Everton news: Five key takeaways from David Moyes’ first two matches in charge

Everton grabbed a 3-2 win over Tottenham at Goodison Park on Sunday to hand David Moyes his first points since returning as Everton manager.

In the Scot’s opening game back on Merseyside after replacing the sacked Sean Dyche, the Toffees had narrowly lost out to Aston Villa in an otherwise impressive showing.

With there now a sliver of daylight between Everton and the relegation zone, the club will look to build some momentum in order to finish the season strong.

Sports News Blitz writer Jon Shea looks at five key takeaways from Moyes’ two matches in charge.

Iliman Ndiaye is a star

As if Everton fans needed a reminder of his capabilities, Ndiaye’s goal against Tottenham really showed what the Senegalese international is all about.

Whether it is driving at defences with speed and trickery or producing an emphatic finish to cap it all off, Ndiaye offers a dynamic and unconventional attacking threat.

His versatility, in particular, is something Everton is in short supply of.

And now, after a great first half of the season, Ndiaye has firmly entrenched himself as a fan favourite.

Moyes has a bit of a knack for nurturing great wingers, and many Evertonians will be hoping that he can do with Ndiaye what he did with former Player of the Season Steven Pienaar.

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Moyes understands Everton

Moyes’ previous stint as Everton boss was arguably the last time that the club was in any way stable.

Now, with the Toffees having drastically lost their way in recent times, it falls once again to the Scot to bring balance to the blue half of Merseyside.

He has, by all accounts, impressed in every interview since his return to the Goodison dugout and certainly seems to still understand Everton inside and out.

And whereas Sean Dyche became quite inscrutable towards the end of his reign, Moyes has come in with a no-nonsense attitude and proven to be straight to the point.

Most importantly, Moyes has publicly called on the players to perform better and take more pride in playing for a club of Everton’s stature.

The Scotsman also knows what fans want and that is to compete in the top half of the Premier League table rather than fight a relegation battle every year.

So, while Everton may not be the same club that Moyes left in 2013, you can tell that he is still passionate about the badge, and Evertonians do love a manager who cares.

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Improved attacking play

The main criticism aimed at Dyche – and the one that ultimately cost him his job – regarded Everton’s distinct lack of attacking threat under his tutelage.

Indeed, the Toffees had only managed a league-worst 15 goals when the Englishman was finally shown the door.

His last game in charge, away at Bournemouth, saw zero shots on target and no real idea of how to take the game on.

In contrast, Moyes’ more aggressive style was immediately visible in his first game back in charge, against Aston Villa at Goodison, with the full-backs joining in the attack right from the off.

Everton created more than enough big opportunities to get a draw that day but were ultimately undone by Unai Emery’s well-oiled machine.

Despite the loss, Moyes made a point of defending the players and said that there were numerous positives to take into the Tottenham game.

That proved prophetic as Everton produced their best football of the campaign against Spurs, managing more shots on target in the first half alone than they had in any game all season.

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January signings needed

Everton are reportedly looking to bring in a few players during the January transfer window, and it is imperative that they get some of those deals over the line.

Considering the ongoing struggles of both Jack Harrison and Jesper Lindstrom, a winger is likely the top priority, with Lyon’s Ernest Nuamah rumoured to be of interest.

This season has also made it abundantly clear that certain players in the Everton squad cannot be relied on anymore, and Moyes will have realised that by now.

As a result, if the club are to avoid the drop, they need fresh faces.

On a positive note, it was announced this week that Everton are no longer under investigation for breaching Premier League profit and sustainability rules, meaning that there might be some wriggle room when it comes to spending a bit of cash.

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Tottenham win could be a game changer

Although Everton had to sweat in the second half of Sunday’s match against Tottenham, the end result would have given the players a much-needed boost.

Quite frankly, it was about time that Everton were on the right side of a 3-2 victory this season.

And to see Goodison bouncing again was worthy of celebration.

Admittedly, it is only the fourth league win of the season for Everton, but at least they now have some breathing room between themselves and the bottom three.

Looking ahead to the run-in, Moyes will be keen to make the Old Lady a fortress again as it heads into its last few months of play before the Toffees move to the banks of the Mersey.

When all is said and done, the win over Spurs may just end up being the spark that propels Everton up the table.

Only time will tell.

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