Describing Everton‘s transfer window as ‘very decent’ would be a fair comment, with the caveat of not bringing in a right-back and a back-up striker of course.
On the whole though, there have been some quality additions including the deadline day acquisition of 23-year-old Merlin Rohl, who has arrived from Freiburg on loan with an obligation to buy for around £22m.
Everton’s new transfer committee structure has done a good job, especially considering the amount of new relationships that needed to be formed and understood at the club.
The likes of Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, Jack Grealish and Thierno Barry have brought some offensive excitement to the squad – as has been apparent in the three wins at the start of the campaign – and Tyler Dibling’s arrival can also be seen as quite a coup.
Defensive cover may well be an issue as the season progresses, however, as will Idrissa Gana Gueye and Iliman Ndiaye’s AFCON tournament duties during the winter period.
With the window now firmly closed, the focus turns fully towards football again.
Taking stock David Moyes’ first eight months in charge after successful transfer window
There’s an international break and a chance to get some players back to fitness, but it’s also a chance to take a breath – particularly for the manager – and an opportunity to look at the options he now has at his disposal.
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The last eight months have been a whirlwind for David Moyes and his staff. So much has happened in that time, but the 235 days since the Everton boss’s homecoming have been fruitful and, to be honest, it’s come as no surprise to me that it’s turned out this way.
I remember when the debate about whether Everton should bring in Graham Potter or David Moyes to replace Sean Dyche was ongoing. I was asked for my opinion. I pondered whether Potter’s time out of the game would have refreshed him after the Chelsea debacle – I believed it would have – and I’m certainly not of the mind that West Ham’s poor start to the season is his fault. He’s a good manager and, given time, he’ll put things right as he showed with the win at Forest.
I said at the time that I felt the club needed someone who understood what Everton was all about and what was required, and someone who didn’t need time to get to know the club. I was mocked in some quarters.
“It’s a very different club than the one he left,” they said. It isn’t. It’s the same Everton core values that Moyes knows – some of which he implemented himself.
However, my six pennies’ worth – and that’s exactly what it was worth – was that Moyes was the man to take over. I had reservations, but they were based on how the new owners would react to a manager who demands a lot. He won’t accept mediocrity, and he’ll say it how it is.
What David Moyes demands from The Friedkin Group and his squad behind the scenes
Make no mistake: David Moyes demands the highest standards of everyone. Not just at Finch Farm, but from anyone associated with the club.
Whether you’re part of the catering staff, ground staff, a security guard, or a player, he expects you to represent the club in a professional and committed manner. Even as a member of the media, you know that when you walk into that training ground, there is an etiquette – a way to behave and a standard to adhere to.
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Despite knowing him for nearly 25 years, Moyes never lets you get too familiar. He doesn’t allow you to take liberties with your relationship with him. But he is impeccably honest and straightforward with you. That’s what virtually every ex-player of his will tell you; and they (and I) respect him for that. You know he wants the best in everything he does. Of course, in football, that isn’t always achievable, but it never stops him from demanding it.
These qualities are why we’re seeing a resurgent Everton at the moment. It’s what drove the recovery from impending relegation last season too.
Moyes has embraced the ‘new era’ narrative at the club, championed the new Hill Dickinson Stadium, and been more than happy to talk up the new ownership. However, that all will never come at the expense of getting the best on the pitch. The most important thing for him will always be the team, because he knows it’s those players who will ultimately bring him the success Everton want.
I remember a conversation at the end of last season when someone close to the club told me: “The manager wants 10 new players. He says it’s what’s needed.”
I thought to myself, Good luck with that. And then, of course, Moyes said how many signings he wanted publicly. It felt, at the time, like an unlikely scenario, because we as a fan base have become accustomed to minimal spending during windows due to PSR and financial constraints in recent years.
Moyes made his point loud and clear to the owners about what he needed and, in fairness to them, they responded accordingly.
They shouldn’t rest on their laurels now, though, because he will challenge them every minute of every day to continue the job of building the club back to where it can, and should, be.
Now it’s time for the manager and players to do what they do best: win games.
Three victories in the space of a week have got the fans believing again. It doesn’t take much with Evertonians, in fairness. They’ve been starved of the good days for so long that they’ll jump on any passing bandwagon – as long as it shows fight, commitment, and a determination to head in the right direction. The feeling is they are doing just that at the moment.
But you won’t travel for free while David Moyes is the driver – every day is a school day on this journey. There is a long road ahead but there is a sense the return journey has begun.