David Moyes has praised his Everton players for their unbeaten start but admits he is “rattling” them over the number of chances they are wasting.
Everton go into the international break unbeaten in seven matches in all competitions, with nine points from their opening five Premier League games and a place in the last 16 of the Carabao Cup.
It has been a good start. Moyes still wants more.
Moyes gives players credit
Questions were asked about the size and depth of the squad following the close of the transfer window. Moyes believes his players have responded in the right way.
“I think we’ve tried to turn it into a positive. But if we hadn’t been winning games, you’d be asking me very different questions. So the players deserve huge credit for getting to this point undefeated.”
Everton have beaten Crystal Palace and Ipswich Town in the Premier League and drawn with Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur and Bournemouth. They have also made progress in the Carabao Cup.
Moyes is pleased, but he also expects it.
“But I’m actually expecting them to do this. And I’m actually more disappointed that we’ve not scored more goals. I’m rattling them like you couldn’t believe at the moment: ‘Why are we not scoring more goals, getting better crosses in, better finishes, shooting from the edge of the box etc’? Because I think that’s one of the things we’re missing from being a half-decent side.”
The frustration was understandable after Saturday.
Everton beat Ipswich 1-0 but had enough opportunities to win far more comfortably.
Moyes wants more goals from Everton
Everton had 21 attempts against Ipswich and only two were on target.
Thierno Barry’s early goal proved enough, with the starting XI against Ipswich extending the club’s unbeaten start.
Moyes was happy with the number of chances. What happened to them was another matter.
“Scoring the goals is an issue, and we have, even statistically, we have been making much more chances. I think today we had 21 shots, but only two on target, so that’s not any good. But the 21 shots is very good because our attempts at goal in all the games have been much, much higher than they had been. So we’re attempting to play in a way where we can get more chances, try and produce more opportunities, and in the main, I think we have, but we’ve not been taking them.”
Twenty-one attempts is the sort of number Moyes wants. Two on target clearly isn’t.
Our look at Jack Grealish and Moyes’ tactical plan has more on the way Everton are trying to create opportunities.
The Ipswich game was perhaps the clearest example yet of what Moyes means. Everton found plenty of shooting positions without making enough of them count.
Moyes pleased with Everton clean sheets
There has been much less to concern him at the other end.
Everton’s opening five league games have included draws away at Tottenham and Bournemouth, and Moyes believes both results look useful in the context of the opposition.
“I think I would have to say yes in lots of cases that I am pleased with the start. We have had a draw at Tottenham and a draw at Bournemouth, which if you look at how Bournemouth are and I know Tottenham have lost today but with what they have bought into the club you would expect them to be a difficult game for anybody. So we’ve done pretty well. I think the clean sheets are something for us to be pleased about and to try and build on if we can.”
The draw at Tottenham was one of the tougher afternoons of Everton’s unbeaten start, with their defensive work earning them a point.
That side of the team is giving Moyes few problems. At the other end, he clearly thinks goals are being left out there.
Everton are unbeaten, fifth in the Premier League and through to the last 16 of the Carabao Cup. Given the questions being asked about the squad only a few weeks ago, Moyes can be satisfied with that.
Just don’t expect him to sound satisfied for too long.
The officials from Saturday’s game can be found in our Everton v Ipswich referee guide, while the Liverpool Echo carries Moyes’ comments in full.
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