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Everton boss David Moyes on their recent good form boosting hopes of making Europe and the injuries hitting his squad ahead of their Premier League clash with Chelsea
Finch Farm, Liverpool, UK
Finch Farm, Liverpool, UK
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00:00Good afternoon, everyone. Welcome to our pre-match press conference to preview our game against Chelsea.
00:20We'll start off with that one from start.
00:22Thanks Andy. Afternoon, David.
00:24Hi there.
00:25In good form, four wins from the last five matches and those wins achieved with a clean sheet.
00:30It's always a good base to build on defensively, sound, with that exception of Newcastle, I suppose.
00:37Well, you play good teams in the Premier League and it can happen.
00:41But yeah, we're pleased with a lot of the things we're doing.
00:44We want to keep it going.
00:46We want to get in a strong position and keep challenging near the top if that's possible.
00:51And your away form has massively improved, David.
00:53I don't know whether you're aware, but since you took charge again at the club,
00:56no Premier League team has won more away games than Everton.
00:59So that must please you immensely.
01:02Have Arsenal not won more than us?
01:04We've got more points.
01:05Yeah, yeah.
01:06But there you go.
01:07You've given me more points.
01:08More points.
01:09More, one more.
01:10Well, that's great because obviously the situation we were when we came in,
01:15we hadn't given many points at the time.
01:17So it shows you what the players have been capable of and they continue to do so.
01:22Their work and their effort and their resilience at times has been impeccable.
01:28I hope we can keep it going.
01:29And, you know, obviously we've got a huge opponent against Chelsea to play,
01:33but we look forward to it.
01:35I suppose you're very much aware of the stat that gets rolled out every time you go to Stamford Bridge.
01:39Not one there since 1994.
01:40So no better time than to put that to bed given the form that you are in on the road.
01:45Well, it got rolled out about Bournemouth and it got rolled out about Man United a few weeks ago.
01:49So we have to, we accept it.
01:52You know, that's right.
01:53Chelsea have been, Chelsea Football Corp have had some brilliant teams over, over many years
01:58and some great managers and great players.
02:01So it's always been difficult to beat them and no difficult now.
02:05No different now, I should say.
02:06What have you made of their form of light?
02:09It seems to be a little indifferent.
02:11Are you talking about the world champions?
02:13Is that what you're talking about?
02:14So, sorry that you're talking about the world champions, but a little bit out of form.
02:19They've done amazing, haven't they?
02:21Really, Chelsea.
02:22They were getting critical, criticised a little bit for a way they were going about their business,
02:27but they brought in some great players.
02:29So, you know, I don't know everything about Chelsea,
02:32but they look as if they end up going in the right direction.
02:35I know you have a couple of points off the top four.
02:37It's a big month ahead, I suppose, a big couple of games coming up.
02:40But you're going to play a number of those matches without a couple of really influential players
02:45in Iliman Ajay and Idrissa Garnagay.
02:48Are they due to go next week? Is this their last weekend?
02:51Yes, as I think it is for every African player at any club.
02:54It's not just their club which is having to do that.
02:57I think we have to respect completely the African Nations Cup
03:00and the players have to go and play in the tournament for their countries.
03:03They're rightly so.
03:04It's a great thing that they get selected for their countries.
03:09So we hope they do well.
03:11Obviously, I don't think it's anyone which has ever pleased any managers
03:14or any football clubs that we have to let them go.
03:17But that is it.
03:18We wish them well.
03:19But we've got them for this game and then they'll go off to Africa.
03:24Players' absences or other players' opportunities, of course.
03:28So the likes of Tyler Dibling must be itching to get regular run outs.
03:34Yes, there's a few.
03:35A few.
03:36Charlie Alcaraz and Dwight McNeil.
03:38Quite a few in there who are all keen to get selected and put aside.
03:42So they'll all be used.
03:43I've got no doubt about that in the coming weeks and months.
03:46Keenan Jonesby-Hull goes back to Stamford Bridge.
03:48He must be relishing that prospect.
03:50He's been excellent for you.
03:52What has he brought to your team, David?
03:54Well, he has been excellent.
03:56That's the first thing I would say.
03:57He's brought some goals and assists as well.
03:59He's just brought us a little bit more calmness at different times.
04:03He's looked a really comfortable footballer and has been.
04:08Even when he was at Leicester, even at Chelsea, he did show that as well.
04:12So I think he maybe just needed a little bit more attention,
04:15a little bit more love.
04:16The supporters have taken to him greatly here.
04:18He's done great for the team here.
04:20So we're pleased with him.
04:22We really are.
04:23He's worked out well and long may that continue as well.
04:27Any injury news in terms of the game for tomorrow?
04:31Any progress on Jarrod?
04:33Jarrod and Merlin are back on the grass and doing some work.
04:39Merlin is obviously much further on than Jarrod,
04:43but they're both back on the grass now
04:45and hopefully we're starting to see a chance that we get them back soon.
04:49Obviously with the two boys you mentioned earlier about the African nations,
04:52us getting Merlin back at least would be a big help.
04:56I know you're always looking to strengthen, David,
04:58but is the January transfer window an area that you would look to
05:02and any specific areas that you'd want to strengthen in?
05:06Of course we would.
05:07If we think there's players who would suit our players we could get,
05:10our players were affordable,
05:12I think we would certainly be in that position to do so.
05:15I think the ownership want to keep climbing and trying to keep moving forward.
05:20We certainly do.
05:21But also it becomes a little bit more difficult about January just getting the right players
05:26and are they available etc.
05:28Okay, thanks very much.
05:30Thanks Alan.
05:31We'll go to John Teer, Premier League Productions.
05:32Good afternoon David.
05:33Hi there.
05:34I briefly touched upon the Newcastle game a few moments ago.
05:36How impressed are you with the character that your side has shown since then
05:41and to produce the results the way you have as well?
05:44I think the biggest compliment I could give them in the Newcastle game was out of character.
05:48That would be the biggest positive I'd say about them
05:50because I think in the main the boys here show great character every week.
05:55They try to be resilient, they try to play well, they really do.
06:01They're good trainers.
06:03There's lots of things we can improve on, we know that and maybe in time we will,
06:07but at the moment I can only say good things to the players.
06:12I've not been here a year yet but the time I have been here they've done brilliantly well.
06:17Teeno Barry got his first goal finally.
06:20What's his mood been like and what's your challenge to him now to really go and crack on?
06:27I think his mood has changed greatly but I'd sensed it for a little while.
06:30I think he's settling in, he's training better, he's looking a lot more comfortable
06:36in a lot of situations and a lot of actions he's involved in.
06:39So I was pleased to get the goal because, no, not probably but you'll be judged as a number nine
06:47probably by the goals you get and what you do.
06:50But he's shown that he's a good team player.
06:52He's certainly beginning to look a lot more settled.
06:55He's speaking a bit more than he did before.
06:58I don't know if he was getting more confidence with his English or just generally getting more confident.
07:03But the goal has hugely made a difference by the looks of it as well.
07:08You talk about Chelsea world champions as you put it.
07:11What's the biggest threat they pose to you this weekend?
07:15I think they're attacking players what they've got.
07:19I mean they've got four wingers who can play, you never know what one's going to play.
07:24probably maybe one of England's top players in Cole Palmer, you know, if he's available.
07:31So they've got a really, really big attacking side in what they've got available to them,
07:38the amount of players they've got for those roles and can change them around quite regular.
07:42So I think that will be the biggest issue for us is dealing with Chelsea sort of attacking intent.
07:48Thank you David, best of luck.
07:50Thanks John T, we'll go to Julia at Radio Merseyside.
07:53Hi David.
07:55You mentioned there about the run that you've been on.
07:58So the Manchester United result, it was a win in difficult circumstances.
08:01the Bournemouth fixture is often being seen as a problematic one for Everton and you got the win there.
08:06Do you feel pleased you're changing the narrative and going into this, does that help?
08:11Yeah, well I've got quite a lot of them to do, whether I've been as a manager,
08:14you've always got clubs and teams you go to and you say,
08:17I've struggled to get a win there, there's been some grounds who I've won quite regular at.
08:22But Chelsea's always been a really difficult one as well.
08:26Just one of the number of clubs who sometimes you find it hard to win it.
08:32But I think we go there in a good place.
08:36We'll go there in good spirits, we go there with the feeling that we'll go and give it a go and see how we got on.
08:41But ultimately you've got to remember we're up against, I don't know how much they've spent
08:45and how much their players are worth, but certainly they've got a bundle of players who are incredibly talented.
08:52There's been a lot of praise for the relationship on the pitch of Jack Grealish,
08:57Kieran Dewsbury Hall, Illiman NDI and how it's working at Everton.
09:01I just wondered, do you expect it to work that quickly when you put those players together?
09:06And how much more, I appreciate Illiman's going for a little bit,
09:09but how much more is there to come from that midfield?
09:11Well in a way I would probably say yes, because I thought that with Grealish's Premier League experience,
09:18Kieran Dewsbury Hall, Premier League experience, it's a bit like when you're bringing boys in from other countries
09:23or different leagues, they may settle in well or they may not.
09:26And you've probably seen it here over the years at different players, but maybe even more recently.
09:31But I think those two having the Premier League experience made a difference.
09:34I think Illy played really well.
09:37I thought in the second half of the season he got goals and he looked a bigger threat.
09:42I think the bigger thing for Illy was did we think he could play on the right-hand side if we brought Jack?
09:47And I think he's shown that he can play both on the right and the left, which has been huge for us
09:51because it's meant that we've been able to use him and Jack at the same time.
09:57So I think the three of them, they've not surprised me, no, because they've got Premier League experience,
10:02but it's just never easy going to a new club.
10:04I think Kieran Dewsbury Hall is the one who's probably stood out because he's got us the goals and assists.
10:08So as I said earlier, I hope that continues.
10:11With that Premier League experience then, when you are looking at players, you mentioned there Tiano Barry,
10:16he's got his goal and you're seeing that difference in the mood and things.
10:19And it's difficult, isn't it, for fan bases to be patient with players sometimes,
10:23but is that the perfect example then where you have players that have already got that Premier League experience
10:27and just sometimes you have to wait a little bit longer?
10:30Yeah, absolutely. I think that us as a club, if you look at the position we've been in over the last recent years,
10:36I think we were desperate for Premier League experience, players who could play in the league,
10:40players who knew the league, could make sure that we were keeping away from the wrong end if possible.
10:46We had a big turnaround in the summer, so we had to make sure that some of those players had Premier League experience.
10:52And even now, getting into all the future windows at the moment, we still need that because we're not ready yet to go and pluck out all the best youngsters.
10:58I mean, Chelsea and the Maine have gone and plucked out youngsters from Brazil and all over the place and picked out some great players.
11:06They've also picked out some young British boys as well, but in the Maine I think most of their work has been done overseas.
11:12But they had probably a base of Premier League experience players, which we needed to make sure that we were a Premier League club first and foremost.
11:21So, Tiano's one of many overseas players who come in who could take a little bit.
11:27But I signed quite a few boys, as you well know, from the Championship in the early days.
11:31It took them sometimes six months to get in the team.
11:34So, sometimes sitting back and watching it does them no harm.
11:38So, we're looking forward to seeing Tyler in the future and Tiano Barry scoring more goals.
11:42Nottingham Forest this week have contacted the PGMOL about James Tarkovsky.
11:47I just wondered, do you get notified of that and just your view on that?
11:50I've only read what you've probably read, but I've not heard then from joining my secretary or anything like that.
11:56So, I don't know. I mean, I think the decision was made on field.
12:00Very rarely the FA alter what they do or what they think.
12:04So, well, that's the way I see it anyway.
12:07Thank you. Good luck.
12:08Thanks, Julia. We'll go to Carl at the Press Association.
12:11Hi, Carol.
12:13David. If someone had said to you at the start of the season that two weeks before Christmas
12:18you'd be a point behind Chelsea and a win outside the top four, what would have been your response?
12:23I would have said it would be amazing.
12:25It was what I was probably dreaming and hoping that we could probably do.
12:30But if you saw, we were quite slow in the summer.
12:32We didn't get things done maybe as quick as we'd like.
12:35And we were a little bit short when we went to America.
12:38So, it wasn't looking quite as strong at that time.
12:41But credit to the people around the club who got us the players then and helped us.
12:47But I have to say the big thing was, and I know he's not played, signing Jared Bransway.
12:52We've re-signed Jordan.
12:53We've got Tarkey.
12:54We've kept the nucleus of the boys who've done really well here, I think, over recent years, under Sean as well.
13:02And had to come through the difficult times.
13:05So, we want to now sort of build on that and use it as sort of the building blocks to get better.
13:10And I think with the likes of Kieran and Jack, Tierno as well, and Tyler, I hope those boys all go on to be good players in the future.
13:19Considering the respective budgets of the two clubs, how do you view how the gap has been bridged so far?
13:27At the moment, you've obviously closed the gaps at the moment.
13:30But how do you view, from your point of view, how you've done it?
13:33I don't know what you do.
13:35We've got lots of data people now around the place.
13:37How they would see that Chelsea would have been a point more than us.
13:40But the difference in the spend, I don't know where that would be and how it would be seen.
13:45But look, we're pleased.
13:47We've picked up, we've been on a good run and we know it could easily change.
13:50You know, you can lose.
13:51The way the Premier League is, you could win four out of five.
13:54It could go the other way in this league, you know, and it wouldn't necessarily mean that you're doing that badly.
13:58I just think the league is so tight.
14:00But if we want to keep, if we want to keep ourself in and around it,
14:04we're going to have to keep picking up big results like we did at Old Trafford,
14:07like we did at Bournemouth and, you know, winning a game against Nottingham Forest at home.
14:11We're going to have to keep trying to pick up those results.
14:14And we hope we can keep it going at the moment.
14:17I know we're about to lose the two boys, Ganna and Ellie, after the weekend.
14:20But hopefully some of the other boys, the likes of Charlie, Tim over the some minutes and Dwight,
14:25and they'll all be ready to start.
14:30Any further questions in the open section before we move on?
14:33No?
14:34OK.
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