Moyes sounds Everton squad warning despite remarkable rise to fifth
David Moyes has raised concerns about Everton‘s squad depth despite the Blues climbing to fifth in the Premier League following Friday night’s 3-1 victory over Coventry City.
Everton have won three successive matches in all competitions, but Moyes acknowledged before the Coventry game that he is working with a relatively small group of players and cannot afford too many further absences.
Moyes relying on small group of players
Speaking at his pre-match press conference on Thursday, Moyes said Everton had only 17 or 18 outfield players available, with the recent matches against Newcastle United giving him a clearer idea of his options.
“We’ve only got 17 or 18 outfield players,” he said. “The two Newcastle games showed me I could probably trust 14 or 15 of them.”
Moyes also stressed that competition for places remains important, adding: “Nobody should feel they’re guaranteed a game.”
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His comments highlight the challenge of maintaining Everton’s progress across the Premier League and Carabao Cup, particularly with injuries and suspensions capable of leaving the manager short of alternatives.
January transfer plans remain unclear
Moyes also played down the possibility of January recruitment when asked about the club’s plans for the winter window.
“No. At the moment, there’s no plans for January, no,” he said.
The manager’s position does not necessarily rule out future signings, but there has been no indication that Everton are preparing to make immediate moves in the market.
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Friday’s victory offered further evidence of the team’s resilience, with Thierno Barry scoring twice before setting up Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall as Everton came from behind to beat Coventry.
The Blues now have a two-week international break before returning to league action at Brentford on 23 November, giving Moyes time to assess his squad ahead of a demanding winter schedule.
Read our Everton 3-1 Coventry match report and our earlier coverage of Moyes’ January transfer plans.
For all the latest Everton news, reaction and analysis, visit our Everton news page.
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Gary Gowers is a sports journalist and the editor of Read Everton, where he leads daily coverage of Everton news, transfers and analysis. He also writes about Manchester City for Read Man City and motorsport for Read Motorsport. A former accountant, he became a freelance writer in 2011 and has written for BBC Sport and Metro.
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