- Everton missed out on a golden chance to qualify for Europe.
- The Toffees lost their final home game of the season against Sunderland.
- Individual mistakes have severely hindered them in the run-in.
Everton ended their debut season at Hill Dickinson Stadium in the worst way possible.
On a day that should have brought the Blues a step closer to Europe, and to celebrate one of their finest defenders, Seamus Coleman, Evertonians were sent home gutted.
After going in at the halfway point, a goal to the good, a Jake O’Brien mistake handed the Mackems an equaliser, and they found their stride after that.
David Moyes was left furious after the loss, as poor individual performances have spoiled a golden opportunity to secure European football.
Moyes cannot control the mistakes from his players
Moyes has faced criticism in recent weeks due to his side not winning a match since March.
Such a reaction is understandable, and the frustrations of Evertonians have been clear. But the Scotsman has been let down by his players, with several mistakes being the root of Everton’s poor run of form.
The Toffees’ final three home matches against Liverpool, Manchester City, and Sunderland all saw mistakes from the men in royal blue, which led to their opponents scoring.
So while Moyes will face criticism for his tactics and substitutions, it would be harsh to solely blame the Scotsman for the Blues’ poor form when it ultimately boils down to his players not showing up when it mattered most.
The future under Moyes
Moyes returned to a wounded Everton side that had been underinvested.
Yet after one summer transfer window, he has them back on track, but the job is nowhere near completion.
The Toffees are in need of many more players in an array of positions, which goes to show that the project at Hill Dickinson Stadium is not a quick fix.
This does not suggest that Moyes should be free from criticism, yet it is only fair that he is given sufficient backing and time to implement his vision.
Everton are exactly where they should be; anything higher than their current position would be an overachievement.
It is not the most ambitious take on the club, but any suggestion that the Toffees should be qualifying for Europe is bizarre.
For a club that has battled at the foot of the Premier League in the past four seasons, there is no reason that the Blues should be competing on the continental stage.
More patience is required at Hill Dickinson Stadium, and Evertonians should be careful with what they wish for concerning Moyes’ managerial position.
