EXCLUSIVE: ECHO Everton reporter Chris Beesley speaks to Francis Jeffers about why he believes David Moyes is the right man to guid the Blues to success at Hill Dickinson Stadium
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Francis Jeffers has revealed the insider information he’s heard from Finch Farm that convinces him that David Moyes is the right man to revive Everton’s fortunes at the new stadium, despite their “little falling out.” Jeffers, who initially departed the Blues for Arsenal in an £8million transfer in 2001, was brought back to Goodison Park on loan by Moyes for the 2003/04 season.
After steering Everton to nine top-eight finishes, including a best-ever Premier League position of fourth in 2004/05 during his first spell at the club, the Glaswegian returned for a second spell in January this year. When Moyes came back, the Blues were just a point above the relegation zone but with one Premier League game remaining, they are now confirmed in 13th place with a 20-point cushion between themselves and the bottom three.
Speaking courtesy of iGaming software development, Jeffers told the ECHO: “I think David Moyes is the right man to be at the helm at this pivotal moment in the club’s history. We’ve had some tough years, and I think it was important that we got someone who knew Everton and understands what it takes.
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“He knows what the supporters are about. That connection between him and the fans was back straightaway and they were chanting his name.
“It’s genuinely a two-way relationship with them. The fans love him and he loves Everton.
“He was at West Ham and won a trophy, but I think with his connection with Everton, there’s something special there. Both the players and the fans have responded to that.
“Before the gaffer came in, I was worried that we could go down. I couldn’t see how we were winning games.
“The club was in a difficult position, the fans start to smell that. All of a sudden, it becomes toxic.
“Moyesy has come in and I don’t think even he’d have predicted how well it’s gone. I reckon when he first came back, he’d have bit your hand off just to stay up, but what he’s done is miraculous.”
Moyes, who was first hired by Everton in 2002, has gone from being the youngest manager in the Premier League to the division’s elder statesman at 62, but Jeffers has been told that age has not diminished the Blues boss’ desire to put in the hard yards to achieve success and admits that when players like himself have clashed with the Scot, it’s been because of the standards he sets.
He said: “When he first came in, he was desperate to do well. He was a young manager, he’ll probably tell you himself, he’s probably mellowed a little bit.
“He was just 38 when he first became Everton manager, having been at Preston, and it’s a different ball game. The club never really had any direction, Everton was a tough place then.
“He just brought everyone together. He fell out with a couple of them along the way, but it was only because he wanted everything to be done properly.
“I had a small, little falling out with him, but that was only because of my desperation to do well. It never worked out, but I really like David, I always have done.
Former Everton striker Francis Jeffers
Former Everton striker Francis Jeffers
“He practically lives at the training ground. He’d be the first in and the last out, and when I say the last out, I mean 9 o’clock at night after getting in at 7 o’clock in the morning.
“By all accounts, it’s not much different now. It just shows you that his hunger is still there, and a desire to do well.
“He’s obviously long in the tooth now and has seemingly been around forever, managing for 20 plus years. But the lads have told me he’s still at the training ground late into the night, watching videos and studying them with his staff.
“That shows you the type of fan he is and how determined he is to do well. For someone who has managed so long, to still have that drive is unbelievable.”
After being one of over 70 former Everton players on parade after the 2-0 win over Southampton, Jeffers hopes the move to Hill Dickinson Stadium will bring the best elements of Goodison Park into a modern setting. He said: “I’ve been to the new stadium, I was at the first test event. It looks fantastic, doesn’t it?
“Let’s hope we can put a team on there to be proud of. A team that can bring us some success.
“We don’t want to be languishing where we’ve been for the majority of the past few years, we want to be challenging for trophies. I believe that this new stadium will be the start of Everton slowly getting back to where they should be.
“It’s going to have the same people in there, the same fans, they’ll be down at Bramley-Moore. The Everton fans, the way they get behind the players, they’ll bring that atmosphere and that support that they’ve always given to the new place.”
When it comes to those who will be pulling on the royal blue jersey when the club relocates to the Mersey waterfront, Jeffers reckons that Everton will soon be able to attract a higher calibre of player. He said: “I don’t know what the gaffer wants or who he thinks he needs, but in terms of what they’ve got now, Beto wasn’t playing much under Sean Dyche, but he looks a completely different player under David Moyes. We should be bringing in players to take our club forwards though and I think it’s exciting times.
“From a financial point of view, you’d like to think that the club is being run properly now, we’re in a good position, and let’s hope we can spend a few quid to bring some superstars to Bramley-Moore.
“Abdoulaye Doucoure has announced that he’s going and he’s been a great servant over the past five years. I don’t know what the details are but at 32, he’s probably looking for a better deal than what the club were prepared to offer.
“He’s popped up with some important goals and it’s sad to see people like him go, but that’s football. Look how long the saga went on at Liverpool with Mo Salah and Virgil van Dijk’s contracts, the clubs have a policy and they try and stick to it.
“Maybe Doucoure wanted a bit longer than what Everton were prepared to give him. Let’s move on and get some top players to our place and let’s enjoy watching them at the new stadium.”