Manager David Moyes’ wild celebrations following the dramatic last-gasp equaliser at Brighton & Hove Albion have received a glowing endorsement from a former Everton player
Everton manager David Moyes was shown the yellow card for running on to the pitch and celebrating his side's last-gasp equaliser at Brighton & Hove Albion
Everton manager David Moyes was shown the yellow card for running on to the pitch and celebrating his side's last-gasp equaliser at Brighton & Hove Albion
View Image
David Moyes’ wild celebrations following the dramatic last-gasp equaliser at Brighton & Hove Albion have received a glowing endorsement from a former Everton player. The Blues appeared to be heading for defeat at the Amex Stadium following Pascal Gross’ 72nd minute strike, but seven minutes into stoppage time, substitute Beto struck to earn the visitors a deserved share of the spoils.
The Guinea-Bissau international subsequently threw himself into the delirious away end but over on the touchline, Moyes, who has gone from being the Premier League’s youngest manager when he was first appointed by Everton as a 38-year-old in 2002, to the division’s elder statesman now at 62, dashed onto the pitch to indulge in a jubilant jig, an action that resulted in him being shown a yellow card by referee Chris Kavanagh of Greater Manchester. Asked whether he would do it again the Glaswegian gaffer joked: “I bloody will do it again. Actually, I think if I had been a bit more mobile, I might have done a knee slide.
“That would have only got me a yellow as well. So, I might as well have gone the whole hog.”
Former Everton player Terry Phelan is a fan of Moyes in general and his celebration in particular. The ex-Republic of Ireland international told the ECHO: “You know what, this is why we call it the beautiful game. This is why it’s nerve-racking with the joy and the emotions with the trials and tribulations plus the fans’ excitement.
“If a coach cannot celebrate a goal that’s happened in the dying seconds, then what chance have you got in the world of football? Let’s be honest.
“Moyesy, I love him, I think he’s one of the best managers to grace the Premier League. I really believe that.
“What he did at Everton when he first went there was change the culture, he changed the club, he changed everything. He went to Manchester United and they didn’t believe in him because they didn’t understand his methodology or philosophy and I don’t think he was given enough time.
“What he did at West Ham was ‘wow’ but he’s back at Everton now and he’s doing really well.
All I can say is: ‘Davy, keep it going pal, we all love you. As an Evertonian and former player myself, I love what you’re doing, keep celebrating and keep picking up those cards because you can buy all the guys a glass of champagne with all the money from the fines!”
Phelan, who was speaking via Gambling.com, the experts in UK Online Casinos, admitted that Moyes’ selection of four towering centre-backs for the fixture brought back unhappy memories for himself though. Standing at just 5ft 6in, he’d go on to win the FA Cup with Wimbledon and became the world’s most expensive full-back when he joined his local side Manchester City in 1992, but earlier in his career, he and Denis Irwin, who’d go on to become one of the greatest full-backs in Premier League history found themselves surplus to requirements at Elland Road.
The 58-year-old said: “It reminded me of when I was at Leeds United under another Scottish manager Billy Bremner to tell you the truth (who unlike former centre-back Moyes who is 6ft 1in, was only 5ft 5in himself). He went out and he bought six centre-backs, and he was playing them at both left-back and right-back, which meant me and Denis Irwin were out of the door because we were too small.
“Look at the full-backs when the great Billy Bremner was playing, they weren’t 6ft 6in were they? And that was in an era when balls would come into the box all the time.
“To play that kind of system suggests you’re wary of facing an aerial bombardment but I don’t think Brighton play that way, they like to play the ball on the floor and be fluid in the moment. When they get in those wide areas, they’ll horseshoe it and try to recycle the ball.
“Was there a threat on set-pieces? Maybe he’s just gone there with a plan in his head and thought: ‘Let’s see how it works?’”