A look back at the Moyes era at Everton

Manager David Moyes of Everton thanks the home fans after the Barclays Premier League match between Everton and West Ham United at Goodison Park on May 12, 2013 in Liverpool, England.

Mr. David Moyes has now moved on to what seem like greener pastures from the club that was everyone’s second favourite. Modern-day Everton was built around Moyes, and he was a cornerstone at the institution. He gave his blood and sweat to the club, and Everton responded in equal measure. His time with the Toffees is an incredible example of longevity without the expected return on investment.

He was always behind a barrage of clubs in the league, but Everton didn’t seem to ever give up. Goodison Park rallied behind their man in charge every time a display of raw emotion was unleashed, and the ideology the supporters thrive on is based on “Nil Satis Nisi Optimum”, meaning “Nothing but the best is good enough”. Moyes was nothing if not the best manager Everton could afford. He was closer to the cut-price talent that Wenger would finance. Let’s quickly take a look at what Moyes gave to Everton.

Consistency

Plain and simple, consistency is what Everton have revelled in till date, and should continue on that path unless they are hit by extreme contingencies. David Moyes took over at Everton in the 2002 after leaving Preston North End, a club he managed from 1998 to 2002.

Everton was never a team that was flamboyant or a certain bet. On the other hand, they were and are an extremely tight-knit squad. Their closeness may not filter down to their personal lives; but on the pitch, they are one team clearly proving how the sum of individuals is greater than eleven individual stars. Let’s quickly take a look at how Everton fared under David Moyes from 2002 till 2013.

Season	Position
2001-2002	15
2002-2003	7
2003-2004	17
2004-2005	4
2005-2006	11
2006-2007	6
2007-2008	5
2008-2009	5
2009-2010	8
2010-2011	7
2011-2012	7
2012-2013	6

David Moyes took over in March 2002, so he couldn’t realistically right any wrong that season. Everton spring-boarded to 7^th position in the following season before plunging to finish 17^th, just outside the relegation zone, with 39 points the season after that.

Leicester City, with 33 points, was in 18^th position that year, trailing Everton by 6 points, who were clear of danger a couple of games before the end. Since that relative nadir, Everton have managed to stay in the top quarter of the table three times, qualifying for the Champions League play-off spot once.

The Foundation

Moyes has been instrumental in building Everton right from the ground up. Sensational talents like Wayne Rooney owe him a leg and an arm for being able to make their way to clubs like Manchester United. In 2012, he became only the fourth manager to record 150 wins in the Premier League after Sir Alex Ferguson, Arsene Wenger and Harry Redknapp.

But Moyes never won anything with Everton, although he finished a close second in the 2009 FA Cup. Moyes was also never stingy, even though he might look like a spendthrift. He broke the club transfer record on four different occasions, bringing in James Beattie for £6 million in January 2005, Andy Johnson for £8.6 million in summer of 2006, Yakubu for £11.25 million in summer of 2007, and Marouane Fellaini for £15 million in September 2008. But he also proved to be a true businessman, getting United to shell out a club record fee of £27 million for Wayne Rooney.

He also sold Joleon Lescott to Manchester City for £22m, which was a very well thought out and steady deal. City desperately wanted Lescott, but Everton wouldn’t budge from their asking price before eventually wrapping up the deal just before end of the transfer window.

Setting an Example

Moyes was nothing short of an idol for Evertonians, and others too. The man was a planner, making decisions that worked in his benefit over time, ensuring that the team didn’t suffer in the following season because of a rash buy or an eager sale. He accumulated a lot of individual accolades during his time at Everton, winning the Premier League Manager of the Month ten times, three of them in same year. Moyes was also LMA Manager of the Year for three years (2002–03, 2004–05, and 2008–09).

He also won the Football League Second Division with Preston North End, but that doesn’t say much at the level he finds himself now. His win percentage at Everton is a commendable 42.08%. Once you realize that Everton’s club transfer record in 2005 was a measly £6 million, you begin to appreciate his worth. His work rate was incredible and so were his ethics.

Moyes: The best man for the United job?

Andy Burnham, Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, once said, “Mr. David Moyes is probably a fine example to everybody in government of stability and making the right decisions for the long term.” How quickly he adapts to a club like United is still to be seen, but there is no better replacement in the league for Sir Alex Ferguson at the moment.