David Moyes Navigates Early Season Optimism and Frustration
David Moyes has spent the opening weeks of the season juggling optimism with frustration. On one hand, his Everton side are unbeaten. On the other, a thin squad, a key signing stuck in the treatment room and a demanding schedule are already testing the limits of his patience.
Injury frustration and a missing leader
The biggest irritation is the player Everton still haven’t really seen.
Moyes admitted the club underestimated how long their injured recruit would be out when they brought him in. "I don't think we expected his recovery to take this long when we signed him," he said, outlining a situation that has dragged on far longer than anyone at Finch Farm anticipated.
"We are looking forward to gaining his experience, but we haven't even had him on the grass yet. It is disappointing – for us and for him – but hopefully it won't be too long."
That word – experience – is doing a lot of heavy lifting. Moyes clearly sees this as a player meant to steady and guide a relatively small group. Instead, he’s been reduced to a name on the medical bulletin, a resource Everton can’t yet tap into.
Grealish on the brink
There is, however, a different kind of anticipation around Jack Grealish.
Described by Moyes as "a boy who needs football matches more than he needs training", Grealish is pushing for his first start since January this weekend. For a coach who values rhythm and sharpness built in real games, it is a tantalising prospect.
"It will be incredibly exciting to have him in our starting line-up," Moyes said. "If he gives us what he gave us at the start of last season, we will be thrilled."
That early-season version of Grealish – direct, inventive, constantly demanding the ball – would give Everton an extra gear in the final third. With a small squad, one player hitting form can change the entire feel of a campaign.
Unbeaten, but not entirely satisfied
Everton’s start has been solid rather than spectacular. They have yet to taste defeat, but Moyes is not dressing it up as anything more than that.
The run is "pleasing in some aspects", he admitted, before quickly adding he "would have liked to get another win rather than a draw somewhere along the way".
He did, though, make a point of crediting the group for their application, praising his players for doing "a really good job". The message is clear: standards are high, and while the platform is decent, it is not yet where he wants it.
A small squad, a tight bond
Moyes has long believed that a lean squad can foster a stronger spirit. He reached for a powerful example to make his case.
"You only have to look at Leicester City's title-winning squad to see how their small group of players thrived," he said. A tight core, clear roles, a dressing room that polices itself – managers love that dynamic.
But the calendar has changed. The number of matches at the top level has exploded.
"It's the amount of games which means you need the extra players," Moyes admitted, before pointing out the one advantage Everton do have this year: no European football. With fewer midweek commitments, he hopes his group can absorb the load.
Even so, he is not pretending this is ideal. Given the choice, he would have gone bigger.
His preferred number? "21 outfield players." Right now, he has 18. Three short, in a league where one injury crisis can derail months of work.
Scouring the market
That shortage has pushed Everton into a very specific corner of the transfer market.
Moyes confirmed the club are exploring free agents as a way to pad out the squad, a notoriously tricky route for a Premier League side with clear standards.
"It isn't easy to find a player who could make a difference," he admitted. Free agents who can genuinely lift a side at this level are rare, and almost always in demand. Everton are looking, but they will not sign bodies for the sake of it.
Tottenham test and a familiar struggle
Next up are Tottenham, still hunting their first league goal and win. On paper, it looks like an opportunity. Moyes, though, recognises the danger of reading too much into early-season tables.
"It wasn't too long ago that we were in those situations as a club," he said. He knows how quickly one result can flip a narrative, and how desperate a team without a win can become.
"We know we can only look after ourselves. We didn't quite make it over the line there a couple of months ago, so hopefully we do it this time."
That memory of letting points slip still lingers. Everton travel knowing they have a chance to underline their unbeaten start with a statement victory – but also aware that a wounded opponent can be the most awkward kind.
Break looming, risks rising
Just beyond Tottenham lies the international break, a two-week interruption Moyes is already wary of.
He called it "difficult for everybody to manage", and with good reason. Squads like his feel the strain more than most.
"There will be a lot of players who will end up playing a lot more minutes than others and injuries could be a problem as well," he said. For a manager already operating three outfield players short of his ideal number, that is a genuine concern.
"We've got to hope that our boys do play a bit, but maybe not all of the games."
That is the tightrope. He wants his players sharp, trusted by their national coaches, but not run into the ground.
Everton stand at an early-season crossroads: unbeaten, ambitious, undermanned. If Grealish ignites, the injured leader returns and the free-agent search yields one more difference-maker, this small squad might just punch above its weight. If the minutes pile up and the knocks mount, the margins Moyes is living on could start to bite.
