**David Moyes** spoke to the media ahead of Everton’s first Premier League game of the season at home against Crystal Palace.
The Toffees were hoping to build on a season that had a lot of promise, but ultimately missed out on Europe by four points, finishing 13th.
Ahead of the new season, Moyes spoke about transfer business, what to expect from Crystal Palace, and trying to get Everton back to competing higher up the league.
Excitement ahead of the new season
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_“I'm ready. I think I'm always ready. It's a privilege always to be a manager of any club in the Premier League, but more so for me, my longest periods have been with Everton._
_“It was great last year. We had a terrific year last year after taking over. So, here we go again.”_
Trying to get a right back in before the transfer deadline
_“Well, I think there might have been five or six managers before me who were trying to bring a right back as well. So, I'm not the only one._
_“It sounds as if you would find right backs for 10 a penny, but that isn't the case when you're looking._
_“Look, we've identified quite a few right backs we like. We've bid for quite a few we like. So, we're right in there; we're working to try and get one.”_
_“Well, I think there might have been five or six managers before me who were trying to bring a right back as well. So, I'm not the only one._
_“It sounds as if you would find right backs for 10 a penny, but that isn't the case when you're looking._
_“Look, we've identified quite a few right backs we like. We've bid for quite a few we like. So, we're right in there; we're working to try and get one._
_“I think we've got other people who are doing quite well. Jake O’Brien, who has done well for us there; other people have filled in. You know, we still got Craig \[Nathan\] Patterson._
_“We've got Merlin Rohl who's done well in preseason playing there at different times. Jimmy Gardner played really well at right back for us.”_
_“So, it’s not as if we've not got anybody to do the job, but it's certainly a position we're missing because, from our squad compared to last year where a player down just to Seamus \[Coleman\] on his own, that takes our numbers down._
_“So, we've certainly got room to bring in a new right back.”_
Getting Everton back to competing higher up the league
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_“Well, I'm desperate because I've got an idea of what it looked like when Everton were a decent side._
_“I'm not saying we were as good as Howard Kendall's teams or the great teams he had in the players, but we've had decent teams in the past. Teams which have been in and around Europe, teams that have been getting to cup finals._
_“So, I certainly want to get back to that, and I've got an idea of what it looks like._
_“I've got knowledge from my experience in the Premier League, the games I've had, about what it looks like and what's required to get there. So, let's hope we can do it again.”_
What to expect from Pierre Sage
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_“Well, from what we've seen so far, the manager did a brilliant job at Lens and played a very similar system to Oliver Glasner. Obviously, I think they've tweaked a few things, but obviously they are very similar.“I think that's probably why he was such an attraction to bring to Crystal Palace._
_“We’ve got a lot of new managers coming in, but I've seen lots and lots of new managers coming to the Premier League over the years. Some brilliant managers, great managers, it's a difficult league to work in._
_“I've got no doubt there'll be some who do a great job, and there'll be some who, you know, find it difficult. So, we don't know._
_“We'll find out, but good luck to all the new managers. I hope they all try and do well, but certainly when it's not against Everton.”_