Beto’s Brace sets up Everton for third consecutive win

I think Moyes might have found an answer to our scoring problems by instructing the players to play the ball ahead of Beto.

I've just looked at the Top four scorers this season;

Premier League only;

Ndiaye: Mins 1,858, Goals 6, GPM 309.666

Beto: Mins 393, Goals 3, GPM 131

McNeil: Mins 1,143, Goals 3 +3 assists, GPM 381

DCL: Mins 1,582, Goals 3 +1 assist, GPM 527.333

All competitions;

Ndiaye: Mins 2,117, Goals 8, GPM 264.625

Beto: Mins 613, Goals 5, GPM 122.6

McNeil: Mins1,323, Goals 4 +3 assists, GPM 330.75

DCL: Mins 1,582, Goals 3 +1 assist, GPM 509.333

It will be interesting if Beto can maintain a decent strike rate, if given the correct ball to play, and if he isn't asked to play 'the DCL' role.

Regardless, a great win today, and you can only play what is in front of you. I was disappointed with 4, could have and should have been more. Why sit back against that team?

My last word, welcome back Jimmy and no more injuries thank the Gods.

WSNBM

And Beto was bound to score, he's a handful if nothing else.

Moyes has 2 targets, first - ensure safety, the second is progress us as a club. The first he seems to have covered the second we will have to wait and see. I like what is happening but reserving judgement

Mangala has had returned to France for rehab and recovery. I believe, despite my piss poor record over the last week or so, he hasn't been terminated, he is being assessed by Lyon.

Orel Mangala profile

I presume, they haven't terminated the contract, because currently, we're paying his wages, not them.

Apparently, I read Thursday morning, that Lyon are 'technically relegated' due to infringement of the Ligue Une Financial rules;

Lyon provisionally relegated, player exodus to follow?

Rob, [9]

I agree with you, we are certainly not playing in the same style or system as Dyche.

You can credit Dyche for the starting point of building a strong defence, but Moyes has made it stronger, and our whole right wing, by swapping Young for O'Brien, and Harrison for Lindstrøm.

We now have a couple of outlets going forward, and Gueye and A.N. Other (Mangala and Jimmy) have much simpler and less frenetic roles to play, with Doucs sitting ahead in a 'spoiler' role.

That allows Lindstrøm, Ndiaye and our #9 (currently Beto) to actually link up and play football.

With just two personnel changes (which Dyche had access to), and a tweak of the system, he's changed us from being frightened of leaking a goal; to actually being pretty damn good at the back, and actually looking to score!

Mick [10]

I'll always thank Dyche for keeping us up in his second season here; but, he just couldn't evolve his 'yard dogg' tactics, even when Thelwell delivered him players, who could play, and had a little bit of culture and flair between them. He literally drilled it out of them!

I doubt after so long fire-fighting Dyche will ever evolve now, as his pattern of play has been impressed on him.

Many thanks, good wishes, and bygones...

And let's face it we start next season at the Dock in the top division again.

If you'd have said that 3 weeks ago I'd have doubted you.

Don’t turn this into the tiresome gloating match.

Everton won. Everton got 3 vital points to take us a step closer. A vital win in a vital fixture.

We’re not there yet, but 2 more wins puts us on 32 points.

I wasn’t able to see it today, but made up with result.

Nearly there

David Moyes has improved Everton. But we support Everton. Not David Moyes. And frankly, BOTH sides of the debate would do well to remember that.

I wasn’t even able to follow today and have only seen the brief highlights.

Both, when I’ve watched the full 90, I’ll add some thoughts.

It's stating the obvious to say they are much happier now, playing with much more freedom, and hopefully playing their own game within the team rather than the 'square pegs, round holes' thing we often heard about.

And so of course are the fans, they are much much happier — even ones like me who did not want to contemplate the return of Moyes given all the baggage he accumulated over those 11 years with us, plus that miserable comeuppance he experienced at Man Utd.

He and his staff are the only thing that as changed and so he has to be given the credit for that change affecting the players and in turn affecting the results. Maybe he's learnt a few things in his years away from us that have been crucial in underpinning the turnaround?

Or maybe it's just the fact that Dyche was finally ditched and that anyone coming in with anything approaching a fresh perspective could have overseen a similar turnaround? We'll never know the answer to that — but we may know soon enough if this just a case of the fabled 'new manager bounce'!

The new manager "bounce" is an urban myth. Not sure what the stats are but I doubt it's more than 50/50.

However a better manager will always make greater use of the resources available to him and Moyes is a much better manager than Sean. And don't get me wrong... Everton fans owe a huge debt of gratitude to Sean & I for one will be eternally grateful.

But it's "Moyes. The Return" playing now and let's hope the sequel massively surpasses the original.

UTFT!

You were literally hysterical at the prospect of Moyes taking over.

Regardless, he’s done so and we’ve WON three out of four. Just to repeat: WON three out of four. We were playing for draws prior to that and couldn’t buy a goal.

You should be eating humble pie and giving serious thought to any future editorials that you post because, being blunt, your Moyes-based one was embarrassing to the extreme.

But I never understood the debate about Dyche. He came in and basically said "you're not good enough and can't play football". That was from day one.

He had people believing that he was the only thing keeping us up. It was never true. We didn't have to adopt that style to avoid going down, but that style did stop us moving forward.

I could understand someone like Gray wanting out. He was a footballer. I can't quite fathom how someone convinced Ndiaye to join us - he must have an agent who doesn't have a subscription to watch Premier League matches. The boy is a gift from the gods. The path we were on was a downward spiral... less football, less talent, less football, less talent. And with every drop in talent on the pitch, Dyche could excuse his tactics further.

There have been plenty of times in the past where people have claimed that anyone would be better than the incumbent manager. It's never been truer than with Dyche.

I said several times that I don’t believe on going back and that I had mixed emotions about Moyes’ return.

What I didn’t do is have some kind of public breakdown and bleat about how much I despised the man. Can you actually believe that? One of the editors of this site had the inability to take a deep breath and then sit back and see what happens. The post, as it was, was utterly embarrassing, as I’ve said. I said at the time that, given Michael’s mindset, he should probably seek therapy.

Yep, I’m sure the wheels will come off at some point and we’ll stop watching MotD for a while. So what? It doesn’t stop Michael’s comments being cringeworthy and lacking the qualities it takes to impartially, even moderately impartially, edit an Everton FC site.

That would never happen. Just to prove it, here are some of the comments from the sceptics on these pages after the Villa defeat. I’ve put my personal favourites in bold. :

I'd have sacked him at half-time

For me, it was a carbon copy of a Dyche team selection, tactics and substitutions.
He brought on two fresh players with 8 minutes to go… unbelievable.

The definition of madness, doing the same thing over and over expecting to get a different result. So Moyes picks the same team as Sean Dyche would have. Good one, Davey.

What a thoroughly miserable, depressing night watching Moyes get wrong exactly what Dyche has been getting wrong all season.Learn fast, Davie, or get out.

That was the sorriest "new manager bounce" I've ever seen – a wax statue would have had as much impact on the touchline.

Moyes did a near perfect impression of Dyche.

Moyes chose O'Brien. Absolutely clueless.

Maybe Moyes will make changes for Sunday but I have no confidence in Moyes making the right ones. We may well be in crisis by next week.

The fact that Dreary Dave clearly hasn't got off his arse and watched videos of our previous games but instead picked the same team and formation as Dyche is astonishing.

TFG’s appointment of Moyes is clueless and desperately out of touch with the modern game

Can’t see Moyes finishing this season, he’ll be dismissed too late, March/April time

Is Moyes, Dyche in disguise?

Top post.

I just be amazed at how both camps see themselves as following the righteous path and being more sinned against than sinning.

Moyes is our manager for now. Let's get behind him and I don't mean waiting for an opportunity to stab him in the back.

I didn't want Moyes back at all.

He's sure shown me. Sure three wins in four matches has been fantastic but it's the way we're playing. Passing it around, movement off the ball, players expecting and seeing other players in support, and of course, our defending. It's the way we're playing that has me excited.

It's absolutely amazing what a team full of confident players looks like vs. a team of players that completely lack confidence.

There was a gameplan to get in behind the Leicester defence, especially in the channel that Vestergaard (the slowest CB I've seen since Claus Thomsen) was covering. The first 3 goals came in that area. It wasn't rocket science, but it was an indication of how limited Dyche and his coaching team were, especially this season.

Coupled with the players being actually encouraged to get forward and try to create, it's a massive improvement. The best example was on the left where Mykolenko had freedom of the flank for much of the game. Previously, even if that space had been there, he wouldn't have advanced.

Three league wins on the spin and 7 goals (should arguably be more given the chances we've had) are testament to better quality coaching.

We’ve now got people basically saying we are already safe (more probable but not yet assured) and no-one else but the Moyesiah could have done it (which is debatable).

It’s great what DM has done so far but it doesn’t look like rocket science to me. I don’t know why Dyche became so blind to some obvious failings with his choices but I’ve never agreed that we have a squad of no-hopers / don’t- carers so I didn’t think it required a miracle worker to sort things out.

Very happy to have him back to get us out of the mire (work in progress) but still waiting to see if he can take us further than he could the first time around.

Today’s game - first and fourth goals we deserve for our players desire / effort but Leicester defence was shockingly bad. Beto’s brace showcased his particular strengths and he should have had a penalty awarded as well.

The players now seem to have a game plan that they can deliver and a weight off their shoulders going into the derby. A few more competent bodies to keep the players as fresh as possible for the remaining league fixtures would be welcome; a couple of unheralded diamonds in the rough to actually improve us would be really nice.

Scott (various), why does MK have to be impartial? Why can’t he wear his heart on his sleeve if he so chooses? He and Lyndon have created a place for us all to meet and ‘talk’. I’m very grateful for all their hard work and certainly don’t have a problem with them putting their views into the mix whenever they feel like it.

I probably would have taken him back earlier but I wasn't expecting nor was I sure about a return at this juncture. He's well on the road to proving us doubters wrong.

I'll be delighted to see Moyes lead Everton out at our new stadium... and our new future.

But he has. They're playing with more freedom and more confidence, especially Myko and Lindstrom, and starting O'Brien at a position he never played before was genius. So was staying with the 4-2-3-1 and sticking with Doucoure, both against overwhelming popular opinion.

Somebody pointed out that these three wins have been against profoundly troubled teams, and that's true -- BHA was a horror show today and Spurs are obviously disintegrating -- but it doesn't matter. As I've said so many time it nauseates people, all that matters is getting enough points to stay up into the new stadium.

I was reasonably confident we would do that under Dyche, and so were the Friedkins. But Dyche did everybody a favor by blowing himself up, and I think Moyes has largely put the question to bed. We're pretty much a lock to be in the Prem when BMD opens its doors. And I'll join everybody else in clapping Moyes onto the new pitch when it happens.

Gist; "This is an unfair thing about war: victory is claimed by all, failure to one alone."

Or as we say nowadays - Everybody loves a winner

Seemingly a total lack of Dyche (thanks for those 2 'escapes' btw) plus a bit of a different outlook. Lo and behold the players seem happier.

Happy now to buy a tickets in the game of football's raffle, because if you don't buy that ticket you'll never win the prize...not that the prizes (aka goals) are guaranteed, but if you don't buy the ticket you'll never win

Pickford had one shot to save.

O'Brien seems to be growing into his job...makes you wonder what Thelwell and Dyche were up to about not playing him once acquired?

Mykolenko though??

The Mid Field seem to be lasting longer, Garner & Gana did well.

Doucoure took his goal well, (as did Beto) perfect passes, requiring hardly a touch, just pass it into the net...not as easy as I make it sound,

Beto's 2nd, the one on one, not quite Temple-esque, but good.
Some might ask, does DCL score that? Maybe under Ancelotti he might’ve, but IMO, he's (current injury notwithstanding) not physically and mentally that player any more, no matter, Beto did, so it's all moot.

Beto's 'Penalty' - Nailed on...but only if you're a rs...penalty, shoulder into the back at speed, with the ball 2 yds away.

Although the 2nd half was somewhat less frenetic, Beto seemed to run out of steam, which highlights the need for cover up front.

FA Cup up next, go for it Everton.

Second, and what's more important, he continued to play lockdown defense. He's part of a backline that has allowed two shots on target in two games. And nobody's getting past him.

And third, I didn't say one word about him being the future. Just that he's doing well in the present, and better under Moyes than under Dyche. If that's "bigging him up", fine, guilty as charged.

But 'Somebody' be it Thelwell or a Moshiri / Texor axis, brought in O'Brien, then Dyche never (once?) played him.
Was it a case of, 'I didn't ask for him so I won't play him???'

Moyes,on the other hand, watches him in training for a few days and sticks him in to good(-ish) effect.

Were the DoF and Ex Coach not on the same page just this once or for a lot of the time?...that sort of..."makes you wonder what Thelwell and Dyche were up to."

Overall, this was an excellent performance with the size of squad we have and clearly demonstrates that the small squad we have id NOT absolute shite like many would say.

Well done Everton team and well done Davey M. for spotting how to get the best out of the squad.

Thelwell (DoF) recruits who they can with permission of club hierarchy - not necessarily restricted just to managers explicit preferences - but only manager prepares the squad and selects the team / uses players off the bench or leaves them getting splinters.

I have never considered they are in some sort of job share situation, just that their roles have large areas of obvious overlap.

Doucoure scored a really good goal. He committed to running beyond the striker... ie something we didn't bother with for much of the season. But his very next act was to backheel the ball to no-one when we were in a great position. He also shoveled one over the bar from 6 yards. He's the same technically poor footballer and shouldn't be our number 10... but he did pretty well being played in a way that suits him and is more effective than just making him a chaser of opponents.

Myko has a new lease of life under Moyes. He's getting freed up down that left side with Ndiaye coming inside rather than just slotting in as an extra wing back. But again, he's not much of a footballer. Some of his touches and passing in that first half were still at the same embarrassing level for a top flight full back. He has a complete inability to open up his body and play the ball down the line which is kind of incredible for a full back given we coach that technique at U8 level. Inside is the only ball he can play.

Hate campaign? Absolutely not. They both give everything and spent much of the season in a team that didn't function at all. They'll look better in a functional set up (and that's really all Moyes has done so far - he's reversed the shocking previous choices) but it doesn't mean they're better players. They're the first two I'd replace and a goal by Doucoure doesn't change that.

I still find it hard to believe that we sold Digne and signed Mykolenko. I get the age and transfer value factor but it's cost us massively on the pitch and just confirms that for quite some time, Everton hasn't been a place for footballers who can play football. Hopefully those times are changin'.

Contrary to what people want to believe, Moyes likes to press. You can't press without pace at the back.

Young was a reasonable selection if you want to sit back and not go forward.

The only press Dyche liked were the ones he fed stories to hailing his own impact.

The Derby is a big ask for this group. Tearing apart Spurs and Leicester (and negating Brighton) is a long way from beating that lot.

The next game is also a really good test. Bournemouth are 7th on merit and we owe them one at Goodison. It would be great to come through that game with the "feelgood factor" still intact.

A big ask vs that lot, but we've done it before. The team raised their game to previously unseen levels. I figure the old lady is owed a similar effort.

Plenty to do but some good signs, and freedom to play
shiwing on the park.
UTFTs!

He can finish, and if he keeps working on his movement, and timing then he provides a viable option in attack.

Good to see Garner adding craft and guile, he was excellent.
UTFTs!

I fully support your view about gloating. Why oh why are people so singularly incapable of simply enjoying moments like this ?

Unfortunately I agree with Chris @27. Moyes sceptics will be out in force when we do come unstuck. Even more unfortunately, I believe it is posts like Chris's that will guarantee it.

This was a golden opportunity for Evertonian's to unite. Yet some (too many) have passed up on that chance and chose to use the moment to draw up the battle lines. By gloating with the ridiculous belief that after a couple of weeks they have somehow been proved right (They must be new to this footy lark). They are deliberately trying to spoil the upturn in fortune for fellow blues...That will be remembered.

The trenches have been dug today. Lose to either Bournemouth or The Shite and Moyes will get absolutely murdered on these pages and in alehouses all over Liverpool.

Pity. I would have loved to have been reminded of what a united Evertonia looked like.

Moyes is in the position that most managers find themselves in. Respect won't be given, it must be earned.

There's history that will have swayed some people (in both directions) but more wins like this and you'll see that united Evertonia. Goodison certainly sounded like it was closer than for some time. People stopped doubting Moyes the first time (for a while) and Martinez (for a while).

There is no reason to suggest they were incapable of playing some decent football...it was the manager and his bizarre sections/tactics that made us look so poor.

As someone else said, Moyes has done nothing remarkably groundbreaking, it's just obvious changes and coaching but the difference is staggering.

I wasn't overly keen on his return initially but I warmed to it very quickly, despite his first line up against Villa. We've got through possibly the worst time in our history and now we can look forward to brighter future.

Even midtable would be satisfactory for the next couple of years after the nerve shredding seasons we've had recently.

And just a couple of reminders, someone on TW said before Dyche went that we’d ‘ missed an opportunity’ when Van Nistelrooy left United! Others thought that we should employ Rooney and Ferguson, Ferguson and Baines, Abbot and Costello….ok, I made the last one up, but thank God TW isn’t responsible for running the club!

Just walking up to the ground yesterday there was a buzz about our supporters obviously winning our last couple of games helped, but there seemed to be a belief that we had turned a corner. The big test for me when judging managers is, has he improved any individual player, has the team improved, and I think from me its a yes to both questions. Lindstrom looks a different player, we had hardly seen O,Brien but he looks rock solid. Beto looked unplayable at times yesterday. I worried we would miss Mangala, and actually Garner was my MOTM. Also don't know if its Moyes or Baines or both but Mykolenko raiding down the flanks is something that Baines did brilliantly.
There will be hiccups thats football, but I feel our manager and coaches along with our new found confidence will see us secure top flight status going into BMD.

The rest of your post seems to indicate they are pretty representative. So I'm not sure what you find so ridiculous.

The situation with O'Brien underlines it.

Personally I think he was bought as cover for Branthwaite leaving, but to not find a role for him and persevere with Young and Keane ahead of him in the pecking order, considering our results at the time, now looks extremely stubborn on Dyche's part. Ditto for Lindstrom, and we might soon be considering Beto a more shrewd signing than was originally thought too.

Small tweaks by Moyes have not just re-invigorated the team, they've made Thelwell look like a more than capable DoF who's been working with the wrong manager. Moyes seems to like the players he's bought, he's selecting them anyway.

I hope Thelwell is allowed to continue his work. A manager and DoF working well together is a further positive for next season. TFG may have other ideas though.

My old man, bless him wouldn't conceed even if I showed him the facts in black and white.

Ray #61, there were a few who thought Bainesy and Seamus should continue to run the club because the Peterborough win proved they could keep us up. I almost put my forehead through the top of my desk on that one.

Jimmy #66, I believe Thelwell deserves a chance to continue in his job because his signings have been overall really good and his sells have been brilliant. But as Clint Eastwood said to Gene Hackman in The Unforgiven (right before he shot him in the face), "Deserve's got nothing to do with it." It will be no surprise if Friedkin brings in Weir or Ashworth in the summer.

I remember Alan Ball taking the defenders out of the game too...by SITTING on the ball. loved it, until some player kicked it out from under him!

The sample size of games is too small to make bigger judgements - Villa (soundly defeated), Spurs (good performance for 75 mins), BHA (resolute back to the wall defence) followed by Leicester City (very good all-round performance).

I very much doubt Mr Moyes will be too excited by our run of results. He will have realised that he will need longer to stabilise the team and the next 2 games are tough. I certainly will not be on here criticising the manager if we lose both.

We all hope he can keep it going, but having various posters challenging supporters because we are not quite buying into their excitement will not change any minds.

Quite the contrary.

I thought Dyche faded badly, ran out of ideas, and maybe he knew it was time go...

And Thelwell may get the chance to prove his worth for a while longer, I'd like to see if that works

Really pleased for Beto as well. I know he's not the most elegant or cultured of players but he's got the main thing any striker needs - the ability to put the ball in the net.

He's never been given a proper chance before now in my opinion and has been written off unfairly. I don't really mind if he can do fancy tricks or Messi like turns - his job is to score and if does that, he'll do for me. DCL looks the better player for now but Beto looks like the better goalscorer.

Thought Garner did very well on his comeback game too. If we keep him fit, then the Mangala injury might not impact the team too much.