David Moyes laments dour Everton display against Burnley | OneFootball

David Moyes admits that he wouldn’t have liked being a paying customer after his side’s poor performance in the goalless draw with Burnley at Turf Moor.

The two sides played out a scrappy game and meaningful chances were few and far between. Instead, there’s a feeling of disappointment at not taking three points from a relegation-threatened Burnley side after consecutive losses to Chelsea and Arsenal.

Everton struggled in attack without their usual needle-movers Jack Grealish, Iliman Ndiaye and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall. While Dewsbury-Hall was out with a hamstring problem and Ndiaye was on AFCON duty, Grealish missed the trip to East Lancashire due to illness.

“None,” Moyes said when asked for his thoughts on the game. “I wouldn’t have wanted to come and watch that myself.”

“We’re missing Iliman and we’re missing Kiernan so we know we’re losing creativity and without Jack as well it doesn’t help, so it was always going to be a bit of a challenge.

“But I really hoped we’d play much better than we did. That was probably as poor as we’ve played in some games. Our football wasn’t good enough, lots of bits just wasn’t at the level I would hope it would be.

“But, look, you get a clean sheet, you take a point away. Burnley’s never been that easy to come to so we’ll go away with a point any maybe it’ll prove important later on in the season.”

Although the Toffees had more shots on target (6) and produced two great saves off Martin Dubravka, Burnley also had several chances. From their 16 shots at Jordan Pickford’s goal, they failed to keep a single one on target.

Jacob Bruun Larsen was probably offside when he lifted a shot over the crossbar, while Zian Flemming was, most likely, wrongly flagged offside when he hit the near post from a 1v1 with Pickford towards the end of the game.

The draw at Turf Moor leaves Everton 11th in the league table with 25 points and the Blues will now turn their attention towards Nottingham Forest, with another away game scheduled on Tuesday.

Reader Comments (29)

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Ian Wilkins 2 Posted 28/12/2025 at 11:48:43

I was at the game yesterday and we definitely had a ‘don’t lose’ plan rather than ‘go win it’ plan.

Wingers more focussed on helping own full back than terrorising theirs. Isolated forwards. Half hearted press.

And yes we looked scrappy and disjointed as tho never played together because that team hadn’t. Too many with too few minutes on pitch.

So yes it was dour Davey, and you definitely played your part in that.

Howard Sims 4 Posted 28/12/2025 at 12:54:11

The only thing VAR checked was 'The Badge'. If Pawson had given it on-field, would it have been overturned by VAR?

Surely if you stop a shot with your hand, whilst inside the penalty area, it is a penalty; Leeds away?

Having said all that, our second string in the final third were simply not good enough. A number of them are clearly not match fit.

McNeil appears to have lost his touch and pace completely. Dibbling looked spent after 80 minutes. Alcaraz and Iroegbunam giving the ball away cheaply on numerous occassions.

I had it down as a 1-1 before the game, but was overly-optimistic. After the match, Moyes said "You wouldn't want to watch much of that," which did make me laugh.

Jim Bennings 5 Posted 28/12/2025 at 15:58:55

Howard,

McNeil and pace in the same sentence?

McNeil has only ever had one asset in football: a good left foot. I'll give him his dues, he can strike a good ball... but he's the most one-footed footballer I have ever seen.

I don't think I've seen him pass a ball with his right foot, never seen him head a ball, and he's incredibly slow, let's be honest.

"But, look, you get a clean sheet, you take a point away. Burnley’s never been that easy to come to so we’ll go away with a point. "

Once Moyes the above, all of what he said prior was made redundant.

It was clear he had set out for a draw. Watching Dibling, he was instructing him on the sideline. Dibling always looking for what Moyes wanted him to do. In the second half he clearly didnt dare stray too far forward.

Hence the managers praise.

Another to add to the hundreds of dreadful Everton performances in the PL. Not the worst away I've seen which was Coventry 0 0 Everton 23/10/97.

Both sides had efforts at least.

Jim Bennings.

I don't know how old you are but one of Everton's all-time greats had all of McNeil's traits -- the difference is, Kevin Sheedy played in our greatest team ever.

Everton are only just better than about 6 or 8 clubs in the Premier League... simple. We have a very small squad and an average manager. We have quality but not enough sadly so injuries and suspensions will catch us out. We need about £200M and 2 windows to sort this lot out; McNeil is not to blame. Moyes is the problem: he's scared of the top teams and always on easy street.

He gave Coleman £55k a week after he only played 3 games last season and 7 the season before.

Sean O\'Hanlon 8 Posted 28/12/2025 at 23:12:16

Moyes is a below average manager. All teams have injuries, suspensions, Afcon Cup etc. Many teams have worse squads thatn us. Moyes has never won a trophy for Everton, and never will. If we don't win anything, we'll never attract good players. We'll forever languish between mid-table and the relegation zone. We cannot even beat teams like Burnley, and we'll get nothing at Forest on Tuesday. That'll be one point from the last 4 games. Thanks Moyes for a great Christmas.

Brendan McLaughlin 9 Posted 28/12/2025 at 00:05:42

Sean #8

Moyes has been managing in the Premier League for most of his very long career,

Everton finished 4th...their highest placed finish in the Premier League.

He also took West Ham to their highest placed finish in the Premier League and then won a European trophy for them.

Is he an elite manager no!

Is he a great manager... no!

Davey's face/expression and what comes out of his mouth is not exactly reassuring these days.

Our recruiters knew in the summer that it was an AFCON winter and the bench at Burnley shows how much they let us down. Injuries also have a hand in this but squad depth should also takes them into account. We have too many positions without adequate back-up. We have to juggle a player or two, pushing them out of position.

Nor is a safety-first gaffer a difference maker in such circumstances, but Moyes is not doing as badly as some say.

He needs backing and at least two new players in this window, but we all know the potential pitfalls of shopping in January. But it is beyond essential that we need a new striker and right-back.

How could anyone have watched Jake at Burnley and come to the conclusion that right-back is sorted until the summer? But some have. Anyone who think that we do not need a new striker is stark-raving mad.

But hey, don't worry, we have a long-term plan, apparently, but no one has read it and no one knows what it is, other than hopeful speculation from our few TFG cheerleaders rattling their pom-poms.

The only remnants of a plan that I have seen is to dampen all expectations for the next window unless, LOL, we come across someone who fits in with our 'exceptional' recruiting.

Sheedy help us onr and all.

There is only Moyes to blame. His recruitment has been very poor fans slagged off Dyche, but Dyche had to sell players like Onana and Gordon and pulled in 90 mill plus.

Moyes has not had to sell anyone and has us in a poor situation remember Wolves in the cup.

Well wait till you see are team in the cup after these 3 league games he might after get Baines back.

I go every game home and away and all I can see is back to the walls stuff if we had Sharp and Gray up front it wouldn't not matter there's no service a blind man can see that.

Wait till you see the team sheet against Sunderland in the cup O.M.G.

That could be the END of Moyes he is a DINOSAUR.

Andy Meighan 13 Posted 29/12/2025 at 08:19:04

Mark 7.

Please don't mention Sheeds and Mcneil in the same sentence, please.

One was an absolute magician of a footballer, and the other is just a very ordinary one.

Time for him to move on, from us now he's ran his race here.

Stu Gre 14 Posted 29/12/2025 at 08:24:14

Firstly Martin #6, spot on. I think Burnley had lost their previous 4 home games.

Secondly, I don't like the man, but I think Moyes record would suggest he wasn't below average. What he is is very limited. He's good at what he does but what he does isn't very good. He'll never win anything of note because he can't adapt and won't give certain players a chance to shine.

What he is very good at is keeping unambitious owners happy. In the world where money is king, he'll get you top half prize money but no more than that. I'm beginning to think that's all Friedkin wants.

Paul I think Everton fans are stuck in a rut I don't think they know which way to go with Moyes but the simple fact is if you don't pay big money for players then your pretty much stuck.

Everton have never bought a player for 50 mill yet so until you upgrade your buying system you get average players simple.

The stadium has sort of held us back on transfers over the last 3 or 4 seasons but now there making big money its only early and buying dibbling for 40 mill is a good start for someone his ageshiws a bit of intent.

Also getting Grealish in for a year might attract a better type of player seen him there I get it but Moyes has let himself down with numbers.

As I said giving Coleman 55 grand a week contract was miss management there poor decisions can't happen.

N'DAIYE is on 1/2 mill less than him but as I said Everton fans keep going in hope other teams know there going buy the top players.

Jimmy Carr 16 Posted 29/12/2025 at 09:43:33

Mark Steers (15) you are right about Coleman. That was a shocking decision last summer, and it’s been glossed over by the TW experts ‘cos Coleman is a true blue and he only cost £60k ya know, so they’d rather complain about something else. Why we extended his contract is beyond me. We’d have been better keeping Ashley Young. He stayed fit and played at right back. Giving Coleman another contract was indefensible.

Dave Abrahams 17 Posted 29/12/2025 at 10:05:47

I heard a rumour a few weeks ago that Baines is leaving at the end of this season, got a job lined up elsewhere and Colman is replacing him.

Doubt if it happens it will make any difference to the quality of the coaching staff, Baines doesn’t seem to make any difference during the game, he sits there quietly saying nothing, mind you the other two of Moyes staff just seem to listen while Moyes rants away to himself — a bit like Pickford howling at the sky during the game.

Mark Steers 18 Posted 29/12/2025 at 10:12:18

Jimmy i've been banging this drum about Coleman for 3 seasons he has stole money.

1 fan had a go at me last season when I said anyone seen seamus and he said leave him alone he's good for Everton in the community, ha ha I said how many points does that get us on a saturday night about 5 oclock.

The sad thing is I don't think these owners are in for the long haul.

Danny Baily 19 Posted 29/12/2025 at 10:24:45

A few years ago I felt that Coleman was too big a voice in the dressing room, and that was undermining managers. Now? He's pretty harmless, but it is time for both parties to move on. Reading Dunc's autobiography reaffirmed for me that knowing when to move on from club stalwarts can make a big difference for all concerned.

Mark Steers 20 Posted 29/12/2025 at 10:30:50

Danny along time ago we had a player called Mick lyons and he thought he was Mr Everton he was useless Howard blew him out and we won everything

Eugene Stalker 21 Posted 29/12/2025 at 10:39:29

Mark #20 bit harsh. You don't play 400 odd games for a club and score nearly 50 goals by being useless. Not the most gifted player technically but he was not useless.

Alan McGuffog 22 Posted 29/12/2025 at 10:43:29

Mark, a bit harsh that regarding Mick Lyons. We'd probably agree that he wasn't the most accomplished footballer but how I wish some of the self centred, money orientated, wastrels we have employed over the last forty years had ten percent of his attitude and heart.

Mark Steers 23 Posted 29/12/2025 at 10:45:11

Eugenne nice comment but he was a defender scoring goals don't come into it ha ha.

His job was to stop goals going in thats why he was useless.

His goals come from us being behind and we threw him up for 10 mins to cause chaos.

That was mick lyons.

Dave Abrahams 24 Posted 29/12/2025 at 11:04:17

Alan (22) Good post Alan, Mick Lyons never ever had the attitude he was Mr. Everton, if hadn’t been good enough to play for Everton he’d have been in The Gladys St. end supporting them, a good genuine fella and a better than average footballer and captain.

I think quite a few fans, who saw him, wouldn’t mind him back now as a centre back or striker, he did finish one season as our leading scorer—- a battling player who knew he wasn’t the best but gave his all in every game he played—- Oh and I think he played for England U 23’s.

Phil Lewis 25 Posted 29/12/2025 at 11:10:11

The abysmal performance against Burnley makes me wonder what is happening behind the scenes where Moyse is concerned. Was Dibling's signing thrust upon him by the ownership? He's looking like a £50 million misfit to me. I can only assume that McNeil is simply being put in the shop window in the hope of offloading him in January. Otherwise his inclusion makes no sense.

I have it on good authority from German friends that Röhl is a decent player, but hopelessly injury prone.

Speaking of which, I'm delighted that DCL is proving all of his doubters and detractors wrong at Leeds. If only we had him now.

I always defended him when Evertonians where pointing the finger. They had short memories of the unselfish service he gave the club. For me his class was never in doubt. He should never have been allowed to leave.

Regardless of our depleted ranks there was no need for Moyse's negative approach to relegation threatened Burnley. We were fortunate in the end to come away with a point. A similar selection and tactical deployment against Forest will effect a similar outcome. It's not rocket science.

Paul Griffiths 26 Posted 29/12/2025 at 11:32:52

Mark Steers 20 Danny along time ago we had a player called Mick lyons and he thought he was Mr Everton he was useless Howard blew him out and we won everything

Utter fucking bullshit Mark lad.

Mick Lyons, 'useless' FFS and so when he left we won 'everything'. You're seriously deluded lad ad maybe 22. M

it's amazing the way the expectation bar was suddenly raised a thousand feet when Moyes took over. Can anyone imagine criticising previous Everton managers cos they had't won trophies with Everton? 'Frank Lampard, I just don't think he's capable of putting together a team that can win the league'. 'Dyche has had long enough, It's embarrassing how long it's been since we were winning things'.

no, the topics being spoken about were Leicester's run in, the truly terrible footy, and how many points would be enough to survive this year. Moyes takes over, and suddenly it's 'yeah, but when's the last time we won at Anfield'.

29 Posted 29/12/2025 at 12:43:50

Just dipped in for a catchup and someone's calling Mick Lyons useless?

I'm going to bite my tongue and dip out again.

But I'll just say this.

IF Mick Lyons was playing today Neither Tarkowski nor Keane would be in front of him in the reckoning, nor Jake O'brien either.

Its a massive shame that he never won silverware with us.