Walter Smith, glad you said that, because that is the point of my article. Name me one club in the top 2 divisions possibly some 3rd and 4th as well, who all their strikers cost £0, nothing, not a bloody bean... for what is generally the main area of the team, what chance has any manager got with those restrictions?

Moyes makes mistakes, we all do, but to not see the bigger picture is OUR main problem. Moyes has made enough snide comments about lack of funding to read between the lines; personally, I would have liked him to call the board's bluff to be honest, but Moyes (unlike the FSW across the park) has some class, don't turn it against him.

? I would expect us to be in contention for a Europa League place.
? The cups represent our best chance of success, therefore, I would expect us to approach every cup game as though it was a last day of the season relegation battle.
? Finally, I would expect a reduction in the number of truly shocking performances.

Like yourself, at the start of the season I wasn't expecting us to be Champions League contenders, we simply haven't the resources for that. However, surely you would agree that the rest was achievable.

What I do expect and match goers are entitled to demand is something a whole lot better than the utter shite his team displayed in a home game against a mediocre Championship side.

Moyes plus his coaching staff of ex-defender has-beens should be thoroughly embarrassed and ashamed of what they put out on that sad miserable night.

Yes, there are faults with every person at that club and this season, with our best squad in years, look at what has happened and I am sick to the fucking teeth of people in the media and on here claiming how lucky we are to have the untouchable one.

He has done a good job over the years and has had more praise than any other manager, this year he deserves stick, full stop.

I think the people who know we can afford to pay him off, know we can't afford to pay compensation for another club's manager, know Kenwright won't sack him, and know we are stuck with the squad we have, but still keep battering away, are doing untold damage to this club.

Merely my opinion.

You choose to think he is doing a fine job with players, all of whom he brought on through the ranks or brought in as transfers. I choose to think many of them have gone backwards or at the very least shown no identifiable improvement. Let's leave it at that, eh.

Yes, we reached a level that was much better than before he came, but the older guys who have seen it all before can sense what is coming next. This season was never going to be about maintaining stability, it was to be defining in a way of further progress or a dramitic decline. The latter has happened and it's unlikely we will recover to the positions of the last four years.

You're only as good as your last game and it's this one that currently is the yardstick to measure Mr Moyes on. Tactically, after early possession, Bily should have gone central, Osman gone left. Half-time: Neville off, Coleman full back to then properly overlap into space that a Jose Baxter could have created by joining the right flank. Beckford on for Areta or Rodwell, basically do something the opposition is least expecting.

We played right into Reading's hands and did nothing to rectify the problem. That was Moyes's job, this was our leader, the man the side looked to, to motivate and organise. He failed, the team failed and I can't see a way out with no serious changes at the club.

Our financial set-up needs a manager who, like Moyes was a few years ago, is aware of the hidden gems in the lower leagues. Moyes has lost that skill along with that drive that inspired his players.

? A new manager would have realised we actually needed wingers and purchased them with the money they HAD been given, in good time to settle them into the squad and work with the team. Moyes buys 11th hour misfits Bily / Feillani.
? A new manager would give Beckford a chance, play to his strengths alongside another striker and not patronise / belittle him in public by telling him it?s a big jump to the Premier League. Moyes puts him on as a lone striker with 10 minutes remaining till full time when we are already beaten.

? A new manager would realise that at times Cahill should be dropped and at others he should be played where he belongs in midfield.
? A new manager would not entertain Osman, Anichebe or Hibbert and sell them to a Championship club.
? A new manager could stipulate the need for extra cash more firmly than telling BK he is the best boss in the business and wouldn?t change him for the world (the reason he wouldn?t change him is that new owners wouldn?t put up with the shite produced by Moyes).
? A new manager would pick a more balanced team and take a chance every now and again.

The only sense you wrote was in your final words ? MOYES OUT!!!

Where is the Everton that believes in Nil Satis Nisi Optimum? We have become an also-ran because we no longer start the season expecting to win the league.

I want a Harry Catterick ? a man who says 'we think big, we are big' ? not a mouse! I want a manager who expects the best at all times, a manager who can motivate the players, a man who knows the passion of the fans, the history of the club, who thinks that we are as big as anyone.

Accepting what we have now is going to result in us fading away; already, the media think of us as an over-achieving club. I hate to hear that. We are Everton ? one of the biggest and most famous clubs in the world.

Get the right board in and the right manager in and let's get back where we belong. This lot are just not acceptable, how can the directors be happy watching such a poor team?

Definitely Moyes is hugely to blame for ruining not only the Yak but a string of other strikers.

? Do I think the Yak has been a £12m signing? No.
? Do I think Hairdoo has been worth £15m? No.
? Do I think Bily has been worth £10m? No.

And my reason is this, and there's nothing ignorant about it: Moyes cannot take such huge gambles with the money the club has. Compare those prices with Arshavin (£8m), Van der Vaart (£7m), now tell me Moyes didn't pay too much when compared with these players.

? Arshavin cost Arsenal £15M, and much more in wages than we pay Fellaini.
? Do I think Fellaini is worth £12-15M (depending who you believe on the fee)? Yes, I do. If we lose him, my bet is it'll be for a profit.

On finance, I'm sorry too much nonsense here, we have done well financially under Moyes. He never wanted to sign Jô for £18M. And other figures above are just plain wrong. Anyone can find examples of clubs finding someone cheap (you missed Fabregas for half a million, btw), and then compare to an expensive failure. But FFS get the facts right.

Everton have bucked the trend of last 5-6 years in scoring more points for our wage bill than the rest of the League in its entirety. That is no opinion, just pure statistical truth. That is not taking isolated examples eg Fellaini vs Van Persie, but the overall spend.

So to your 'we can't waste such money on our finances'; you're simply wrong to say we are. Our net transfer spend under Moyes is £3 million a year. Using facts rather than "£8M Arshavin", how many can point to signings like Cahill, Jagielka, Arteta, Pienaar, Baines, the massive profit on Lescott (all for £20M the lot)? On this point, Moyes is an undisputed success. (I repeat that is not opinion just statement of points to pounds spent.)

On strikers, I noticed Yak was suddenly not playing from late November on and wondered what the deal was. He scored a good goal vs Stoke. And of course, given the few strikers we had that was poor... and I still don't understand letting Vaughan go. I have said that I am unhappy with Moyes's policy this last year. We needed new blood and had no money so he simply had to wheel 'n deal; he bottled that judgement.

Moyes HAS made mistakes, but this idea that he has misspent is utter garbage and needs exposing. This season has seen us exposed in two ways:

We have not got a reliable Premier League striker. But again, Saha and Beckford cost £1 million ? he hasn't had money. The big mistake was not biting the bullet and selling Yak and Pienaar ? who anyone with eyes could see had little future at the club. They would have got us a striker at least, if not a winger, too.

We are too rarely able to get round determined defences. Some people think we have an easy run in. But we get better results against better teams: Spurs, Man C, Chelsea, Man U and Liverpool this season, compared with... well you do not need telling.

I do not want Moyes out. There is a very good squad there, and I don't want to lose the major part of it. But Moyes needs to learn from mistakes. And, based on past success, I would give him two years ? and no funds other than player sales, 'cos we don't have money ? to get us back to a 60-points-a-season team that can compete for the top four. Financially, we should not have a right to top 4 in our unfair League, but we should compete for it.

PJ might have thought up the name 'Academy' but the idea of having youth sides has always been in place at every top club... Everton and Liverpool 'A' teams played in the Lancashire League, as I did.

DM also had fall outs with big DUNC etc etc. Catterick had fallouts with Young and Vernon... it is not news that managers upset players and vice versa.

The players on many occasions have cost managers their jobs at many clubs and I'm quite happy to hear that DM has not been complacent about players not performing!

The great attitude of the Everton lads, their coaches and first aid staff made it a really happy and memorable day for our kids. Cheering on from the sidelines was almost the club's entire senior squads.

Not long after that, as probably the first of our cost-cutting exercises, the club culled a lot of its junior sides. I cannot remember how many of them we had that played in various competitions scattered throughout the Northwest of England.

Nowadays, players get well paid for bench warming and never get to play a competitive game for a full 90 minutes because they are not expected to play reserve games... it's money for old rope!!

I would.

I would.

I also happen to call my boss a cunt on a daily basis, and he gives it back to me, but we both know deep down why we do it. On Friday, I did ask for a pay rise not an hour after calling him a fat cunt, and guess what: next week my cheque is going to be bit bigger. It's called selling yourself a bit higher, and explaining why your employer should invest more in you ? I actually understand why BK doesn't give DM more money.

And in response to your question about players living in a cardboard box, a bit of an exaggeration, but do you remember a promising young Ajax winger called Andy van der Meyde? What did playing under Moyes's dictatorship do for his life?