When you ask Everton supporters what they think of David Moyes, there is a split of opinions.
Some feel it’s time for Moyes to depart after a really dismal end to the season, whilst others think that’s ludicrous and he’s the man to return the club to Europe.
Ultimately, it seems The Friedkin Group are somewhere in the middle, as they’ve kept him on for another season but haven’t renewed his contract – which expires next summer.
Moyes outers… is there anything he can do to change your mind? 🤔
What can’t be debated is how much Moyes has improved the culture around Everton’s Finch Farm training ground.
And that’s evident in a video the club have just posted.
David Moyes has transformed the culture at Everton
Towards the end of Dyche’s tenure at Everton, the mood wasn’t great among the dressing room, and many of the players were really questioning his approach to certain things.
When Moyes came in, he made it his mission to improve the culture as he recognised it needed somewhat of a reset.
The Scotsman made a great impression early on, as he had conversations with all corners of Finch Farm, including the security team and groundskeepers.
The work he’s put into raising standards and creating a positive atmosphere has clearly had a huge impact.
In the video below, which shows players returning for pre-season, it’s so evident how much the group enjoy being back at the training ground, and it indicates how much trust they have in the project under Moyes.
You can even see Moyes laughing and joking with Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall in the corridors, demonstrating how personable he is with the players.
His former players always speak so highly about his man-management skills, and Tim Howard was especially complimentary speaking back in 2024.
Howard actually labelled Moyes the best manager he’s ever worked with, which is high praise considering he played under Sir Alex Ferguson at Manchester United.
“David Moyes is the greatest manager I ever played for. I stand before you today to tell you that if he asked me to run through the gates of Hell seven days a week, I’d smash them every single day because that’s how great it was.
“He instilled in me leadership, accountability, responsibility, taught me to be mature… I grew up into the person that I always hoped I’d be playing for David Moyes.”
So with all that said, regardless of where you stand on Moyes, there’s no doubt he’s improved the foundations of the club, and hopefully he can guide the team to a top seven or eight finish this season.
Hayden Hackney joining from Middlesbrough is certainly a positive first signing in the transfer market.
Another four or five quality additions, including a right-back and a centre-forward, will certainly have fans believing again.
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