David Moyes admits he has rejoined a “different” Everton to the one he left 12 years ago but believes new owners The Friedkin Group have already put the club on the path towards a brighter future.
The 61-year-old Scot returned last week following Sean Dyche’s sacking after one win in 11 Premier League matches left the Toffees in relegation trouble.
But after leaving behind what he felt was a “brilliant” team in 2013 when he went to Manchester United, Moyes has inherited an altogether different situation.
2002 ⏩ 2025 pic.twitter.com/a74o9M8Ldz
— Everton (@Everton) January 13, 2025
Having regularly guided the club to top-seven finishes, Moyes admits they had reached a “glass ceiling” by the time of his departure as Everton could not compete with the money being spent by the top clubs.
In the intervening period – which had eight permanent managers – millions was squandered to leave the club in a perilous position, but after TFG’s takeover last month they are now on a more stable financial footing with the prospect of a new stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock to look forward to next season.
“The problems the club have had, we feel they are not completely over but are very close to getting them over and that is the bit that excites me most,” he said ahead of the visit of Aston Villa.
“We can then go back to trying to grow the team. For many years it has been stifled because of the financial situation, the new owners are clearing as much of that up and there is still a bit to be done but the new owners have an ambition to try to get Everton back nearer the top.
“I think I left a brilliant team with great characters. I’ve walked back into a different thing.
“It took me a bit of time to build that but most years here we made a bit of progress. We didn’t have huge money and have not got huge money now.
“I don’t know if we had hit a glass ceiling but we started to feel we couldn’t get much further because we were finishing sixth, seventh a lot of the time.
“The new ownership put in money to try to build Everton. Money in football is always a thing we talk about but is not always the thing.
“Sometimes it is having good characters, working hard. Sadly it is starting to look like money is the thing to get you success.
“Let’s hope we can get in that situation. We are trying to build the club up again and back to where it should be.
“I think this period is not going to be easy either but the new ownership have big ideas and big hopes they can make a big difference to the football club.”
Moyes hopes to have striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin available to face Villa after he missed Thursday’s FA Cup win over Peterborough with an ankle problem, with captain Seamus Coleman back having been caretaker manager alongside Under-18s boss Leighton Baines for that game.
Forward Armando Broja is awaiting the results of a second scan after being carried off on a stretcher against Posh.
