Everton FC correspondent Joe Thomas looks at what Merlin Rohl, Tyrique George and Hayden Hackney have said about David Moyes - and what it tells us about the end of last season
David Moyes and Everton have been busy in the transfer market so far this summer
David Moyes and Everton have been busy in the transfer market so far this summer
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The opportunities provided to Everton’s squad players became a topic of debate towards the end of last season but it appears increasingly clear David Moyes was able to connect with his stars even if they may have wanted more minutes.
His rapport with senior players was rarely in doubt and it was clear throughout the campaign that his faith was primarily placed in a core group within the squad. That much was evident from the affection a rejuvenated Jack Grealish showed him to the revelation club captain Seamus Coleman and then U18s boss (and now his assistant) Leighton Baines had visited his home in January 2025 to convince him to take up the manager’s post vacated by Sean Dyche.
But his relationship with a younger core who saw limited action in the final months of the season did become a source of intrigue, particularly as the club suffered a disappointing end to a campaign as the push for Europe ran out of steam across six final winless matches.
Through that torrid conclusion to the season there were calls from sections of the fanbase for a change of approach. The lack of minutes provided to Merlin Rohl and Tyrique George were among the concerns highlighted - particularly given the positivity with which both players were typically discussed whenever Moyes was asked about their status.
Rohl endured an injury-hit start to his loan spell at Everton, now made permanent, but then impressed at the turn of the year, culminating in his best performance, in the 1-0 win at Aston Villa in mid-January.
Merlin Rohl is challenged by Ian Maatsen during the Premier League match between Aston Villa and Everton at Villa Park. Photo by Alex Pantling/Getty Images
Merlin Rohl is challenged by Ian Maatsen during the Premier League match between Aston Villa and Everton at Villa Park. Photo by Alex Pantling/Getty Images
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Idrissa Gueye, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall and Iliman Ndiaye returned to availability the following week, when the Blues played Leeds United, but few would have predicted that, of the next 12 games, he would be an unused substitute in 10 and only play stoppage time in the other two.
It was after that Villa match that George was sought as a replacement for Grealish, whose season ended after that win when his stress fracture came to light. He too went through a tough few months - starting just once as he made only 11 appearances after arriving at the start of February.
Moyes could initially point to the rich vein of form Everton hit in spring, starting with the stoppage-time equaliser at Brighton &Hove Albion and running through to the stunning demolition of Chelsea that left his side harbouring realistic dreams of Europe and landing them within striking distance of the Champions League through the final international break of the season.
While Rohl and George were bit-part players in that streak, others on the fringe of the team like Harrison Armstrong and Dwight McNeil were provided opportunities.
When the form dropped off after that break and Dewsbury-Hall and Ndiaye, crucial players for the team, struggled to replicate the ruthlessness they had displayed through much of the season, Moyes’ continued reliance on a core group within his squad came under fire.
Whether he made the right calls will remain a subject of debate outside the club but it looks increasingly clear that behind the fences of Finch Farm, he was able to take many of those not playing regularly with him.
The first indication of that came after the hectic draw with Manchester City, when Rohl was a surprise inclusion in the starting line-up and went on to have a match-defining game. In the mixed zone after the game the young German told journalists, including the ECHO, that throughout his run without minutes he always had the sense that Moyes placed trust and faith in him.
He said: “It’s special from the manager to give me the trust in such a big game for us. We keep fighting for Europe. I was feeling the last games also that there’s trust from the manager. When there’s a situation, he will put me in and I can give the team something.”
Rohl made clear that relationships in football extended far beyond what happens on the pitch and he has since re-iterated his belief that the club is the perfect place for him to develop - a belief it would be impossible to hold without a positive relationship with Moyes.
In a recent interview with Everton’s media team he revisited this period, again identifying his belief Moyes had faith in him even when he was not providing him opportunities.
He said: “I didn't play, I think I got two substitutes for like 10 or 12 games. And of course that's not what I wanted when I was coming here, but that's the thing that maybe some of the players will go through to get a starting spot, and then out of nowhere I played. I had my chance.
“The boss really told me weeks before that: ‘Don't worry, you will get your chance.’ And that was so much trust of him to give me this chance against Man City and then I was able to deliver and I was so happy to have a good performance there. Since then I played some games, that was really nice for me.”
Rohl started every game after that draw with City, a level of exposure not handed to George - although another emerging player, Tim Iroegbunam, also received multiple starts as Everton dealt with an injury to Gueye.
Tim Iroegbunam marks Erling Haaland during his man of the match display against Manchester City. Photo by Simon Stacpoole/Offside/Offside via Getty Images
Tim Iroegbunam marks Erling Haaland during his man of the match display against Manchester City. Photo by Simon Stacpoole/Offside/Offside via Getty Images
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George was one of the players around which there was clamour for more minutes, particularly after positive cameos against Brentford and West Ham United.
He created good chances at big moments in decisive games from the bench against the Hammers, Crystal Palace and Sunderland and that he ended the season without a goal or an assist was largely down to the finishing of his team-mates and a stunning stop from Antonin Kinsky to deny him a late goal at Tottenham Hotspur.
Yet while he did not start after the defeat to Bournemouth in February, he - like Rohl - viewed this period positively. That much was made clear both in his decision to sign for the Blues permanently and in the comments that followed the announcement of his transfer on Monday, when he said: “I’m so happy to sign for Everton. I loved my time here on loan last season, so as soon as I knew it was a possibility to return, that's always what I wanted.
"This is a massive club. I've seen for myself how passionate the fans are about Everton, how much it means to them – and I want to put on good performances, score goals, and create goals to make them happy.
"The fans and the boys in the changing room made me feel welcome as soon as I arrived in February. It's a strong group that's only going to get better.
"I'm excited for what is ahead for us as a group and club… There is a lot more to come from me and with the manager, the coaches and my teammates, I know I'm in a great place to show it."
Tyrique George during the Premier League match between Everton and Bournemouth. Photo by James Gill - Danehouse/Getty Images
Tyrique George during the Premier League match between Everton and Bournemouth. Photo by James Gill - Danehouse/Getty Images
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None of the above means everyone was happy but it does provide new insight into a difficult period for the club. The experiences of Rohl and George highlight the depth to relationships forged at Finch Farm that are not always seen on the pitch.
A further indication of that comes from the way in which Moyes facilitated the emergence of James Garner into a breakout star of last season, constantly championing him for the England side as he rose to prominence.
The manager takes great joy from players making international debuts on his watch and Garner went on to achieve just that last season.
As his star rose and interest grew in the midfielder - particularly given his contract status - Garner, like another cornerstone of the team’s future Jarrad Branthwaite had done six months earlier, committed to a new contract on Merseyside.
It is the rise of players like Garner that helped influence Hayden Hackney’s decision to choose Everton over the seven other Premier League clubs keen to prise the best player in the Championship from Middlesbrough.
Some of those clubs had deeper pockets than the Blues but once Hackney intimated they were his preferred destination, he was always likely to end up at Hill Dickinson Stadium and that proved to be the case.
When the midfielder signed last week, he pointed to working with Moyes as being central to his desire to join the club, stating: “As soon as I spoke to the manager, as soon as I knew Everton were interested, to be honest, it was always going to be Everton. It’s such a big club, with the new stadium and the direction it’s going in. I just wanted to be part of that.
"The manager's track record of bringing players from the Championship to the Premier League was a massive part of my decision as well. Hopefully I can be the next one to do it successfully for Everton.”
The Blues collapsed at the end of last season, their European hopes disappearing with their loss of form and while there was a perfect storm of factors that played their part (terrible refereeing decisions, injuries and missed chances among them), Moyes must take some responsibility for that. His future will always be a source of intrigue while he is in the final year of his contract, too.
But as the club starts to look ahead to next season, it is obvious that for all the questions directed at him and his approach, Moyes was able to retain the faith of several of those on the periphery of his plans even amid their difficulties in getting serious minutes - and his reputation still serves as an attraction to some of the most talented youngsters who are looking to push their careers forward.