The Blues boss said the six-game winless streak his side is on had impacted his view of the summer transfer window
David Moyes during the Premier League match between Crystal Palace and Everton at Selhurst Park. Photo by Sebastian Frej/Getty Images
David Moyes during the Premier League match between Crystal Palace and Everton at Selhurst Park. Photo by Sebastian Frej/Getty Images
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David Moyes wants the focus of this summer’s transfer business at Everton to be on improving the quality of players at his disposal.
Twelve months ago the club entered a period of transition as several players moved on and the process of rebuilding a squad left threadbare by financial problems began. The financial uncertainty has largely been addressed by the ownership of the Friedkin Group (TFG) and this season is the first in five that Everton have not been exposed to any fear of relegation.
The club was unable to take advantage of a golden opportunity to qualify for Europe, however, and Moyes has called on TFG to back a window that lifts the ceiling of the current squad.
Everton have produced a number of standout displays this season, most notably the 3-0 demolition of Chelsea in March that put Champions League football within reach with just seven games of the Premier League season left.
The Blues now need three points at relegation-threatened Tottenham Hotspur to have any chance of finishing in the top half of the table after failing to win any of the six matches since the victory over Chelsea, however.
The club has been hurt by key decisions having gone against them - it has been formally accepted penalty appeals were wrongly rejected against West Ham United and Manchester City - while important players Jarrad Branthwaite, Idrissa Gueye and Beto have suffered injuries in that period.
But there is an overriding sense of frustration that the club was unable to seize crucial moments across that run, with scrutiny falling onto David Moyes and his players after the team squandered several good positions.
The manner in which the past six weeks have unfolded have shaped Moyes’ thoughts on what the club needs to do to build on this season, he admitted at Finch Farm on Friday.
Asked whether the form had altered his plans for the summer, he said: “I think it might have changed my thoughts a little bit - that we need more, which we have to have. We know we need to make improvements and try and go again. That's a big thing for me.”
Moyes has called on TFG to help him through a “big summer”. CEO Angus Kinnear appeared to view squad-building as a priority in his Sunderland programme notes as he billed the summer as the next stage in a two-part process designed to take Everton forward.
Asked what he believed Everton needed “more” of, Moyes pointed to quality. He said he did not expect the club to have the same turnaround in playing staff that took place last season and suggested the ambition for the summer could potentially be achieved by one or two signings of significance rather than a focus on numbers, which was a factor last summer.
He added: “I think we need more quality. We need to add a level of player with a different level of quality, whether that be new blood or whether it be experienced. We've got quite a few thoughts and options in mind, but obviously a lot of it will come down to what finances are available come summer.”
While a lack of depth in some areas has been troubling, Moyes has refuted suggestions the recent drop-off has stemmed from his heavy reliance on a core group of players and, with no European commitments next season, it appears his focus is on introducing more quality to his starting XI than building a squad with greater depth.
Moyes said he had some idea of the parameters he would be working within, one of the key ones being the belief Everton do not need to sell anyone. James Garner and Iliman Ndiaye are among the players who could attract high-profile attention this summer and will be within the core group of players he wishes to protect.
He is confident any sales Everton do make will be on the club’s terms and hinted he would be open to doing business on some of the squad members. He explained: “We don't need to sell. That's the first thing I would say. We don't need to sell. I think we would like to probably see if we can try and bring some money in if we can. But put it this way, we wouldn't be selling anyone we wouldn’t want to lose.”