It’s out with the old and in with the… old at Everton as David Moyes is back in charge and he needs to get straight to work.
Everton made the controversial decision to sack Sean Dyche just hours before he was set to take charge of the side’s FA Cup tie vs Peterborough United on Thursday.
While the timing was questionable, the decision itself was a fair one given Everton are teetering close to the edge of the relegation zone.
The Toffees sit in 16th place in the Premier League table but are just one point better off than Wolves and Ipswich and four behind Crystal Palace immediately above them. They may have a game in hand but given it’s against Liverpool there’s not much hope it will turn into three points.
With Ipswich capable of good results and Wolves benefitting from changing their own manager, Everton were in real danger of sliding further downwards if nothing changed.
So action was taken and less than 48 hours after Dyche’s sacking, David Moyes was hired as Everton manager for the second time.
Moyes enjoyed 11 years in charge at Goodison Park before departing for Manchester United in 2013. Things didn’t go well at Old Trafford, or Real Sociedad, but the Scot recovered his reputation during two successful stints at West Ham.
The Irons themselves have already changed managers this season after twice failing to replace Moyes and Everton will now be hoping he can have a positive impact on Merseyside.
To do so, he will have to utilise the January transfer window as much as possible to breath new life into an aging and uninspiring squad.
Reports suggest Lyon winger Ernest Nuamah could be Moyes’ first signing back at Everton yet it’s obvious that a striker should be the club’s top priority and first addition.
Everton need a striker in January transfer window
Though wins had been difficult to come by, results actually hadn’t been that bad in recent weeks for Dyche as he had managed to grind out draws against sides you’d expect Everton to lose to.
Yet, when those spirited performances can rarely result in victories you have a big problem and Dyche simply couldn’t get his side to score enough goals.
Everton have failed to score in eight of their last 10 Premier League fixtures. In fact, they have only scored in eight games out of 19 so far this season.
They don’t concede too many – with the best goal difference out of the bottom five – but without goals you don’t win games. Only the marooned Southampton with 12 have scored fewer than Everton’s paltry 15.
Dwight McNeil and Iliman Ndiaye are top scorers with three apiece, while strikers Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Beto and Armandro Broja have just three between them.
It’s not good enough and unless extra firepower is brought in this month then Everton really could leave the Premier League for the first time.
Evan Ferguson is staring Everton in the face
Thankfully, it does appear Everton have realised the dire straights they are in and a striker appears top of the agenda for January.
Nuamah may be a winger, but he had a decent scoring record himself for old club FC Nordsjaelland in Denmark and is capable of picking up assists, too.
That’s a start given the struggles of Jack Harrison and Jesper Lindstrom but it mustn’t stop there.
Everton are in a difficult position as why would a good striker with a reliable goal record want to move to a struggling side?
It means they will have to take a player down on their luck or a hidden gem while utilising the loan market and bargain bin.
Brighton’s Evan Ferguson fits the bill. The young Irishman looked to have the world at his feet when he burst onto the scene in 2022 but he has struggled for goals and minutes since.
He’s still only 20 so has plenty of time to realise his potential but a loan move is necessary to do so and Everton could provide him with all the game time he needs.
The striker wants to play regularly and he would fit David Moyes’ system perfectly, as he’s used to having a dominant figure who can hold up the ball like Michail Antonio up top.
Interestingly, he’s already been tipped to be one of the most prolific strikers in Europe, and the wise head of Moyes could get the best out of him.
Brighton also have their eye on Dominic Calvert-Lewin, so there’s the possibility to work something out.
Rangers’ Hamza Igamane, Igor Jesus of Flamengo and Tim Kleindienst from Borussia Monchengladbach have all been linked this month as well, while Moyes could always consider raiding former club West Ham for someone like Danny Ings.
The names might not be the most exciting but Everton need to do all they can to get at least one before the window closes.
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