Season 2011-12 Fan Articles

Moyes ? make the choice!

By Alex   Mather  ::  10/01/2012   87 Comments (»Last) I was reading an article on another website about Pep Guardiola, the Barcelona manager... basically the jist of the article was about Has he over-stayed his welcome at Barca?

He is now into his 4th season in charge and, after a draw against Espanyol at the weekend, many have said is he losing it as they fell 5 points behind Real Madrid (if only we Evertonians had such worries).

The Hungarian coach Bela Guttman always advised according to the article that "the third year was fatal"; this has rung true with some managers but not with others (Ferguson) at United for example.

Now the article got me thinking about David Moyes... in March this year, he will have served a decade in charge of Everton. Many believe long before this season he had out-stayed his welcome but more and more are starting to believe it was time he walked as the performances this season have been awful.

Personally I have had my moans about Moyes but the last decade has been much better than the decade that preceded him taking charge ? the only exception being the 95 FA Cup win.

The third-year rule is based largely on an effective group of players (successful or not) basically burning out or getting bored after the same man in charge has used the same tactics, formations, training regime etc. Ferguson at United has lasted so long because he has a knack for moving players on when he feels they are not motivated or are past their prime.

Now to compare Moyes with either Ferguson or Guardiola would be largely unfair, we all know the constraints Moyes has had in the transfer market over the last 3 years but I feel, that aside, if Moyes had dealt with things a little differently, then we might possibly be in a better situation than we currently find ourselves in.

I know Moyes has had to move players on largely through selling them to get the cash to bank (Arteta, Pienaar, Yakubu ? the list can and will be added too, I have no doubt) but my gripe with Moyes is he has sulked because of this and not got the best out of the squad he has left.

We do have quality in the current crop we have and, on any given matchday, we have 18 players available, but Moyes's rigid use of the 4-5-1 formation plus playing players out of position, and playing players out of form has hindered any progress which could have taken place.

Also, his stubbornness is a major barrier and I feel, whatever Moyes goes on to achieve, either at Everton or elsewhere, this will be his ultimate downfall and will prove costly if he ever wants to regarded as a great manager. This stubbornness plus his defensive-minded nature has effectively put Everton in the current predicament ? obviously the off-field issues haven?t helped and every manager needs money ? but that is another bigger issue.

Moyes needs to start to believe in the current players he has because ? unless the billionaire we would all love rocks up soon ? he is stuck with them. He needs to build them up, especially in public... give them confidence to go and do the job needed to win matches; the defeatist attitude needs to be ditched, the bench needs to be used long before the 80th minute if the game isn?t going well, and I know many will say he doesn?t have much of a bench but we know this, he knows this.

Stop whining and start to use Barkley... build him up, tell him he is the best thing since Rooney, get him alongside Fellaini and tell him to go and run the game! So what if he attracts the attention of richer clubs... he is doing that now while warming the bench/stands!

Personally, I feel, come May, Moyes will not be our Manager. I think he will get to the decade in charge and then walk. I don?t think the clown in the Chairman?s seat has the bollocks or the money to sack him anyway. And if Moyes has any respect for the supporters and the club, and he feels he can?t do anymore with his hands tied, then it is best that he walks for all concerned.

I for one will wish him luck because, in the decade he has been in charge, he has raised the bar for Everton compared with the relegation scraps of the 90s I sat through. So come on, Moyes ? it?s down to you to make the decision: change the attitude or walk away ? the choice is yours.

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