Everton boss David Moyes on fitness issues, moving clear of the relegation battleand the challenge of Wolves ahead of their Premier League clash
Finch Farm, Liverpool, UK
Finch Farm, Liverpool, UK
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00:00Good morning, everyone. Welcome to our pre-match press conference to preview our game against Wolves.
00:05We'll start off with Alan from Sky.
00:07Morning, David. A bit of a break since your last game at Brentford and you managed to get the players out to a much warmer climate.
00:13How did that go? Did you see that as being very beneficial?
00:16Yes, I do. I think it went really well.
00:19We had a good few days away.
00:22I think over the course of the year, the players and the staff have had it pretty tough here.
00:27It's been tough how the season started and over recent seasons,
00:31but the players are playing really well, have played really well, got great results.
00:35So they deserved a little bit of time in the sunshine.
00:39Did it help any of those injured players? Were a number of them able to get out there?
00:43Yes, we took all the players.
00:46Good at Seamus Coleman, Brogia in the main,
00:50Chimiti, are all getting themselves closer to getting ready to play again.
00:55We saw Paterson and Chimiti on the bench, didn't we, at Brentford, so is Seamus nearer this weekend?
01:01Seamus is much nearer as well.
01:02Whether he's ready to be involved, I'm not quite sure yet, he's still training.
01:08We're obviously trying not to get him re-injured, so we're giving him every opportunity to make sure he's fine.
01:14Good. A seven-match unbeaten run in the league, which is the first time that's happened in over seven years.
01:19Do you feel that's quite an achievement, given that you've only just stepped into the role
01:23and the injuries that you've had as well to such important players?
01:27I think when I look back, I'll think it's a big achievement, but while you're in it,
01:30all you can really think about is the next game and making sure that you win it or you get something from the games.
01:35Every game at the moment for us, taking points is the most important thing,
01:39that we keep getting ourselves further and further away from the bottom three spots.
01:45But no, I think at the moment, if you'd said to me when I came in,
01:48we'd have a period where we'd go seven unbeaten,
01:51I think I'd shake your hands and say thanks very much.
01:54Many managers in recent years, numerous Everton managers, have strived to improve Everton's away form.
02:00You've not lost away since you have returned.
02:04What's the secret there?
02:06Maybe the secret is that I think we've had more home games than away games at the moment.
02:10That would probably be the first one, I would say, because I have to say the run of games in some ways,
02:16we had quite a few home games, which is always good.
02:19I think Gudesen at the moment is special and getting results here has probably even become harder now
02:26because we know that it's coming to an end.
02:30But I have to say, we've been away at Brighton, we've been away at Crystal Palace, we've been away at Brentford,
02:34and the players have done a really good job, so we have to try and keep it going.
02:38It's something which we have to build on, look to keep improving and making progress.
02:44I know with 11 games left to play now, the position that you're in, 15 points clear of bottom three,
02:49do you feel that it is just one or two victories will ensure that Premier League status?
02:54Well, it might be, but it might not be.
02:56So we have to always work on what could happen.
03:01But I think at the moment we're trying to see if we can get a little bit better in every game and play a bit better
03:06and try and do better things.
03:08At the moment, the players have done a remarkable job in the five or six weeks.
03:15But no, I'm certainly not thinking that we're safe at the moment, that's for sure.
03:19We have to keep getting more points.
03:21What's your assessment of Wolves, then, for tomorrow?
03:24They're 10 points behind you, they're minus possibly their most creative and important player in the table as well.
03:32Well, I think they've done a really good job at Wolves, and I think Wolves have got themselves back on track.
03:37I think they've played well in a few games.
03:39They had a really good win at Bournemouth, obviously the week before the Cup,
03:43they ran Bournemouth close in the Cup game as well.
03:47But obviously they lose a really important player for them.
03:52But we've lost really important players, look at Dominic been out of the team and LA been out of the team in recent weeks.
03:58So we've had that situation as well.
04:00So part of football nowadays is that you get injuries and you have to find a way of coping without them.
04:08It's not the sort of kick-off time we're all used to on a Saturday.
04:10What's your feelings about it?
04:12Might be a lot more of them in the future, I suppose.
04:15Normally, a bottle of red wine down by that time, eight o'clock on a Saturday night, maybe?
04:19Don't do that this weekend!
04:22No, it is, but I do think that we're all becoming a little bit more acclimatised to different kick-off times.
04:31I think if you're a traditionalist, then we probably don't see eight o'clock on a Saturday night as a good footballing time.
04:39But it's the way it's going and I think the football clubs are signing up to it now because of the money that's coming in through the broadcasters.
04:49So we have to go with it, but obviously it will ruin some people's Saturday night out.
04:54Still 90 minutes of football at the end of the day, isn't it?
04:56That's it.
04:57Good luck.
05:01David, what's your assessment of this group of players and how they've performed since you came in?
05:07As a manager, you get a job because a team isn't performing necessarily as well as they would like to be.
05:12Have they surprised you in what's been achieved over the last 16 weeks?
05:17Yes, I think they have.
05:18I think they've probably surprised all the people in this media room as well, how well they've done over recent weeks.
05:26And probably, if I'm being honest, they've probably surprised most of the Evertonians as well who've come to the game.
05:30I think now we're seeing players who are certainly stepping up to better levels.
05:38You might have questioned, you might win one game, but we've actually showed a little bit of consistency in the last five or six weeks as well with what we've done.
05:45I think the bit now is, can you go further?
05:47What are you going to do next?
05:48How can we keep it going?
05:50And I'm just really talking about little bits of progress every week at the moment because we're certainly not going to use it.
05:57It might not be the right thing.
05:58We're certainly not turning water into wine, that's for sure.
06:02But if we can keep moving slightly along the road and feeling that we're a bit better, I think that's the right way to go.
06:10And I think it's the right way for this club to go as well.
06:12And you talked about the benefit of getting some sun on the players' backs.
06:15It's the first period, though, you've had where you're not looking to a game in the next four or five days.
06:20So how beneficial is that to actually get them on the training ground and work on things you want?
06:24Well, I've just come out of another club where I was playing nearly every two days with Europa League,
06:30three years in a row with Europa League on a Thursday and a Sunday,
06:33trying to prepare your team to play.
06:36So at the moment, it's been fantastic here because it's in the main, we've had mainly full weeks to prepare for the games.
06:42It makes a huge difference not having as many games and getting your team ready.
06:49We've got more injuries than we'd like to.
06:51I could understand if we had loads and loads of games and you had these injuries.
06:54We've got too many injuries for so little games, if you want to put it that way.
06:59But it's certainly helped me because it's given me a little bit more time with the players.
07:05And the last few days as well just gave us a chance to train a bit easier in the sun,
07:10take a bit of time, sit about and talk about it, talk about how we're doing as well.
07:14So we've tried to do that.
07:16And looking ahead to Wolves, you've talked about the position you're in, the home form.
07:21How close you are essentially to achieving goal number one, which is securing Premier League football for next season.
07:26How do you approach this game tomorrow?
07:29Well, I think it's a hugely difficult game, but I do think that about any of the games in the Premier League.
07:34Went away to Brentford last week thinking, my goodness, Brentford for most of the season were nearly unbeatable at home.
07:41We went to Brighton and you're saying, to go and win at Brighton nowadays with what they've got.
07:46So we have to go and attempt to go into Wolves and put on as good a show as we can,
07:51play with the confidence we've been doing at the moment.
07:54But Wolves are in a situation as well, they need the points badly.
07:58So it's a game near the bottom of the league.
08:02I wish it wasn't, but that's what it is.
08:05Does that give you as manager confidence as well?
08:07You mentioned those trips away, the character, the steel perhaps that's been shown on those trips?
08:12Well, I think through the season, you're going to have to win a number of away games as well.
08:15In your calendar of games to make sure that you're either a Premier League team,
08:20or you're aiming to play in Europe or whatever you're aiming to do.
08:24Our record at the moment away from home has been very good.
08:27We want to keep it up.
08:29I don't know how many away games we've got now left.
08:32Five, six, five, six.
08:35So there's still a bit to go before we say.
08:38By the end of all those games, I might say it wasn't that good,
08:40but I have to say after three away from home, I'm relatively pleased.
08:45Thanks, Richard. We'll go to Shimun at the BBC.
08:48Hi there.
08:50Not jealous at all about a three-year trip?
08:54I thought you were going to say you'd noticed my tan!
09:02The importance of Idriss has been mentioned here.
09:06With Ramadan going on at the moment, possibly fasting as well,
09:10have you made any plans to manage his minutes in the next couple of games?
09:15Yes, it's an interesting subject,
09:19because all the managers are in this situation.
09:22We've all got boys who are doing Ramadan,
09:25and we all support it and back it.
09:28It started for us when we were in Abu Dhabi,
09:32and the players started their fasting.
09:36But I think a lot of the players have become good at knowing how to manage it,
09:40how to deal with it.
09:42We've got three or four players who are doing it at the moment,
09:46and hopefully they can do so.
09:48I also know that the authorities do a really good job
09:51in having water breaks at different times in the game for the players who need it.
09:57So, yes, a big supporter of the boys who do it,
10:01and trying to back them all the way to the end of Ramadan.
10:04Do you have to make any modifications in training?
10:08No, we don't.
10:10But again, I think the modern footballer has to be able to cope with it.
10:17It's one of those things that's part of life,
10:20and the Muslim boys who do the fasting,
10:25I think they've become much better.
10:27The players are becoming more understanding of how they can do it,
10:29how it works best for them.
10:31So, no, we're big supporters,
10:33and we understand exactly how difficult it can be as well.
10:37After the Villa loss that cut between themselves and the Wolves,
10:41which was just a point, it's now ten minutes being mentioned,
10:44does that just highlight how well the club has done with themselves
10:47in that short period of time?
10:50Well, I think in a couple of games recently we've been disappointed
10:53with only taking a point,
10:55and that probably tells me a little bit more.
10:57There's been games where we felt,
10:59even Brentford, we had big chances.
11:01The game was very even,
11:03but we had big chances, individual chances,
11:05to probably win the game.
11:07We felt for long periods against Manchester United
11:10we should have been in front and stayed in front.
11:13So there's been a lot of good things as well as the victories we've had.
11:17The couple of draws have been good, but maybe they could have been better.
11:20I think the players are doing a really good job,
11:23and I want them to stick at it.
11:25I want them to continue to show us all
11:28that they can keep this up.
11:29How far is Illyman?
11:31Illyman's probably one of the ones.
11:34The likes of Dwight, Illyman, Dom,
11:39who we'd come into were forward players
11:43who we're needing back, and we're creative players as well.
11:46I don't think any of those three at the moment are really close.
11:50But Illy's doing much better.
11:53He's not running yet or anything,
11:57but he's certainly improving from his injury.
12:04Some of the players recently have been saying
12:06that you've given them confidence when they're playing.
12:09The latest one is Alcaraz.
12:11I just wondered, how are you doing that as a manager?
12:13Is it an individual assessment on each player
12:16on how you bring out that confidence?
12:18I don't know.
12:20When you're a manager and a leader,
12:24you find ways of trying to get the best out of people.
12:27Everybody in any industry will be trying to do the same,
12:30people in leadership roles.
12:33So we have to coach them, we have to try and give them encouragement,
12:36back them.
12:38But now and again,
12:41sometimes a lot of the players will need a bit of tough love as well,
12:45so it won't all be one way.
12:47They need to keep performing to get that good encouragement as well.
12:50I have to say the players have responded brilliantly.
12:52They've made it easy for me in some ways,
12:55but we want them to continue getting better.
12:58With that confidence,
13:00the statistics on Jesper Lindstrom and Jack Harrison,
13:03no assists and no goals at the moment,
13:06how are you going about using them on the wing
13:08and then trying to get them into those numbers of assists and goals?
13:11Let's be fair, you won't have longevity
13:14if you're not going to get me assists and you're not going to get me goals.
13:17So you have to find ways of coming up with those numbers.
13:20It's just the world we're in.
13:22We can get all the statistics now and we can talk about it.
13:24Those two are both attacking players.
13:26I think they've both done well.
13:29But yes, I need goals from them.
13:31I need assists from them.
13:35So yes, they both need to improve greatly.
13:38They've both done a really good job in recent weeks,
13:40but they're parts of the games we want them to improve on.
13:43James Tarkovsky clocked up 103 consecutive Premier League appearances
13:47for the club, which is a club record.
13:49As a leader and a player,
13:51what have you found with him, working with him?
13:54Well, I think he's gone on to show that
13:57outwith maybe one or two centre-halves in the league,
13:59he's as good as anybody.
14:01Certainly, having people who are fit and available for every game,
14:04there's 103 games.
14:06That in itself, in football in terms, is an incredible record.
14:11Because you need players who are fit.
14:12You want your best players fit.
14:14It's part of football nowadays.
14:15We're seeing so many injured players,
14:17whether it's because of the amount of games they're playing,
14:19or if it's just the way football's going,
14:21the speed of the game.
14:22But I have to say, congratulate Tarky,
14:24because he's done a great job.
14:25And I have to say, he's proven behind the scenes
14:28to be a good leader as well.
14:29He's taken over from Seamus at the moment,
14:31while Seamus has been injured.
14:33But he's done a great job.
14:35And I know when you started, you brought Leighton into your set-up,
14:39and you were trying to get to know him in a different role
14:42than what you've been used to.
14:44What's your assessment now it's been a few weeks in,
14:46and what role does he play in your set-up?
14:48He's playing a huge role, and I've been really impressed by him.
14:52There's a lot of really good young coaches out there,
14:54I see in football, and I'd now put Leighton in that area as well.
14:58But he's got great insight,
15:00a little bit different to some of my staff,
15:02which helps greatly.
15:04And he's making his way.
15:07I think he's enjoying working at the top end as well.
15:11But he's helping us a lot,
15:13and we're talking a lot with a lot of players,
15:17and he's a boy who's got great experience,
15:19whether it be playing for this club or playing for England.
15:28Going back to the injuries, you mentioned Brogier.
15:31Do you know when he might be available again?
15:35He's training, he's joined in a little bit,
15:38he's not fully right yet.
15:43I would say that after the international break
15:46would probably be the right time.
15:48There's an outside chance that maybe he can be fit for next week,
15:51but at the moment I can only follow the medical team.
15:54If I was probably the guest,
15:56I'd probably say it looks more like after the international break.
15:59I mean, Dye, Neal, Calvert-Lew,
16:01when you open the right crock of them...
16:03Yeah, I don't see them quite on the horizon yet.
16:06The likes of Seamus and those boys are back in and around it a little bit,
16:10without being match fit,
16:12and without any minutes under their belt, any of them.
16:15They're getting back into training,
16:17but those other three we mentioned are still a wee bit away yet.
16:21Nathan Paterson was back on the bench at Brentford,
16:24he's a player who's been up and down since he arrived here.
16:27How do you think he can get the best out of him?
16:30Because there's really a lot of hype around him,
16:33when he comes from Brentford.
16:35I think he's been here a couple of years now, maybe more than that.
16:40I know he needs to step up,
16:42and I want him to step up with Scottish as well.
16:44We need all the players we can,
16:46so we need him to step up.
16:49I'm hoping that in the next month or two
16:51we get a chance to work a bit closer with him.
16:53He's had a few injuries,
16:55really the last four or six weeks or something.
16:59There are bits when you miss out,
17:01you miss out on the training, you miss out on the coaching,
17:04and the opportunities to be around the group,
17:07and get to know him a bit better.
17:09He's come on a couple of times,
17:11but I think he needs to be able to step up, he certainly does.
17:16Thanks, Will. Any further questions in the open section?
17:21No? OK, thanks.