David Moyes wants a reaction against Manchester United | OneFootball

The curtains are ready to be drawn on Everton’s Premier League Summer Series campaign following the game against Manchester United scheduled on Sunday night. Ahead of that encounter, David Moyes is expecting a “reaction” out of his side following back-to-back defeats against Premier League opponents on US soil.

The Toffees began the Summer Series with a 3-0 defeat to Andoni Iraola’s Bournemouth, conceding three goals in the space of 15 minutes in the second half. Against West Ham United, they took the lead through Idrissa Gana Gueye but slipped up just four minutes ahead of the break before Niclas Fullkrug secured a 2-1 win for the Hammers in the second 45.

Everton have won only one of their five pre-season contests so far, beating Port Vale 2-1 at their new home at Bramley-Moore Dock. While there’s not a lot to read into the results at this stage of the season, the performances are worrying.

They struggled against lower league sides Accrington Stanley and Blackburn Rovers and needed a wonderful free-kick goal from James Garner to beat Port Vale. The Blues have scored just four goals during the pre-season so far, with only two coming from open play.

Up next is Manchester United. Ruben Amorim’s side have won both their matches in the Summer Series, beating West Ham 2-1 before brushing past Bournemouth 4-1.

“We’re hoping for a reaction against Manchester United. We’re looking to play a bit better than we’ve done,” Moyes told Liverpool Echo's Chris Beesley ahead of his side’s final assignment in the United States.

In the last meeting between the two sides in the Premier League, Moyes’ side led 2-0 going into the break before squandering the lead and accepting a 2-2 draw.

“We had a good couple of games against United last year and I certainly had one game against them which was a really good game. We played well and probably should have done it at the end.

“We’re in a different stage at the moment. We’re preparing, so it’s not quite the same.

“We’ve come here with a really small squad. We can change one or two players around, but we don’t have huge numbers and that makes it quite difficult for us to make too many changes.

“We have to accept that we have to start building and almost start again from the beginning. I think the excitement of how we finished last year, you’ve got to remember we finished above United, we finished above West Ham, we finished above Tottenham.

“We’ve not forgotten that and we’ve not lost the thought of that, but we knew it was a difficult summer with the amount of players who were coming to the end of their contract or people leaving.

“It’s just taken us a little bit more time than I’d have thought and I thought we’d have been a little bit further down the line than we are, but we all know we’ve got a new stadium to go into and we’re excited for that. We’re looking forward to it, but we also want to give the supporters something to shout about.

“We want to go to the new stadium knowing that we’re going to have a side that is going to be competitive.”

The upcoming season is going to be one for the history books as Everton are set to play at the Hill Dickinson Stadium for the first time in their history. The club’s men’s team had spent the last 133 years playing at the iconic Goodison Park.

Optimism and hope are natural for fans given the excitement around the new stadium. Evertonians are also looking forward to a new dawn after several struggles in recent seasons.

“We see ourselves coming out of a bad situation at the club. I think all Evertonians are looking to the future now, they don’t want to look back in the past,” Moyes continued.

“We want to believe there’s something better ahead of us and I think it will be better ahead of us. I think there’s going to be teething, whether it’s the stadium, new owners or all sorts of things.

“But I’m really positive about the opportunity that we have to move. It’s something that all the Evertonians in Liverpool have been waiting upon for a long time.

“We’ll pack it out every week, which we do. My job now is to give them a team now to enjoy coming to watch as well.”

Reader Comments (20)

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Danny O'Neill 3 Posted 03/08/2025 at 16:21:08

That is a lot more balanced and measured from Moyes, whilst still getting his message in there, which he should do.

I and we don't know if someone has had a quiet word in his ear, but he definitely toned down his messaging.

I'll stop up beyond bedtime tonight to what us. I just want a performance. If we get a result, great, but I won't lose any sleep if we see signs.

Staying with pre-season, I'm all set for the AS Roma match next weekend. Ticket booked a few weeks ago and train booked. Hopefully bump into a few of you there.

I want a reaction too but at the end of the day I'd rather lose these next two friendly games and hit Leeds where it hurts.

Preseason should be some kind of indicator I agree with that much but I've got memories of the summer of 2000 when Alex Nyarko and Niclas Alexandersson were smashing them in from everywhere and looking like Rivaldo and Romario.

Sadly we all remember the league exploits from the season that followed it with much less glamour.

I want to see positive signings made in the coming weeks more than I do in friendly results, I knew what we needed at the end of last season and in many ways it hasn't changed since.

We've lost probably a combined 10 to 12 goals with DCL and Doucoure leaving us and perhaps replaced only the same amount if we are lucky in the arrival of Barry.

So we are still short in terms of goals in other areas and pace in other areas of the pitch.

Billy Shears 6 Posted 03/08/2025 at 19:43:37

A comfy win for Man Utd methinks... do I lads really care?

Mike Keating 7 Posted 03/08/2025 at 20:21:56

Has everyone received their digital season tickets and those for the Roma game?

Ian Bennett 8 Posted 03/08/2025 at 20:26:36

I have, but dad hasnt

Rob Halligan 9 Posted 03/08/2025 at 20:27:24

Got my Roma ticket, but haven’t got season ticket yet.

Danny O'Neill 10 Posted 03/08/2025 at 20:34:38

Mike @7, I received both last Wednesday. My nephew is still waiting for his, but has his confirmation email from a few months ago.

Liam Mogan 11 Posted 03/08/2025 at 20:35:56

Had Roma tickets but not season tickets.

Christy Ring 12 Posted 03/08/2025 at 20:39:14

Getting fed up of the players we're linked too, and then you see we can't afford Luiz.

What's really happening??

Brendan McLaughlin 13 Posted 03/08/2025 at 20:50:12

Christy #12

Moyes fell out with Thelwell and then Moyes and Kinnear fell out...Moyes is currently looking for someone else to fall out with.

Will any player sign in those circumstances?

Brendan McLaughlin 15 Posted 03/08/2025 at 21:00:29

Maybe not facts... Stu #14

But I've had it on good authority on here... well when I say good.authority.. I mean informed speculation... well when I say informed... I mean they just made it up.

Pretty solid case on ToffeeWeb.

Danny O'Neill 16 Posted 03/08/2025 at 21:04:42

Stu @14,

I think what Brendan is getting at is that Moyes likes control. Nothing a lot haven't said on here before.No facts, just an assumption to how he likes to operate.

In the absence of hard facts, it does appear there has been disjointed communication and messaging coming from the manager and CEO. I personally think the manager has been had a word with, but I don't have evidence or facts as that will have been behind closed doors.

With all talk of requesting evidence and facts, I wasn't aware TW was becoming a court room.

This is a forum where we come together to share views, personal opinions and interpretations, often based on what we see, speculation we read into or interpreting interviews and comments.

It's Everton, it's football. It is more often based on "I think" rather than "I know for fact and here's the evidence". I wouldn't ask someone for that in a watering hole on County Road before or after a match.

Liam Mogan 19 Posted 03/08/2025 at 21:17:13

People who say 'facts' all time just remind me of Rafa the fat Spanish waiter

Alan J Thompson 20 Posted 04/08/2025 at 06:02:00

People who ask if you know that for a fact haven't got any fact that it isn't a fact, and that's a fact.

Well, it could be a fact but, as I've just made it up, it probably isn't, but it could be.