David Moyes reacts after Everton claimed a 1-0 win at Newcastle United on the final day of the Premier League season.
Howe’s men went into the final day of the season knowing a win against the Toffees would ensure they claimed a top five finish in the Premier League table and returned to UEFA’s elite club competition for the second time in three seasons. However, a laboured performance was punished by their visitors as they set off nerves around St James Park with a composed and organised display.
The difference between the two sides was a second-half header from Everton midfielder Carlos Alcaraz - but Manchester United’s 2-0 home win against Aston Villa ensured Newcastle ended a historic season in fifth place in the table and will play Champions League football once again next season.
Speaking after his side’s win on Tyneside, Moyes praised his players for their performance in their final day win and paid tribute to his Magpies counterpart for rounding off a historic season with a Carabao Cup final win against Liverpool and securing a return to the Champions League.
Speaking in his post-match press conference, the former Manchester United boss said: “I was a little bit worried about this week because the training was a little bit lower. It’s to be expected, we played our big game last week at Goodison and finished off at Goodison. Sometimes it’s quite difficult to remind people there’s another game.
“But I have to say the professionalism, the way they done the job, I was really proud of the players today because Newcastle are in great form, it’s probably the worst place you want to come on the last day of the season at St James Park with them knowing they maybe had to win to qualify for the Champions League. Their form has been so good. Congratulations to them because their form has been so good. He’s done a brilliant job here, Eddie, winning a cup and also qualifying for the Champions League, he deserves an awful lot of credit.”
“They’re really big characters”
Getty Images
Moyes will now prepare to lead Everton into a historic season as they prepare for their first campaign in their new 53,000 capacity Hill Dickinson Stadium. The former Sunderland manager has overseen a major upturn in performances and results since he agreed to a second spell in charge of the Toffees earlier this season and he is hopeful the spirit and momentum built up in recent months can remain in place when the new campaign gets underway in August.
He said: “I hope we can take everything we showed today (into next season) because the players, what’s inside the dressing room, they’re really big characters and I hope we can keep it. It’s a lot of that that the club has been built around for years and years, way before my time, and hopefully during my first time as well. I think it showed today, they showed great resilience, never giving in at any time.”
Continue Reading