David Moyes was speaking after Everton lost 3-1 to Sunderland at Hill Dickinson Stadium
David Moyes wants his side to be active in the transfer market
David Moyes wants his side to be active in the transfer market(Image: Getty Images)
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David Moyes believes Everton need ‘to go again’ in the transfer market if the club is to build on this season.
The club’s drive for Europe ended in a miserable second half against Sunderland as Regis Le Bris’ side came from behind to win 3-1 at Hill Dickinson Stadium.
The defeat made it six consecutive matches without a win, a terrible run that has cost the Blues the opportunity to secure the return of European nights.
Three goals in the final 30 minutes left the ground almost empty at the final whistle as a positive campaign ended in disappointment. It was the fifth game in a row Everton were unable to hold onto a positive result with the final two goals meaning the Blues have conceded a league-leading 11 goals in the final 15 minutes since February 28.
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Asked what that might be down to, Moyes said: “I don't think there's any one reason for it. I think that today's was a pure mistake. I think the other games, and let's be fair, we're just off the back of two or three of the worst decisions for us, which have made our results look far worse than they are.
“We've actually, in truth, played pretty well. Maybe not so much today, but in the other games we've played pretty well wherever we've been. We've lost out on a couple of penalty kick decisions, which [would] have got us points.
“So if the points had gone in our favour in any one of those other games, we would be disappointed about today, but we would still be thinking that we've done OK. So I do think it's not really like us. We've lost three [goals] here against Man City, we lost three here today and we're playing Sunderland, who are not a side who score many goals. We should be better.”
Iliman Ndiaye missed a good opportunity in the second half after he and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall failed to convert presentable chances in the draw at Crystal Palace last week.
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Moyes said: “I think those players were so good for us in the early part of the season. I think in the second half of the year we've looked as if we've just run out of goals, mainly from the likes of Ili, and Kiernan a little bit as well.
"I think Ili, especially, has a big opportunity in a few of the games which in the past we've seen him score. He scored a great goal against Chelsea here, but since then we've had quite a lot of opportunities in the games and we've not been able to take them to win the games.
"We have needed them because, as we know, we've not been overly generous with our centre forward goals. So it's been Kiernan and Ili who have been required to step up for us mainly. And they’ve both sort of just dried up in the last month or so.”
Moving forward will require Everton to be less reliant on a handful of players, with Moyes - asked what the side needs to build on this season - adding: “I think we need to go again. Let's be fair, we've tried to build something which is going to be good as time goes on.
"We've put ourselves in a decent position most of the season to talk well about the team. I don't feel like talking well about them today because that was a big moment for us and we weren't able to take it. We need to try and find a way of improving that, and that mainly always means that we're going to have to bring in other players and try and see if we can step up again.”