Cut the soundbites: It's time Kinnear and TFG show they mean business at Everton | OneFootball

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If he had his time again, CEO Angus Kinnear would have perhaps gone a little softer on some of his more bullish statements in his programme notes ahead of Everton’s final home game of the season.

In fairness to Kinnear, he probably didn’t foresee it going quite as badly as it did, but the issue is, if you’re going to use buzzwords and then also be effusive in your praise of a manager whose flaws have come to the fore at a crucial time, then you run that risk.

Kinnear’s marketing background seems to rear its head with the phrase “happily dissatisfied”, and though you can see what he means by it, it’s invited plenty of criticism.

Kinnear’s point, it seems, was that Everton are content with their relative progress this season, but unhappy that they have missed a great opportunity.

Yet before Sunday’s match, that opportunity was still very much on. Everton were leading at half-time and early in the second half, before Sunderland equalised, they sat 8th, in a Conference League spot.

Why, then, did it seem like everyone at the club, from the owners, CEO, the manager and the players, had all but given up?

Kinnear did not help with this quote, either: “David Moyes marked his 750th Premier League game recently, consolidating his position as the manager with the third highest number of points in Premier League history. His passion for Everton, coupled with his vast Premier League experience, continues to drive standards at Finch Farm, and be the architect of the team spirit which has been at the heart of this season’s progress. Whilst the media and other fanbases clamour for frequent managerial change, we value the stability that David brings and the ability this gives the whole Club to plan for the long term.”

That’s all well and good, but how is a manager heading into the last 12 months of his deal providing long-term stability, especially when a look at the underlying numbers as of late are so poor.

There was, interestingly, mention of Jack Grealish and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall as success stories from the summer transfer window, and mention of Thierno Barry and Merlin Röhl as “potential Everton starters”. Yet there was no mention of Carlos Alcaraz, Adam Aznou or Tyler Dibling — young players all signed last summer, when Kinnear was happy to scream from the rooftops that have accrued just a combined 1,029 minutes between them in the Premier League this term.

Everton look knackered, and are going to miss out on Europe when there is the lowest bar to qualify for it in years.

Moyes takes all the brunt for that, and TFG and Kinnear must be scrutinising his decisions. As journalist Matt Jones posted on X on Monday, with data from Opta, Everton are bottom for players used (22) and substitutes made (123) in the Premier League this season. Eight Everton players have played 2,500+ minutes this season, which is more than any other team.

Moyes has done well overall — he is on 80 points from 56 games since he took over. Interestingly, Everton (bar Sunderland, who weren’t in the league) are probably going to be the only one of the teams around them that finish with a better points tally than they did last season, yet they could well finish in exactly the same place, or even a place lower. They could also still finish in the top half.

But there is a real worry here that the club are simply digging their heads in the sand and, frankly, the evidence is that TFG and Kinnear lack the impetus, gumption and opportunistic nature to have really made the most of this season, and also going forward.

The evidence was there in January. Moyes and the transfer committee, it seems, could not agree on full-back targets, while Everton’s replacement for the injured Grealish was Tyrique George on loan.

George has looked bright, he created a golden chance for Jake O’Brien against Sunderland, but he has been restricted to cameos, because he is a young player and Moyes craves experience. Instead, we got Dwight McNeil playing most of the back half of the season, and now a central midfielder shifted out of position (albeit, one who is playing well). Iliman Ndiaye, who is fatigued and out of form, is left to play every minute.

From the outside looking in, it seems clear that TFG and Kinnear were never targeting European qualification this season, but they failed to recognise an opportunity when it was there.

Then, from the start of April onwards, it’s all on Moyes and the players. Despite the failings in the January transfer window, and the muddled approach to last summer, Everton were in a fantastic position after beating Chelsea. They have thrown it away and the blame there has to be put squarely on the squad and manager.

The question now is whether Kinnear has the strength of character to challenge Moyes. Everton do need more first-team ready players this summer, who have the physical attributes for the Premier League and quality to boot, but that should not be related to their age or “Premier League experience”. One can’t help but fear Moyes will be valuing those above all else.

Kinnear — and TFG — need to be better. They need to be stronger and they need to be opportunistic.

By Kinnear’s own bizarre metric, which he explained to Toffee TV back in September, the vast majority of Everton’s signings this season have been a failure, as they have played under 50% of their available minutes. Only Grealish (pre-injury), Dewsbury-Hall and Barry will pass that test.

Kinnear stated it was important to develop youngsters. Well, Aznou and Dibling have hardly played, and cost £45m between them.

It is not all negative. Everton were never at any stage in danger, and while standards must be higher, that is a start. However, the excuses are running dry.

There can be no more “happily dissatisfied”. Cut the soundbites, and show you mean business.

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If we can see it, why can't they ? The Moyesiah is a dour, do it by numbness manager. His we're going ok mantra, when we could be doing better really riles me and yet he's lauded. WHY FFS ! For his longevity maybe but for his imaginative use of subs, his tactical awareness, of how to change a match, that is coming undone in front of his eyes, not in a million years. His treatmenr of Tyler Dibbling has been awful. If he knew in December he wasn't going to use him, why not ship him on loan, not condemn the poor lad, to visiting A&E after every match, to have the splinters removed. Why play McNeill, after he tried to sell him, before other players that are supposedly key to the future of Everton FC.

No, I've had more than enough of the Moyesiah, the false prophet. He loves to have EFC as the under dog trying to do the impossible - IMPROVE SIGNIFICANTLY. Under his tenure, we will never sit at the top table. He made us best of the rest first time around. Well EVERTON should be amongst the best and competing at the top. I doubt he, Kinnear and TFG understands that, I really do. A team that has it's moments as the former Chairman once mentioned. Well the last moment was in 1995. Some blues are yet to see a real moment, how sad is that.

Ian Horan 2 Posted 20/05/2026 at 11:46:35

Only statement needed " We are extremely disappointed ghe way the season petered out, missing a golden opportunity of progressing back to the level we believe the club should be competing. The club will now carry out a detailed review of the seasons progress eradicating any obsticles and hurdles" finally finidhing we thank David for his efforts to providd stability and wish him well in his future career.

The club will make a further statement once Davids replacemen has been recruited

Steve Brown 3 Posted 20/05/2026 at 12:54:08

“Happily dissatisfied”, Kinnear will regret that one for a long time. We hoped for great executive leadership after the TFG takeover, however we now appear to have a mini David Brent as our CEO.

It is good to deliver financial restructuring and and instill a commercial mindset, but TFG are inconsistent in delivering the key footballing priorities they set out when they took over:

(1) Strengthening the men’s first-team squad through thoughtful and strategic investment. (2) Cultivating home-grown superstars through Everton’s Academy.

Signing Dibling, Aznou, George, Barry, Rohl and Alcaraz aligns with priority (1), as does giving Iroegbunam and Armstrong regular first-team action. It doesn’t work if you then retain a short-termist manager who refuses to pick any of them. Equally, who can look at Moyes’s career over the last 25 years and say he the man to develop home-grown talent from the Academy?

Look at Arsenal, they set out a long-term plan in 2020 to enable them to the win the premier league between 2023-27, and they have followed it relentlessly. They invested big in signing young talent, overhauled their recruitment operation and delivered on fast-tracking youth from the Academy to the first-team squad e.g. Saka, Dowman, Lewis-Skelly, Smith-Row and Nwaneri. They have given an additional 5 Academy players ther debuts this season.

We are stumbling after the first fence due to muddled thinking.

There is no point having a football strategy if you don’t follow it. If (1) and (2) are TFG’s long-term goals, choose the right manager to deliver it.

Martin Berry 4 Posted 20/05/2026 at 13:22:36

It will be interesting to see what the FKG stump up during the summer to improve the squad, knowing that the Manager only has 12 months left on his contract. That alone should be a pointer as to Moyes length of tenureship. Ireola, Glasner and Conti are all available, however I was in Naples last week and Conti is not popular despite Napoli's finishing position as the fans say he is too defensive, seems you cant please everyone. Look at West Ham, they would love to go back to the Moyes era now, love him or loathe him.

Rob Jones 6 Posted 20/05/2026 at 13:51:11

A different manager would have used Aznou and Patterson this season. Iraola certainly would have. Our full-backs, more than any position, have fucked us. We can't have another season with that.

A lot of chances have been missed of late, mostly by Ndiaye, which would have papered over many of the issues. But the issues remain. We've a back four that can't defend but which also contribute little to nothing in terms of a possession game.

TFG need to back Moyes, or fire him now.

Either way, the platform built over the first few months has been utterly squandered. And that's almost entirely on Moyes, who was too intransigent to change what needed changing. For a manager who's built his career on defensive solidity, it's baffling that he refuses to change the back four.

Kevin Molloy 7 Posted 20/05/2026 at 13:53:17

If TFG are ambitious, Brendan, yes, I agree.

If they are here though just to keep things ticking over, then they now have a perfect excuse for not investing. 'Well we didn't see much value last season, so we're going to be more cautious with how we spend...' etc.

Neil Cremin 8 Posted 20/05/2026 at 14:05:44

I posted this on another thread but fell it is more relevant here. As someone who was cold about Moyes coming back but at the time he was the only experienced manager available who would take the job so I accepted it as a good business decision considering we were hovering above relegation and devoid of confidence from a manager who accepted that he could do no more. I was however surprised that it was a 2.5year contract and not 18month which I would have thought more practical. Besides the never Moysers (MK et al) he did a very good job for the rest of the season. This season did show some promise but our home form has been diabolical despite that we got to the levels where we even hoped at one stage of sneaking in to a CL spot only to be disappointed again. Why, I ask myself. My reasoning is as follows. 1. We have a limited squad of footballers, good workhorses but limited in football creativity. 2. Moyes recognises this so he does start from a safety first perspective. After all we are the 6th meanest defence in the PL with only 49 goals conceded. Worse still, these conceded goals can be divided into 3 categories IMO, worldies like Doku, failure of our entire defence including JP to deal with crosses e.g Spurs Arsenal, and finally pressing too high with the defenders we have available, losing the ball and being caught in the counter by Utd, Wolves. Brentford to name but a few. 3. No creativity in midfield, Garner, KDH, Gana, Tim, all work hard but do they control the game like, for example Xhaka does for Sunderland. I deliberately avoid the like of Rice etc as they are currently outside our budget. 4. Forwards of limited ability but also living off scraps because the through ball is too slow or not accurate enough to give them the best chance. Yes we could have better forwards but again we are looking for scapegoats when they don't take their chances. Even Haaland misses chances.

So now we are looking to get rid of Moyes and believe that Iraola or Glasner will win us trophies that so many point out that Moyes never won (with us). Not long ago it Frank was flavour of the month and he got over 200m to improve Spurs and we see how that worked out. The most important question is would Iraola or Glasner get more out of our existing squad. Many on here seem certain but I really don't know. Once thing they would do is make more substitutions but that doesnt always work out as in the Arsenal and City games. For me the root cause of our problems is not simply the manager but the recruitment in the club over tha past 10years. Unlike Brighton, Brentford, Bournemouth, Wolves to name but a few, how many players have we recruited in that time have been poached by bigger clubs. Yet the above named clubs continually lose top quality recruitments and are able to replace them seamlessly. Their managers look good because the players at their disposal are good footballers. For me that is the root cause of our problems. A manager can only work with the resources available to him and they have better resources than us whether we like to admit it or not. Yes it is time for a change, but this squad needs serious rebuilding if it is to compete at the top level never mind winning trophies. Wishing wont win anything but the foundations need to be laid to start building a side and that wont happen in a day. Ferguson took four years to win his first. I don't have any preference for who should replace Moyes and I do believe that TFG certainly should be planning for that change now. The key question here is what have the current TW favourites win with better squads. Choosing a new manager should be be based on a defined football philosophy and appoint them over a long term contract with clear committment to back the manager to build a squad. City took a number of years to achieve their goals

Brendan McLaughlin 9 Posted 20/05/2026 at 14:08:50

Kevin #7

In football you sometimes have to invest to simply stand still. I think keeping Moyes and not investing would see us back in the relegation mix next season.

That's TFG's worst nightmare.

I guess we'll see what the summer brings.

John Collins 10 Posted 20/05/2026 at 14:22:19

Stop talking plums y'all. Get the ackers on the table.

Have a nice day.

John Collins 11 Posted 20/05/2026 at 14:26:51

" believe that Iraola or Glasner will win us trophies that so many point out that Moyes never won"

Neil. They may have been influenced in their belief by the fact Glasner has won two trophies in his two seasons in the Prem. One game away from three trophies in his first two seasons

Joe McMahon 12 Posted 20/05/2026 at 14:35:50

Brendan@9, 100% with you. Many teams seem to be on the up and rising, and Everton are stuck with David F""King Moyes. I don't want anymore 30+ players with injury records. Moyes has not evolved in over 25 years.

I also don't want anymore players from Burnley,. Moyes is now after Esteve. That would make 4 relegated Burnley players. Absolute joke of a club we have become.

Tony Abrahams 13 Posted 20/05/2026 at 14:37:05

A good assessment Patric. I don’t particularly like David Moyes, but for a football club to be successful, (stability isn’t success) then I believe that the people behind the scenes have all got to be ambitious with everyone also pulling in the same direction.

Ian Wilkins 14 Posted 20/05/2026 at 14:45:53

Agree Neil@8, recruitment is key. We have been, including last Summer ( and a failed January), completely awful. This Summer with the handpicked recruitment team in place, has to be excellent. I have my doubts, listening to Kinnear, you have to worry. Utter bullshitter.

Add to that final say Moyes, chasing Soucek, Ward Prowse, Tete etc and it looks like more of the same negative, percentage, numbing football. Gut instinct ( hope I’m wrong) tells me Moyes stays, despite the opportunities presented by young progressive managers being available. He suits TFG. He toes the line, doesn't rock the boat. He keeps us in the PL, at the money table. Mutual conservatism, low expectation, non ambition society. Benefits all parties… save for long suffering fans.

Moyes divided the fan base on his return, I suspect less division now. The last 6 games…. the talking down expectations, lack of ambition, desire.. then delivering on it, tells us plenty. It’s safety first. Its be happy with what you’ve got. Its same tactics, same players irrespective of performance, results. Its shameful inferiority complex to your below par neighbours. It’s been a miserable conclusion to the season, VAR aside, of our own making. There should be questions being asked of our managers performance, results, style and culture. Sadly, I just don’t see it… Prepare for Groundhog day. Its the hope that kills you…

Ajay Gopal 15 Posted 20/05/2026 at 14:56:30

Neil (8), thanks for your well reasoned post, but I am in disagreement with your central premise - that most TWers expect that the new manager will start winning us trophies. I doubt that many would expect us to win anything quickly, but at least, what is expected is that we COMPETE for winning trophies or at least to get into European places. And Moyes, unfortunately, lacks belief in his own ability and also Everton's ability as a club to compete at the highest levels.He thinks it is a bridge too far - he went so far as to admit in a press conference when asked about the prospect of Champions League, it made him 'shake a wee bit'. What kind of manager makes statements in public like that? I will tell you - a serial loser. He may be making a realistic statement, but the moment you say that out loud, the players know that competing with the top teams is not expected of them. Look at how Bournemouth unceremoniously sacked Gary O'Neil after he had pulled them out of relegation (somewhat like Moyes did last season, maybe from a more precarious position) and replaced him with Iraola. See how well it worked out for Bournemouth - if they had allowed sentimentality to dictate their actions, they might have been fighting relegation every season instead of now competing with the big boys. We need that kind of cold, unsentimental decision making from the Friedkin Group. That will show what their ambitions are with regards to Everton Football Club..

Kevin Molloy 16 Posted 20/05/2026 at 15:10:28

just been speaking to a West Ham fan, and tried to make them understand their rivals have never been in safer hands. She made the point that with no VAR in the championship they will now be able to celebrate goals again. Something which is absolutely worth getting relegated for.

Steve Brown 17 Posted 20/05/2026 at 15:17:43

Spurs will be panicking with 2 home wins in the league all season, but fear not.

When they see Keane and Tarkowski on the first team sheet before kick-off, they will realise that they’ll be just fine.

Neil Cremin 18 Posted 20/05/2026 at 15:33:54

Steve They will do what they did to us at HDS, float all corners and crosses into the 6 yard box area. That is not only on Keane and Tarkowski.

Frank Fearns 19 Posted 20/05/2026 at 15:38:54

Behind any good manager, no matter in what walk of life there is an upper management that is supportive and gives direction with goals and plans.

Do we have such a structure or do we just lurch from pillar to post aimlessly?

John Collins 20 Posted 20/05/2026 at 15:44:51

Steve.

Wolves had no wins when we played them in the cup. That soon changed. Battered us.

Neil Cremin 21 Posted 20/05/2026 at 16:01:51

John Because we used the squad that everybody criticised Moyes for not doing and we/he found out that they were not up for it against a team that hadn’t won a game.

Sean Mitchell 22 Posted 20/05/2026 at 16:07:37

Shit house manager. That’s the problem.

John Collins 23 Posted 20/05/2026 at 16:26:25

Why do you think he would do that in a cup game Neil?

Dave Abrahams 24 Posted 20/05/2026 at 16:46:09

Neil (22) Neil nobody, absolutely nobody, asked Moyes to make seven changes for that Wolves game and play a lot of players who had hardly kicked a ball for the first team that season, making a few early substitutions to try and rectify the situation didn’t work either and I think Wolves won their first game of the season v a premier league team.

Raymond Fox 25 Posted 20/05/2026 at 16:52:52

Let me see, how many managers have we tried with little or no effect on results. I get the criticism of Moyes which is fair enough, but just changing him for another fall guy with our present squad and expecting a 'winning team' is pie in the sky.

The key is sign better players, problem is how much can we spend and how willing are the owners to stump up.

John Collins 26 Posted 20/05/2026 at 17:09:20

Entertaining football would do for now Raymond

Kevin Molloy 27 Posted 20/05/2026 at 17:12:48

you mean like exciting three all draws John?

Neil Cremin 28 Posted 20/05/2026 at 17:17:13

Dave All I said was he used his squad against a team who could not buy a win. With the exception of Dibling, Coleman and Travers all of the rest have featured on our first 11 this season. Can’t have it both ways. He uses the squad or does not. When he did it failed and he is criticised when he doesnt it fails and he is criticised. The common denominator is that the squad is not good enough and our recruitment is appalling. As I said in my long post how many real quality players have we discovered in the past 10 years that get poached by CL clubs. How can those clubs who do have their players poached replace them so easily. Let’s address the real problems and stop looking for scapegoats. Yes Moyes has served his purpose but without a proper structured plan as Ray says we will be addressing the same issues next year with another fall guy.

Liam Mogan 29 Posted 20/05/2026 at 17:53:22

Jaded Moyes and TFG could well be perfect for each other.

Owners who want little more than mid table stability with a modest transfer kitty.

A manager who thrives in, and helps to foster, an environment of low expectations and ambition.

If you gave the limited dull ball maestro unlimited resources and a free hand to produce an exciting, winning team, he wouldn't know where to start.

Neil Cremin 30 Posted 20/05/2026 at 18:04:39

John 23 Refer my answer to Dave

Bill Hawker 31 Posted 20/05/2026 at 18:06:11

Everton love to get to a point where they're "comfortable" after being in relegation battles the previous years. The problem is that there isn't much impetus to kick on to being more than "comfortable."

"Not getting relegated" isn't a good long term strategy and yet it seems as if that's been the club's mission statement all these years, "Hey at least we didn't go down."

Moyes did what he was asked to do, stabilize the club, move us out of the constant relegation battles, and give us some safety. He's done that. Now it's time to find someone who will get us out of our comfort zone yet at the top end of the table rather than the bottom end. Moyes hasn't been, nor will he be, the man to lead us to the top end consistently.

Kevin Naylor 32 Posted 20/05/2026 at 18:16:48

The RS have won 16 major trophies since our 1995 FA Cup win and that doesn't include 2 Charity Shields. That stat alone should boil everyone of our fans blood.

Mark Taylor 33 Posted 20/05/2026 at 18:28:49

To answer Neil, the ones we made some money on would be Gordon, Richie and Onana. Only the first could we say we developed and this made a very good margin. In the past 2 seasons, Bournemouth have sold 6 players for at least £40m and made good money on them all. And still they flourish.

I also think talk of the manager is missing the point. First we need to discover what our owners want and the extent of their ambitions. If it's a low budget, Soucek, Ward Prowse level incoming, then keep Moyes. He'll give you a mid to lower table finish on limited resources.

If £100m net was not the 'one and only big push and we'll be doing that for the next few seasons, we've got to get a better recruitment team. We blew most of that on guys Moyes doesn't seem to rate. You only get so many gos even with ambitious owners.

If you want to do a Bournemouth- well that's hard but Moyes won't be your man. Nor in my view would he be for the middle strategy.

My own view is that our owners are OK with a mid table finish on a minimum budget, I suspect the numbers work for them, and so Moyes stays until be really messes up. Sorry to disappoint you...

John Collins 34 Posted 20/05/2026 at 18:41:33

Refer it yourself Neil. I'm busy.

Gary Borrows 35 Posted 20/05/2026 at 19:11:53

Hi guys I’m well pissed off talk about the highs Chelski and lows Sunderland wtf is going on I sit opposite dithering Dave DD and cannot comprehend his thought processes sorry Moysie lovers things ain’t gonna improve on his watch Mc Neill Keane Tawky et all that’s with out the fullbacks and dumb and dumber up front COYBS

Neil Cremin 36 Posted 20/05/2026 at 19:32:30

Ouch John Very busy on every thread on this site I wondered where you got the time

Dave Abrahams 37 Posted 20/05/2026 at 19:56:46

Neil (28) No not having that Neil, regarding the Wolves game, three players hadn’t played before this season before the game and another four who hardly played this season, making 7 players who hadn’t played together for the team, how could be expected to gel in their first game together, they were a shambles and even when the senior players came on to change the game they made no impression.

Neil do you think Moyes really and truly wanted to win that game picking the team that started the game, he must have seriously underrated the Wolves team if he did.

Phil Malone 38 Posted 20/05/2026 at 19:59:41

We’ve dropped 48 points from winning positions this season.

We’ve won 13 points from losing positions.

Billy Shears 39 Posted 20/05/2026 at 20:23:51

Same shit, different season!

Neil Cremin 40 Posted 20/05/2026 at 20:56:50

Dave I would hope and expect he did. I would also have expected that the team chosen would have had the quality to be able to win the game. Obviously he and I were wrong I would love to have a transcript of the live forum and TW comments before the game to see if you’re take was the general consensus that he didn’t want to win the game or whether our fans thought the team was an opportunity to see how our new players would perform.

Jay Lewis 41 Posted 20/05/2026 at 21:31:41

Biting my lip here Neil

Si Cooper 42 Posted 20/05/2026 at 22:50:17

Neil, you are trying very hard on this thread to give the manager a completely free pass.

You basically sneer at the opinion of other supporters when it suits you but then want the pre-match / live forum comments from the Wolves game to be considered support that the manager didn’t throw a group of under-cooked players together for that game.

I don’t think I’ve been witnessing players just giving up on the season / already planning their summer hols, as some profess and which is repeated in the OP, as much as players running on empty (which is put forward as a potential root cause in the OP as well).

This is not a recent source of consternation for me. I’ve been banging the drum for earlier and maximum substitutions to be viewed as the prime option for any of the more limited squads since Bournemouth turned our 2 nil lead into their 3-2 victory something like 21 months ago, simply by using all their subs to sustain a persistent threat well beyond the 80th minute.

You may be of the opinion that you can glibly explain the stark statistics that “Everton are bottom for players used (22) and substitutes made (123) in the Premier League this season. Eight Everton players have played 2,500+ minutes this season, which is more than any other team.” with the assumption that the players not used are simply not good enough. The counter-argument is that the manager didn’t make best use of them.

John Collins 43 Posted 20/05/2026 at 23:11:58

Neil 36,

Very catty that madam

Patric Ridge 44 Posted 20/05/2026 at 23:26:57

Phil #38

I have to step in here mate sorry but just to say those stats are not correct. 48 points dropped from winning positions would be 15 more than the PL record!

Everton have dropped 16 points from winning positions this season. Bournemouth (and I'm sure most fans would be happy with Iraola!) have dropped 22, which is the second-most.

Mike Gaynes 45 Posted 20/05/2026 at 00:00:53

Si #42, can't both be true? That the players are not very good and Moyes didn't make the best use of them?

Sean Kearns 46 Posted 20/05/2026 at 00:17:55

It looks as if we exist to fund Roma’s champions league run and we are not the priority for TFG, sadly… Get john stones next to Jarrad next season, maybe with Jake in a back 3… get Grealish permanent, Richie back and Liam Delap. A right back and left back also. Bin Tarky and Keane raaaaa off. If Tarky is starting for us next season I’ll give up… Michael Keane wasn’t good enough 10 fucking years ago. Our team is a low key shambles to the point where we think Myko is half decent 😂 be gone with ye fools! You won’t be missed around here, what we’ve had to put up with watching recently is beyond dogshit and I won’t miss a single one of the charlatans.

Mike Gaynes 47 Posted 21/05/2026 at 02:23:12

"The evidence was there in January. Moyes and the transfer committee, it seems, could not agree on full-back targets..."

What full-back targets?

Across Europe's top 5 leagues in January, do you know how many right backs were bought/sold?

One.

Young Yank Alex Freeman from MLS to Villareal for about $5m.

That's it. That's all.

Also, among last summer's signings was Michael Keane, who has played most of the available minutes and therefore qualifies as a "successful" signing.

Steve #3, you omit a couple of things in Arsenal's plan. Arsenal had longstanding ownership and financial stability in place, which we did not when Friedkin came in. Phase 1 of the plan was a brutal clearout of deadwood players, not dissimilar to what we did last summer and will do more of this summer. Also, Arteta himself was very close to getting sacked after two straight seasons of finishing 8th -- the pandemic may have saved him -- and monumental patience was required by the Arsenal fan base as the plan required six years to reach fruition.

We've started from much farther down than Arsenal, and with a new owner. Let's see how patient Everton's fans are.

Paul Griffiths 48 Posted 20/05/2026 at 03:10:35

Phil M (@38): We’ve dropped 48 points from winning positions this season.

I'd love to now where you got that figure from. Could you tell me/us please?

What on earth are you taking about/making up lad?

48 points! Try one-third of that. You seems bad on numbers, so I'd better tell you that's it's 16.

Don Alexander 49 Posted 21/05/2026 at 03:11:04

Notwithstanding Freidkin's ambassador in the US constantly reassuring us TW'ers of his football credibility due to selling Toyota's cars and winning zilch for Roma, I'd the guy to actually say something credible to the world of football, and us supporters, when it comes to his ambition as our owner of a fabled club in the world's most lucrative league.

In recent years Toyota have publicised the following as their catch-phrases;

"Moving Forward", "Let's Go Places", "Drive Your Dreams" and "Oh, What A Feeling".

What parts of any of that does Freidkin not understand when it comes to Everton?

Paul Griffiths 50 Posted 21/05/2026 at 03:41:35

Made worse Don - 49 - because Saint Daniel the Absent's fall-guy - Saint Angus the Silent - appears to have the polish and business footy acumen of Sir Clive and his C5.

Neil Cremin 51 Posted 21/05/2026 at 05:12:36

Si I think you are confusing my posts with others. My apologies if that I am sneering is the impression I am giving, as that is not the intention My OP is that we do not have a good enough squad and it is not as simple as blaming the manager which for me is an easy out. Yes I think Moyes is limited, tactically, and agree fully that he doesn’t use his subs and that has contributed to our poor performance in last few game when we had the opportunity to achieve something out of the season. Nowhere did I infer.that the players were in holidays or quote statistics on subs used. There are many sticks to beat Moyes with ef tactically and use or not of subs but those who keep referring to the Wolves game for me is an easy out.

John Not getting into petty posts. Let’s leave it at that.

Mick O\\\'Malley 52 Posted 21/05/2026 at 06:27:12

Liam Delap has scored 2 goals this season playing for a Chelsea team that have plenty of of technical players creating chances, he has been sent off twice, he is another battering ram, no thanks, Richarlison spends most of the game rolling around as if he's been shot, thats when he's not injured, weve seen the best of him, no thanks, John Stones, great player that he is, again he spends half the season injured, no thanks

Eric Myles 53 Posted 21/05/2026 at 06:28:21

John #23, to see if the youngsters that many had been calling for to be given a game were capable of playing with the big boys.

Neil #40, ironically those that were calling for the youngsters to be given game time were calling for the exact opposite when that cup game against Wolves came about.

Paul Griffiths 54 Posted 21/05/2026 at 06:32:45

If we buy Delap I'll do something bad, God help me.

Steve Brown 55 Posted 21/05/2026 at 06:37:12

Neil @ 51,

£115 millon was spent last summer which has improved our points haul by one, and may result in a lower table finish than last season. That was a big investment for the club and it has not delivered results - and our drop-off has another financial hit.

The prize money difference between 8th and 14th in the Premier League is £17 million; the European Conference League prize money oppportunity was £16 million prize money plus money from TV rights. That is conservatively a £35-40 million impact.

No-one questions that the quality of the squad needs to be improved again; the key players also look exhausted. The manager has contributed to that by refusing to pick the players signed.

But, bottom-line, the manager is always accountable and he is easier to replace than 20+ players. So the point you are making about the squad not being good enough is not that relevant. There’s always a risk in hiring a new manager, but if the current one has contributed to £115 million beng wasted on players and £40 million in lost revenue then he has to go.

Whether TFG push the button and remove Moyes will tell us a lot about how serious and ambitious they are as owners. Let’s see.

Steve Brown 56 Posted 21/05/2026 at 07:15:25

Paul G @ 54,

I had that reaction last summer when we went in for Delap. It was a relief that he went to Chelsea, where I have watched him a fair bit - not impressive at all.

Compare that to Junior Kroupi at Bournemouth. Signed last year for £10 million plus add-ons, now valued at £40 million plus. Now that is top class recruitment and world class analytics in operation!

My prediction for Moyes's summer targets stays the same - Soucek, Bowen, Stones, Grealish, Laurent and contract renewals for Mykolenko and Gueye. He won't get Bowen or Stones, but the rest will fall into place.

Of course, if TFG actually planned to implement their footballing priorities they would not let him spend the money on these players but they seem muddled and confused.

It reminds me of Philip Carter in 1980 when he had to choose between giving Gordon Lee transfer money to overspend on transfer fees for experienced players and bringing in a younger manager. He showed Gordon the exit door and the rest is history.

Old Gordon was a bit dour and old school as well.

Neil Cremin 57 Posted 21/05/2026 at 07:34:36

Steve I don’t think we are saying anything different. I do believe it is now time to change manager but as per my OP changing manager without commitment to investment in squad and not those in you mentioned in 54 post this will be be no progress. Note of caution when selecting our next manager take note a former TW favourite got 250m at Spurs and we see how that worked out.

Paul Griffiths 58 Posted 21/05/2026 at 07:36:34

It might be my teenage self, SB, but I have better memories of watching Lee's finest team than any year of Moyes. But, yep, he looked like death in that snuggly little three-man dug-out with his blanket. Interestingly, Moyes and Lee both live/lived in Lytham St. Annes. Yawn. Sorry Don.

Kroupi and Rayan Steve.

Stones, believe it or not, is being linked with Bayern.

Steve, I simply do not trust TFG and its recruitment team. I don't believe that I have a reason to do so. If Moyes does not go, it will be a Soucek-like window. TFG, I believe, will be happily unsatisfied with survival while money is pumped into Roma. Moyes suits that hand in glove.

John Collins 59 Posted 21/05/2026 at 07:52:16

Mike 47.

"What full-back targets?"

Are there any full backs better than Patterson in the whole of European football?

Probably close to a hundred are I would estimate.

John Collins 60 Posted 21/05/2026 at 08:13:54

I'll say it now. I don't think our owners will spend as much as the rules and laws allow them to this summer.

Stu Gre 61 Posted 21/05/2026 at 08:30:03

I think TFG will retain Moyes and back him. He will be allowed to recruit the types of players he wants and improve our league position without winning anything.

SUCCESS.

He will get a new contract on the back of that "Success", recruit more players that he wants.

We'll be plucky little Everton, patronised by the thousands of ex Liverpool pundits who love saying Moyes is perfect for Everton and has done an amazing job given the resources he has. Resources that he brought in and loves working with btw.

That leaves a huge problem for the next manager, whenever the fuck that may be. They have to try and unpick the negative Moye"sigh"ah mess that has been infecting our glorious foundations for years, like a fucking tapeworm eating our resources from the inside.

Problem is you have to shit that bastard out and nobody wants to watch that.

People talk about careful what you wish for, Tottenham spend £200m with Frank now look at them. Problem is, new players is only part of the problem. Spurs needed to back Frank, not only with money but with Time. I don't think Frank was the right manager, but having got him they had to give him time. I'd argue that they would have been safe by now if they had kept him.

Since we and Villa last won a trophy (before last night) they spend 3 seasons in the Championship and came back stronger than us. That is the reality of fundamental change. You hope not to get relegated, but it shouldnt be afraid of it if you have a longterm and sustainable plan. I think most fans would be ok with that honesty. After all, I guarantee that this season Coventry have had more joy than enything weve had to endure over the last 30 years, and they truly went to shit at one point.

No other Everton manager in history had been afforded the sort of time Moyes has had whilst also being such a loser. Why we put up with that and act like he's some sort of deity is beyond me.

I'd love to see Glasner here, I've said before. He wins things, not just at Palace. And he beats Liverpool.

But it won't happen, we'll be stuck with the worst manager in our history, the guy who changed our Dna and made it OK to win fuck all.

If that's our future I think I'm out. I love MY Everton, I hate his.

Jimmy Carr 62 Posted 21/05/2026 at 08:35:03

I think Angus Kinnear’s comments suggest he has actually been listening to fans, but regardless of that, for now Moyes isn’t going anywhere. Mr Kinnear needs to get someone to improve his scripts. Phrases like ‘happily dissatisfied’ sound bloody silly.

If TFG have no intention of terminating or extending Moyes’s contract then the summer window is likely to be one of compromised choices. Can’t say that excites me. There’s still time for Aznou, Dibling and even Barry to come good of course, the £115 million was partly an investment in the future as per their strategy, but the younger players need to start playing. Perhaps we’ll see that next season. Great, can’t wait.

Whilst Moyes’s intransigence has thoroughly pissed me off in recent weeks, the idea that all our problems will be magically fixed by him leaving the building are complete pie in the sky. He’s the easy target for those who want to vent some frustration with Everton. The manager always is, but the picture is bigger than one guy. Our squad obviously needs further investment, more dead wood needs to go, and TFG are still relatively new in the building. We have no clue as to what their long term intentions are, and fixing Everton to make them a force again in the premiership needs a long term plan.

Showing Moyes the door doesn’t fix these issues, I agree with those posters making the same point. But if he was moved on, it might suggest TFG aren’t so happily dissatisfied after all.

Paul Griffiths 63 Posted 21/05/2026 at 08:37:38

Tough to read Stu but largely true.

I've shifted, sadly, to Moyes out, with no confidence that this will happen and with no confidence, if it does, that TFG have it in them to make the right replacement.

John Collins 64 Posted 21/05/2026 at 08:38:32

Stu,

I renewed my STs this week. I missed 7 home games this season due to the tepid, boring football we play.

Will be the same again next season if he stays. I will just have to ride it out until he goes.

Mal van Schaick 65 Posted 21/05/2026 at 09:19:14

Great to have a New Stadium, and there is an improvement in our league position, but the squad is a bunch of misfits who have their individual responsibilities but don’t gel as a team and that shows on the pitch, as coaching tactics.

We just fall apart in some games and it looks like hustle and bustle with no substance or togetherness. When we do play well, we look like a top 6 team, but when it falls apart the players become frustrated and the manager doesn’t make decisions to counteract it.

Let’s hope that the owners and management have a plan over the summer to address squad issues and start afresh in August.

Mark Murphy 66 Posted 21/05/2026 at 09:19:56

Using the 3-3 Man City game as an example of exciting football is a bit misleading. I was there -- it was exciting for about 20 minutes.

I cant think of a single "exciting" performance from Everton this season.

David West 67 Posted 21/05/2026 at 09:21:25

John 64. That's the crux of all this debate... until he goes!! It's a matter of time.

My fear, and the reason I'm for him going is, we will give him more money to play the same way, get little or no improvement, while the clamouring for him to go only increases week by week. Come Xmas he'll be gone and we'll be left looking for some unemployed manager that no other clubs wanted, that the fans don't really want or will back, and we will be probably 3 years into TFG ownership and not really progressing on the pitch.

What players want to sign for a manger with 1 year on his deal? New contract for Moyes incoming I think!!

Brian Denton 68 Posted 21/05/2026 at 09:25:03

Paul (58) the season we finished 3rd under Gordon Lee, in 77-78 behind Forest and RS, was very exciting and we played some good stuff.

We top scored in the First Division, and finished only 2 points behind the Shite. I'd settle for that at the moment!

Mark Murphy 69 Posted 21/05/2026 at 09:42:24

Leicester away... The Blue Streak disgorging thousands at Leicester station and the yellows rampant in the sun! Lots more than 3,000 in the away end. That was a great day!

Much maligned was Gordon Lee -- I'd have him over Moyes any day.

Si Cooper 70 Posted 21/05/2026 at 09:54:36

Mike G (45) - well, yes, but one is largely immaterial if you don't remediate the other.

Why improve the squad if you don't also get a manager who will use them in the best way? You just risk alienating both those who are over- or under-used.

Neil (55) - ‘sneering' was too harsh, but you do seem to brush off some points addressed to you without giving them a proper review to explain why you don't see them as significant.

Not all of my post was ‘aimed' directly at you, although it was to support my belief that we could do a lot better with a different manager.

Brian Harrison 71 Posted 21/05/2026 at 09:54:43

To TFG this is just a business deal -- they have really no interest in the club or the fans, only the profit they can make from our brilliant new stadium.

Since they have become owners, they haven't made a visit to the club to meet the fans because, quite frankly, they are not interested in what fans think. They have reduced 2 sections which were family enclosures where young fansget introduced to watching Everton... now those sections are classed as Category 1 seats.

They have increased season ticket prices and the stadium has already hosted non-footballing events to bring in yet more revenue but I wonder how much of the extra revenue will be invested in players?

So Kinnear is their mouthpiece and, listening to his utterances, he doesn't get us either. I would imagine they are very pleased with their first season in charge, practically full houses every game from what I see.

The catering and drink franchises will also be delighted as there seems plenty of fans using their services. But when the FAB group approach TFG for answers to ticket pricing and doing something about fans being able to access getting to the ground. it's met by silence.

So yes, they are better than the crooks that Moshiri tried to land us with, but it's arm's-length ownership and we are just a cash cow for the TFG brand.

Les Callan 72 Posted 21/05/2026 at 10:01:48

Mark @66. The first 20 minutes away at Sunderland. Apart from that, I’m with you.

Brian Denton 73 Posted 21/05/2026 at 10:10:35

Brian Harrison (71),

I think you've pretty much nailed it. I posted a good few months ago that TFG would be happy with us finishing 8th for ever!

They are all about 'yields on investment', 'sweating the assets', 'leveraging the customer-base' etc, ie, the US capitalist business model.

I suppose the only good thing is that they will properly lawyer-up if any shit comes our way from the footballing authorities in any way that might damage their investment.

PS: Would anybody pay the prices they charge for food in the ground if you were buying outside? Nine quid for a fucking burger?!

Mark Murphy 74 Posted 21/05/2026 at 10:44:04

Yes Mrs - but 20 minutes does not a game make.

Steve Brown 75 Posted 21/05/2026 at 11:03:12

Mark @ 69, despite comparing Gordon Lee to Moyes, I also have a soft spot for him.

He got us to 3rd and 4th in consecutive seasons and came across as a nice man.

Neil Cremin 76 Posted 21/05/2026 at 11:07:11

Si,

I think from my posts, it is clear that I agree we need a change to move forward. Moyes has served his purpose for TFG.

Where we differ, I think, is that I believe putting all our problems down to Moyes is too simplistic.

77 Posted 21/05/2026 at 11:15:09

Interesting quote from Uni Emery after winning the Europa League:

“This is the first one and we are achieving and the experiences we are having is every important in how we can get better. Trophies make sense of what we are doing. We are not going to stop.”

Trophes make sense of what are are doing. Too bloody right it does, unilke treating finishing 7th as success.

Villa are not going to stop…. when are we going to start?