- 5 months ago
Everton boss David Moyes on injury news, the possibility of transfers before the deadline and continuing a fairly positive start to season when they face Wolves
Finch Farm, Liverpool, UK
Finch Farm, Liverpool, UK
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00:00Quiet room this morning.
00:06It is. Not many, is there?
00:07No. They're going to be getting it that walk when they're seeing them.
00:13Good morning, everyone. Welcome to our pre-match press conference to preview our game against Wolves.
00:18And we'll start off with our next conference.
00:19Thanks, Andy.
00:20Morning, David.
00:21Morning.
00:22Winning is a great habit to get into, isn't it?
00:24Two wins in the two games at Hill Dickinson Stadium.
00:27Great for confidence, really. How are you feeling at the moment about it?
00:32Well, it was a really good victory. The Premier League victory was a great win against Brighton.
00:36Brighton are a very good side and never easy to play against.
00:40So to get the first win was great.
00:43And obviously we backed up with a cup win in midweek, which, you know, never easy.
00:48Any of the cup games are never easy and pleased to get through.
00:51Yeah, smiles on the face of the fans, smiles on the face of the players as well.
00:56Well, especially Jack Grealish, how pleased are you with how quickly he's settled in at the club?
01:02I'm really pleased because he's a real talent and someone who we're hoping that we can help get back to the levels
01:09where he's produced over many years.
01:11So he's helped us already.
01:14He's suddenly got a couple of games back to back.
01:16So I hope we can continue to build on it, you know, get fitter, stronger and get used to playing again, really.
01:24I mean, some great, the fans are excited with the attacking players that you've got in the squad, David.
01:29You know, the likes of Ily Manojai, Jack Grealish, Tyler Diblingham, Carlos Alcaraz, you know, all in the same side.
01:37I mean, some people say it goes against the sort of David Boyce mantra of the past.
01:42Yeah, well, that's what people might think.
01:43It's always been the thought that I want my teams to be entertaining.
01:50I want them to try and score goals whenever we can.
01:53But ultimately, the best teams in the Premier League tend to have the best defensive records as well.
01:58And we've got a good defensive record and we've got, we've had that last season.
02:02So I'm trying to build on a chance to see if we can score more goals and, you know, make more chances when we can.
02:10We didn't do it in pre-season.
02:12So we've had to bring in people who can do it.
02:16I'll not be able to play them all at the same time.
02:18But we're really pleased with the people we've brought in.
02:22Just in terms of bringing people in, I think you said at one stage you did one ten years out.
02:27I mean, you've had eight if you include Carlos Alcaraz as well coming in on that permanent deal.
02:32Are we likely to see ten?
02:34Could do.
02:36But I don't want to raise all the expectations all the time.
02:39I think for most of the summer I've been saying that we will be making signings.
02:42We'll be wanting to make signings.
02:43And we have done.
02:46Whether we get anything over the line before Monday night, I couldn't be sure of that yet.
02:51And are there specific areas that you are still targeting?
02:54Yeah, well, of course.
02:57If we're bringing things in, there's areas we feel as if we need.
02:59And if we can do it, great.
03:01If we don't, well, we'll go with what we've got.
03:03Would that be defensively, given the, I wouldn't say problems, but the issues you've had there?
03:08Well, we've had a few injuries there.
03:10But I just said that in the main we've been pretty strong defensively over the last year or two here.
03:14So the boys have done a very good job.
03:17But we want competition for them.
03:19And we want them to realise that, you know, there's people sort of breathing down their neck.
03:26But we're also quite happy with the ones we've got here at the moment.
03:29Well, the Hunter Wanderers away from home, they haven't had a great start Premier League-wise with two defeats from that opening two games.
03:38What are your expectations going there?
03:39Well, you're making it sound as if that Wills aren't a good side by what you're saying.
03:45I would completely disagree with that.
03:47I think Wills have got a good side.
03:49And I think the manager's doing a very good job and they're developing as a team.
03:54They've got some very, very good players.
03:57So I'd go against what your question was.
04:00But we go to Wills knowing that we know we've got a difficult game and we're going to have to play really well to get a result.
04:06But what you have done, though, David, since you arrived again in January, is improve that away form,
04:12which has been crucial for Everton over the years, getting points on the road.
04:16I know the strength will hopefully be at Hill Dickinson Stadium, but points on the road in the Premier League is vital, isn't it?
04:23Absolutely.
04:23And it was.
04:24We had some terrific wins last season on the road when we come in.
04:27So I hope we can keep it going.
04:30We've been to Leeds and we were a bit disappointed in the game against Leeds,
04:33albeit a decision slightly went against us.
04:36But overall, we're going to go into the game at Wills and hopefully see if we can come out with three points.
04:42Just finally, for me, any further update on squad, team news, etc., injuries?
04:48No, I think most things are pretty much the same.
04:53I think it will be...
04:54Every Premier League team at the moment's squad won't be confirmed until after Monday's deadline, really,
05:02whether it be in injuries, etc.
05:04So I think we're all probably looking forward to getting rid of the window
05:07and then starting to work with the players who we all have.
05:11We saw Michelangelo back on Wednesday night.
05:14Yeah, yeah.
05:15Getting ready to go for it?
05:16I hope so.
05:17It was good that we got him back because we've been short for recent weeks,
05:20so getting him back is really important for us.
05:22What about Asni?
05:22Adam's still got a little bit of a problem with his ankle.
05:27He's back doing some training, but we'll just need to monitor him and see where he is.
05:35Thanks, Alan.
05:36David, on that note, what's your assessment of where this group of players are right now,
05:42given the injuries you've had to deal with, given the number of new faces that have come in over the last four or five weeks?
05:47Well, I don't think you ever really want to bring in as many players as we've had to do,
05:51but we always knew this was going to be a summer like it.
05:54We can't fix everything in this one window, and we can't repair all the damage, maybe,
06:02which was maybe from past.
06:04Not so much damage, but more to do with lots of lone players, with people out of contract, etc., etc.
06:11So we have to try and get it all back in order over the next year or so.
06:16But this window has given us a chance to bring some players in.
06:20Hopefully, the ones we bring in improve on what we had last year.
06:24That would be the plan if we could do.
06:26But I have to say, the players who played for me last year and with me,
06:30I thought were fantastic from January onwards.
06:32They really did their results, their attitude, their commitment.
06:37And we want that to stay at Everton.
06:39It's really important to the club.
06:41And given the injuries and players playing out of position,
06:43thinking Illumann played on the right, obviously, last week, James Garner's played at left back.
06:47How much are these players showing you in terms of their versatility and what they can do?
06:53Well, I think versatility is a big part of football.
06:55I think you have to be able to play, at times, in numerous positions.
06:59I think it's more relevant in the modern-day football than it's probably ever been.
07:04So it wasn't by design that we had to play them.
07:07Injuries caused us for different things.
07:10Illy's different.
07:11Illy can play on the right or the left.
07:12It doesn't really matter to Illy.
07:14So we're quite comfortable with that.
07:15And you've spoken about the attacking qualities that Jack brings to the club.
07:20At this point in time with Wererton are, are his leadership qualities proven to be just as important?
07:26I think his experience will be hugely important.
07:29You know, he's played in huge games and also played with some great players.
07:35So I'm hoping that his nous helps us.
07:37And we need it here because we've got to make sure that we keep a level of experience in the team, around the club.
07:45I think that's important, even being a Premier League team, that if you want to remain a Premier League team, that you do have that big level of experience.
07:52And you've just warned us about some sort of complacency when we talk about Wolves.
07:57With that in mind, how do you approach the game on Saturday?
07:59Well, I didn't mention any bit of complacency.
08:02I just said that we've just got to make sure that the questions come in are giving Wolves the due respect, which they are.
08:08Wolves have got a good team and they've got many good players.
08:10So we'll go there knowing that it will be a really tough game.
08:15And just finally from me, in terms of everything you've spoken about, has this been one of the trickier Augusts in your manager?
08:21Yeah, I think it has been.
08:23I felt that really since we beat Newcastle away from home in the last game of the season last year.
08:28And since that day, I've really been working on recruitment.
08:35And I found it a really difficult summer for us regarding bringing Wolves a lot of players who haven't chosen not to come.
08:42And we've had to work really hard and putting in a lot of hours to try and make sure that we get enough players in.
08:48At the moment, our squad numbers are still small.
08:52But if things change maybe before Monday, then that would be good.
08:57Excellent.
08:58Cheers, thank you.
08:59Thanks, Richard.
08:59We'll go to Julia.
09:01Morning, David.
09:02Morning.
09:03Mansfield was your 500th managerial win.
09:06Tomorrow will be your 542nd game as an Everton manager, equalling Howard Kendall's record.
09:13You know, you talk about, I don't know if you knew that stat.
09:15I didn't, no.
09:16Well, I didn't know them at all.
09:19And I don't know if that's a good record or not.
09:22500 wins.
09:24But anyway, I'll take it.
09:26It sounds OK.
09:27Celebrate it anyway.
09:28It's a good milestone.
09:30Just, you know, when you're talking about that rebuild, though, with Everton and, you know, hitting that kind of number and equalling Howard Kendall's record.
09:36I just wondered how you have found this rebuild since you've come in as your second spell.
09:42Well, look, the biggest thing I think about is we've got a wonderful new stadium.
09:46And I think it's really important that we try and get a wonderful team.
09:51Not a new team, but a wonderful team if we can get that.
09:53We're trying to give the supporters something to shout about.
09:58I hope they realise that we can't do everything right away and we might not get everything right immediately, but we'll try and get things back on the right track.
10:07And we'll try and bring in players who will give us what we didn't have, which was probably a lack of goals last season as much as anything.
10:15So we're trying to bring in some players who can give us more goals, more assists, etc., so that we can get a greater goal tally.
10:24And as I said, look, we need to keep working at it.
10:29It's not going to be done in this window.
10:30And, you know, even just now, I'm still talking, even with the window still open, I'm still talking about, you know, we've got January window and we've got, we've also got next summer because of just the way it is to make things right.
10:44It's going to take a while.
10:45When you talk about that, when players are linked to Everton at the moment, people will say, oh, he's a David Moyes style player or that's not.
10:53I just thought I'll ask you, what is a David Moyes style player that you would be looking for?
10:57Well, look, it's a good question.
11:01And I'd say I don't think I've got anything which is any style.
11:04I've got to say I watch so much football and I look at players, I admire them, all different types of players.
11:12But I think it's what we think the team needs.
11:15There'll be times when we're saying, no, we need an attacking winger.
11:20You know, we need more speed or we're needing maybe more stature or we're needing more pace.
11:25So all those things we start to look at to see what's required.
11:30So I don't think it's necessarily down to what David Moyes wants and a David Moyes player.
11:35I think more to do with what Everton requires.
11:38Everton requires everybody to come with a brilliant character, committed, accepting that, you know,
11:47we might not be absolutely correct in everything we do.
11:50But, you know, the players here are very strong and we want them to remain that.
11:56So everybody we bring in, we want them to have a great character.
11:59Harrison Armstrong, midweek, two assists.
12:01He got player of the match as well and played probably rather like a senior player that had more games under his belt.
12:08Does that mean a loan for him is off the cards?
12:12Do you feel he could learn more with you now?
12:13Well, I've got to say, I think that a loan's there if we want for him.
12:20There's plenty of teams who want to take him on loan.
12:22He played really well in midweek.
12:24He showed that he's got the potential to be a future Everton player, that's for sure.
12:31So we've got a decision.
12:32Do we think we're going to give him enough games between now and, say, even January?
12:37You have to remember in January we've got African Nations where we'll lose two or three players to African Nations.
12:41So we've got that in our thought process.
12:44Even in buying players, you know, you're always a bit worried.
12:47Are they going to AFCON, for example?
12:52So because we're going to be losing numbers in January as well.
12:55So from that point of view, we're looking at Harrison to say,
13:00do we get him some more game time now?
13:02Do we keep him with us?
13:03So it's something we're looking at.
13:04But we're really pleased with how he played and he's beginning to come on.
13:08So he's looking at a very good future Everton player.
13:12When you're looking at your strikers, you said that you need more goals.
13:15Just midweek, it was 14 shots, six on target.
13:18And there's been debate about if the strikers need to be more prolific.
13:22What's going on in here with the strikers?
13:24And do you feel they're hitting the targets that you need them to hit?
13:28No, they're not hitting the targets.
13:30I want them to score more often, obviously.
13:32But that's what we have.
13:37We certainly don't have the money to spend 65s or 70s on centre forwards.
13:43We don't have that.
13:44That's why we've tried to get a centre forward in quite early,
13:47which we've not played probably in today's market.
13:49Very low price for a centre forward.
13:52So we have to accept that we don't have that level of finances to do top end centre forwards
13:58who might give you far greater numbers than what you've suggested there.
14:02Where's Yusuf Chimiti fitting into this then at the moment?
14:07Yusuf has got a good chance of going on loan.
14:09That's where we're probably going on loan, yeah.
14:11Thank you. Good luck.
14:13Thanks, Julia.
14:14Any further questions in the opening section?
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