- 1 day ago
Everton boss David Moyes on their chances of reaching Europe, his 750th Premier League game and facing relegation threatened West Ham
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 West Ham.
00:05We'll start off with Vinny First time.
00:06David, I make it will be your 750th Premier League game in charge. How does that feel reaching that kind
00:11of landmark?
00:12So I've been told. Well, I've obviously got my 1,000 games, which is really important for any managers,
00:19and I think a great achievement for any managers to do 1,000 games, but they'll tell me it's 750
00:24in the Premier League,
00:24so, you know, it's not something I really look for, but I've got to say when people tell me, I
00:31go, well, that's good, so I'm pleased, yeah.
00:34How far are you thinking you can go? You're 60 short of Sir Alex, 78 short of Arsene Wenger?
00:38I thought I was, what, in Premier League games?
00:40In Premier League games.
00:42I'm a bit closer than I thought, actually, when you say that.
00:44You can do it in two seasons, really.
00:46I thought they were miles away, you know, so, no, but I've always said, you know, I don't want to
00:52be too grey,
00:54too fat on the touchline. I'm going to be coming to get both, so that's the problem.
00:59But, look, I'm enjoying my football. I feel young. The players keep me young, and as long as I keep
01:06up the energy,
01:07then I'm happy to keep going.
01:08Two seasons you can do it, so it's a cheeky way of asking you about your contract here, I suppose.
01:12No, well, no, I said there'll certainly not be any talks. I'm not that bothered till we get the majority
01:19of the season over,
01:19and we're still getting important, so I'm one for so to go.
01:21What's your reaction, though, to Michael Caine signing for another year, and how important was it to get that one
01:25done?
01:26Oh, well, the biggest thing is he deserves it, doesn't he?
01:28You know, sometimes footballers, when you get to a later stage in your career and maybe your age as well,
01:34sometimes you have to prove to the managers, prove to the supporters, prove to the club that you're good enough
01:39to be worthy of another contract.
01:42You know, when you get in that age, you can't be given all the old ones three, four, five-year
01:46contracts,
01:46because, you know, obviously they're not going to play forever, but if you're brave enough
01:51and you're willing to take the challenge on and say, I'll show you, like Michael Caine's done,
01:55he's certainly done it and certainly deserved to get his contract.
01:59What about two others in a similar situation, Idrissa Garner-Gay and Seamus Coleman?
02:03Anything you can say about that?
02:03Yeah, there'll be more about them in the weeks to come.
02:07Just wanted to ask about Ileman and Dye as well.
02:09We spoke to him yesterday, and what do you see is going to happen with him?
02:14He goes into the remaining two years of his contract.
02:18Three.
02:19Three?
02:19Yeah.
02:20Because he's got an option as well.
02:22Oh, yeah, sure.
02:22So, no real concerns about that at the minute?
02:25So, no, there's no real, not worth the question you're asking me.
02:29Worth checking, though, definitely.
02:30So, do your homework first, Vinny.
02:32You know what I mean?
02:34But on top of that, he also said to us yesterday that after the defeat to Liverpool,
02:38there was an anger in the dressing room.
02:40Is that something that you can harness now going forward?
02:42Yeah, I hope so.
02:43No, I think we're all still sort of bubbling a wee bit inside that we let an opportunity go.
02:49And whether if it was only one point or whether it was something more,
02:53we let an opportunity go, which we're all disappointed with.
02:55I think we knew.
02:56We scored a couple of late goals in games and we've celebrated and we know how good that feels.
03:01But certainly when you lose them, they're not very nice.
03:04Does that then add to the motivation now with the remaining game?
03:08I don't know if you can add any more to the motivation, but I hope that the players still feel
03:12it a little bit and are able to show it.
03:14But we've also got to move on as well and get ready for the next game.
03:19You certainly made the point how quickly things can change in terms of that race for Europe as well.
03:23And we've seen how that has changed again.
03:27The fact is, though, you look at the situation that you're in at the moment, the win puts you back
03:31on level points with Brighton, who was sick.
03:33Yeah, but I'm back not talking about it again because it looks a long way away today, doesn't it?
03:38So there's not much to talk about regarding that.
03:43As you said, it can change quickly.
03:45It can change, but when it changes, then we'll start talking about it again.
03:48I've been talking about it a lot.
03:50I've been wanting to keep all the supporters, the football club, being positive and upbeat with where we think we
03:57are and what we're doing.
03:59It makes a change from where we've been in years gone by.
04:02But today, I'm just sitting back and we'll see how it goes.
04:06What then do you expect from West Ham, given the scrap that they're facing down there as well?
04:10Just exactly what you said, I think they're fighting for everything.
04:16There's a great, great group of lads there, which certainly are left and hugely enjoyed.
04:21A really, really good football club, which certainly shouldn't be going into the Championship.
04:27That's the way I look at it.
04:28But the Premier League's unforgiving.
04:31And if you're not quite at it, you don't recruit right or you don't spend enough, you could find yourself
04:41in that position every year.
04:44So you've got to make sure that you're doing all those things well at the football clubs.
04:48I don't really believe in chopping and changing the managers three or four times a year, making a big help
04:53to teams or to the players who play for the club.
04:58But I think that the clubs need to look at themselves a little bit and see if they can do
05:03a better job.
05:03His family then, given what you're saying, are you surprised at where they are, given what you left behind, if
05:09you like?
05:10Well, I hoped we'd never been in that position before.
05:12When I took over, we were just avoiding relegation.
05:14So, no, we have to accept that West Ham have been a side who have been relegated not too far
05:19ago.
05:21I've been a side who'd been close to it on two or three occasions.
05:25But I felt that probably the time I was there, we had probably started to look at a side but
05:30Washington wasn't going to be in that situation.
05:33We'd got ourselves sixth and seventh, I think, two years, maybe one year ninth, maybe one year we were a
05:39bit more disappointing,
05:40fourteenth, maybe one year, can't remember exactly.
05:43But also in that, with three European seasons where once was a quarterfinal, one was a semifinal and one was
05:50the winners of a final.
05:52So, I think for a club in that situation, I would say I think that's where West Ham need to
05:57be.
05:58But sometimes everybody wants a little bit more.
06:01Thanks, David. Good luck. Cheers.
06:02Thanks, Benny. We'll go to Stuart.
06:04I'll come to your coaches.
06:05Hi, Stuart.
06:07When you look at what's happened at West Ham in the, what, two years, just about since you left,
06:13does it make you more proud, really, of what you achieved in that time?
06:18Well, I'm really sad for the situation they're clubbing because, I mean, I hugely enjoyed my time in London.
06:25I had a brilliant period there with the players, with the staff.
06:28They've got great staff.
06:30And I know what it means.
06:31If you're going to get relegated, there's a lot of people going to lose their jobs at football clubs.
06:34That's just where it happens because, obviously, there's a big difference from the championship requirements
06:39to what would be needed in the Premier League.
06:40So, I really hope that that isn't the situation.
06:44Yeah, I mean, it's obviously serious for any club to be relegated.
06:48But you know West Ham, you know it very well.
06:50How serious would it be for them should the worst happen?
06:55Well, look, there's worse things in the world happening at the moment than getting relegated.
06:59But I don't think there's any football club that wants to get relegated.
07:02I do know that the years I was there and we were in, I had two seasons where we were
07:07fighting relegation.
07:09I was parading about the streets of London myself.
07:11Couldn't look at the results.
07:12Didn't want to look at the league tables when the games were coming in because I was so anxious about
07:16not getting relegated
07:17and desperate that it didn't happen.
07:20I'm sure all the players at West Ham and the people there will be feeling the same just now.
07:26And behind the scenes here, I wonder if a thought began to turn to what maybe your requirements might be
07:33for the next season.
07:34Or does it depend, in a way, where you finish?
07:38I don't know if it depends where we finish.
07:41I think that where we finish might have an impact on maybe what we have to do or what we
07:46don't have to do.
07:47But I think overall, I think we're just going to try and see where we are.
07:52We're in a strong position.
07:53We've been in a strong position.
07:55I hope we can retain that.
07:57Is Beto there as well?
07:58No, Beto has a concussion and we'll miss this week's game.
08:03Thanks, Stuart.
08:04We'll go to Julia.
08:05Ready on this side.
08:08On the back of that then, I'll just ask you quickly for any other team news.
08:14Well, obviously, Jared will be out for the season.
08:19And then, obviously, we'll get quite a long close season.
08:22So, there should be plenty of time for him to get himself fit and ready to start next season, but
08:26won't be fit again to play this season.
08:28So, really, the two out is Jared and Beto at the moment, yeah.
08:30How is Jared?
08:32Because he did look devastated in the match and, you know, this is the second summer again.
08:36He's going to be facing a fight for fitness.
08:39How is he and how are you dealing with that?
08:41He's much better because he's realised that it isn't an injury to the same hamstring operation area, which he had.
08:51It's in a different spot and it's like a hamstring what any player could get and you might be out
08:56for, you know, maybe for six weeks or so with a hamstring.
08:58Maybe a bit more, maybe a bit less, depending on where it is.
09:02But we hope that he gets back.
09:05But, obviously, you can see the shape of him.
09:08His speed's a big part of his game, his attributes.
09:10And I think when you're getting that level, maybe there's a bigger chance of getting hamstring injuries.
09:16But, no, we feel for him because he's played really well in the game.
09:20Played really well.
09:21Are you concerned that because of the style of player and style of defender he is, is this going to
09:27be a risk going forward?
09:29I hope not.
09:30I hope it's a wee bit of an age where he might just be...
09:33I don't want to say it's like growing pains.
09:36It's far from that.
09:36He's a growing man now.
09:38But I think he's still learning a little bit more about himself and, you know, what he does.
09:43I hope that's the case.
09:45But, ultimately, you know, he's had a couple of hamstrings now and we've got to...
09:48We're obviously worried about it, yeah.
09:51Obviously, Beto, I just want to ask about Harrison Armstrong as well at the moment.
09:55Is he fit and available?
09:56And also, what's his plans for his progress?
09:58Because I know you were toying with sending him back to press.
10:00Yeah, and you can maybe see we've got people fit now.
10:03And I always said that, you know, we needed him badly and he played really well for us.
10:08But he needs to keep his work up at the moment.
10:10He's just had a little bit of dip and I can see that from him.
10:14But probably expected from a boy who's played a long part of the season and that.
10:18But, no, he's fit and fit in training.
10:21So, you know, Barry has had a little bit of a dip as well.
10:24I know he's had substitute appearances.
10:26He hasn't scored in the last five.
10:27What more can he do to show you what he can do?
10:31He can score, can't he?
10:32That's it.
10:32He can score and play well and be a team player.
10:35If you do that, then we don't ask for much more.
10:37We're asking him to do the best he possibly can, nothing more.
10:41And hopefully he can fulfil that for us.
10:45He's had moments this season where he's been very good for us.
10:47So, I'm hoping he can do it again.
10:50Is this an opportunity with him, with Beto out?
10:53If I choose to play him.
10:55I'll ask you, I've asked you a couple of times about Braden Graham, but he is somebody that Evertonians talk
11:00about a lot.
11:01He scored four and got an assist with the under-21s last week.
11:04Could he be someone now, if Beto is out, can he factor in and come in and travel with you
11:08at least to try and get some form of experience with you?
11:13Can you understand why people ask as well?
11:15Because it seems exciting in the academy set-up.
11:19Everybody wants good young players to come through and I'm pleased that Braden's doing really well.
11:26I think he's got a bit to go before he's at our level.
11:29But I'm really pleased if he does that, then he'll get more noticed.
11:32He'll probably get more chance of getting seen maybe around the pre-season than he would do now.
11:38I think if you're introducing that level of player now, you'd be thinking, well, what would you do in that
11:42form when you think you're still fighting for things?
11:46Thank you. Good luck.
11:48Thanks, Julia. We'll go to Karl at the press association.
11:54Sorry, just to pick up on what you said about Barry.
11:56You said, obviously, if I choose...
11:57About who? Sorry.
11:58Barry.
11:59Barry, yeah.
11:59You said, if I choose to play him, I'm assuming that's just what a manager would say normally, just to...
12:05Or is it a serious consideration that you're considering playing somebody else instead of Barry up there?
12:10Well, I've got other people who I think I can do it and if I could consider that, yeah.
12:14Who would they be?
12:15I don't want to tell you, am I?
12:20Graham Sharpe's getting himself ready, so there you go.
12:23You can write that.
12:24Well, I think you've had two strikers, one of them's injured.
12:28The natural assumption would be you played the other one.
12:30Yeah, of course, yeah.
12:32You don't need to ask the question then, really.
12:35Got your answer.
12:36Got your answer.
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