Photo by James Gill - Danehouse/Getty Images
Photo by James Gill - Danehouse/Getty Images
Everton played out a 2-2 draw with Hull City on Sunday and after the game, David Moyes was asked about Tim Iroegbunam, who turned out for the Tigers.
The Toffees and the Tigers shared the spoils at the MKM Stadium, with Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall and Thierno Barry on target for the visitors. But poor defending saw Everton concede, and David Moyes was left frustrated after the game.
It was perhaps a missed opportunity, but at the same time Hull put in a spirited performance and probably deserved a point on balance.
The game was the first time Tim Iroegbunam has faced Everton since he was sold on transfer deadline day. He came on as a second-half substitute for Hull.
And Moyes was asked about him after the game, and gave an answer that really shows why it’s the right time for The Friedkin Group to move on.
David Moyes wanted to keep Tim Iroegbunam at Everton as disconnect with Friedkins apparent
Iroegbunam was sold by Everton on transfer deadline day, with the deal reported to be worth £22 million in total. But Hull have apparently paid around £13 million initially, with the rest to come through add-ons.
The sale was actually fairly well received by a lot of fans. Especially because Iroegbunam wasn’t a regular starter and only had a year left on his contract.
But despite this, Moyes has suggested he never wanted to lose Iroegbunam. Speaking at his press conference after the draw with Hull, he said: “I certainly wasn’t in a hurry to let Tim go, that’s for sure. I think Hull have got a good player and they’ll see that in time.
“I know he’s coming back and he’s got some really good attributes. I liked him a lot, and more importantly, he was a brilliant boy as well, a great teammate, the players all liked him. I could only speak really well about him.”
Interestingly, the ECHO report that Moyes didn’t actually have the final say on any transfers in the last window, suggesting the sale of Iroegbunam was driven by The Friedkin Group in coordination with the recruitment.
Of course, in recent days, it has been reported TFG have put Everton up for a full sale – and this admission by Moyes probably shows it’s the right time for them to go.
For the manager to want to keep a player, but that view not being shared by those at the top, shows a disconnect. Yes, the Iroegbunam sale was a good one and probably helped to place Everton on a more secure financial footing. But there is an argument to say that if Moyes wanted him, then he should have been kept. Instead, just don’t sign Christian Norgaard, or sell someone else to raise funds.
It’s going to be interesting to see how Iroegbunam gets on at Hull. For sure, he wasn’t really showing enough at Everton to be in the team on a weekly basis. But there is certainly good potential with him. His energy and ball-winning ability are great traits, but there is still a lot of room for improvement on the ball.
But between this admission by Moyes about Iroegbunam, and the fact Harrison Armstrong was almost sold at the end of the last window, the Friedkins’ time as owners of the club really does feel like it’s at an end, and the decision to put the club up for a full sale is validated.