RELEGATION NO MORE: WHY MOYES SAYS EVERTON IS TOO BIG FOR BOTTOM BATTLES
Everton’s home form is in crisis! Read about David Moyes’ tactical dilemma, the Jake O'Brien red card, and the youth push today.
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So, what's the plan for David Moyes and Everton?
Do they play it safe, park the bus, and look for counter-attacks, both home and away? Or do they start building for what's next? That could mean giving Tyler Dibling a shot and trying out Jarrad Branthwaite and Jake O’Brien as the centre-back pairing.
Could Harrison Armstrong find a place in the middle? Should they focus on letting these guys play together and forget about this season?
Right now, their home games aren't paying off. David Moyes wants the best possible finish, but some tough home games are coming up against the big teams.
It kicks off next Monday against a Manchester United team that's turned things around. It's easy to get motivated for these games, but can they do it every week?
It's frustrating because after the Bournemouth game, it was another what-if moment at home. Sure, they had chances to seal the deal, but why does this keep happening?
It's just another chance gone. You see it in both the League Cup and the FA Cup.
From my experience as a player, it feels like it comes down to the players' mentality. When they went down to 10 men, they showed they have the fight, the intensity, and the will to do it.
You see glimpses of it at Goodison Park, but maybe only four or five times a season when it really counts. They can flip the switch when the pressure is on.
Again, the problem is keeping that level up. Why can't they do that all the time?
Their away form has been great since David Moyes came back. They didn't play great against Fulham, but they got the win, and that's the main thing.
If 50,000 Everton fans had seen 11 home wins, things would probably feel better than they do now, with just the 3,000 or so who travel the country seeing all those good results. Everyone hoped for the top 10, but nobody expected it.
They can step up against better teams or when it matters, but it's always one step forward, two steps back. If you want to achieve anything in your career, you have to be steady.
The best teams can have bad games, but they still find ways to win because they know how to grind out results. I've seen it at Rangers and PSV – winning is everything, and while winning well is nice, getting those three points or getting through to the next round is what really matters.
Getting ready for the Old Firm game was easy, and getting ready for Ajax with PSV was easy, but could you do the job against the other teams?
David Moyes, the owners, and the club need to figure out how to become more clinical. This team has to get back to that winning mindset.
Even though I'm happy with where they are, I keep thinking, 'What if?' I don't care if Newcastle or Tottenham are struggling; I'm thinking about Everton, and this is a chance they didn't see coming, so they need to take it.
Fans are leaving Goodison Park disappointed, wondering why they can't get that performance together. You could tell David Moyes was really down after the Bournemouth game; it was probably the most frustrated I've seen him since he came back. He seemed really annoyed in his press conference.
He's got to take responsibility because he's the manager, and he's getting paid to sort this out. They're really struggling against teams that make a lot of subs and have full-backs that push forward.
The full-back situation is holding them back. Jake O'Brien has been great, but his sending off reminded me of when Jarrad Branthwaite first came in and got caught out against Brentford. It was waiting to happen because it's not Jake's natural position, and he got exposed.
But they also made things worse, and the game slipped away in nine crazy minutes. Bournemouth didn't want to be there on a cold Tuesday night and were wasting time from the start. They would have been happy with a draw, but Everton let them back in.
They got punished for playing it safe instead of pushing for a second goal. What if they'd actually gone with two strikers instead of bringing on Michael Keane and sticking him up front with a minute left?
Everton can't give up fighting for fair treatment from referees.
I think David Moyes has stopped trying to pressure referees, but you can't give up.
I was watching Manchester City against Fulham, and even though the ref didn't see Kenny Tete pull Antoine Semenyo's hair, VAR did. They checked it, but didn't do anything.
That's the opposite of what PGMOL chief Howard Webb said on Sky Sports. He said Michael Keane's sending off was the right call, and it would be the same next week.
But that's not what happened, and it confuses Everton fans. I've heard that Webb has been visiting clubs, including Everton, telling them about how many decisions they're getting right.
But it's not 100%. If you have VAR, it should be 100% right because you can watch incidents back from all angles.
Everyone knows referees and their assistants can make mistakes, but the people at Stockley Park shouldn't. They have everything they need to get every decision right.
The people on VAR duty are basically re-refereeing games when they shouldn't be, and they're not consistent, whether it's the hair-pull or other incidents. In that same City v Fulham game, Phil Foden made a bad challenge and got away with it, but Everton players like Phil Jagielka and Allan have been sent off for challenges that weren't nearly as bad and got suspensions.
Then, this weekend, the FA Cup games didn't have VAR, and a lot of the refs couldn't make the right calls. I think the standard of refereeing in this country is really bad, and they're not helping themselves.
People like Webb and other former referees go on TV and try to defend their colleagues by coming up with new ways to explain things, but it annoys me and other fans.
They talk about Everton firsts, but unlike a lot of Goodison Park's proud records, these haven't been good. Forget Keane and the hair-pull; back in 2017, Oumar Niasse was the first player to get a retrospective ban for supposedly trying to trick a ref, but I can't remember too many more like that.
LIVERPOOL TARGET EMILIANO MARTINEZ AS JUVENTUS CLOSE IN ON LEGEND ALISSON BECKER
Discover why FSG are targeting Emi Martinez to replace Alisson, as Villa face pressure to sell their highest-earning players.
There’s growing talk about Liverpool potentially moving for Aston Villa’s Emiliano Martinez as they weigh up options if Alisson Becker leaves for Juventus this summer, according to TEAMtalk.
Alisson has been a rock for Liverpool since they paid a hefty fee to sign him from Roma in 2018. Over eight seasons, he’s helped secure six major trophies, including two Premier League titles and the Champions League, earning a reputation as one of the club’s best-ever goalkeepers.
But with his contract expiring in just over a year, it seems likely he might leave for a new challenge abroad. Sources suggest Juventus are confident about signing him this summer and has also been targeting other Premier League players.
This potential departure has pushed Liverpool’s owners, FSG, to explore the goalkeeper market carefully and consider strong replacements for such a key position.
Sources confirm that Martinez is once again drawing significant transfer interest ahead of the window. Aston Villa, meanwhile, are under pressure to balance their books and have Martinez, one of their highest earners with a contract until 2029, firmly on their minds.
Villa has begun looking into possible replacements too, making enquiries about several goalkeepers, including Manchester City’s James Trafford.
Martinez’s situation is catching attention across Europe, and Liverpool is among the clubs aware he could be available.
Within Liverpool’s recruitment team, Martinez is highly regarded and seen as a serious candidate should Alisson depart. Juventus has offered Alisson an attractive long-term contract, something Liverpool could match, but apparently are hesitant to do so at this point.
Discussions between Alisson and Juventus have reportedly progressed well, with the player keen to test himself in Serie A. This uncertainty has made Liverpool carefully consider their next steps in goal.
While youngster Giorgi Mamardashvili is promising, there’s still some doubt about whether he’s ready to immediately take on the number one role at a club chasing top honours every season.
That has led Liverpool to broaden its search and look at more experienced options. Martinez stands out for his leadership, mentality, and top-level experience, qualities Liverpool values highly, given his recent performances for both Villa and Argentina.
His reputation as a commanding figure and elite shot-stopper also makes him attractive to those handling Liverpool’s recruitment.
Aston Villa aren’t pushing Martinez out aggressively, but they acknowledge a significant offer could force serious talks this summer. With financial realities to face, tough decisions might be on the horizon for the Midlands club.
Liverpool’s manager, Arne Slot, has hinted at a possible “changing of the guard” regarding Alisson this summer, noting that all transfers are carefully considered with the club’s best interests in mind.
He mentioned experience is a factor in keeping players like Alisson, but ultimately it will be the club’s decision, especially with just one year left on the current deal.
While StadiumNest sources say the Juventus move is gaining serious momentum, some journalists believe selling Alisson could turn out to be a major mistake for Liverpool.
At the same time, there’s a growing unease within Liverpool about whether letting Caoimhin Kelleher go last summer was a misstep, which now adds to their uncertainty over goalkeeping options going forward.
ALAN SHEARER SLAMS VAR INCONSISTENCY AFTER ARSENAL SCRAPE PAST WEST HAM IN LONDON
Discover why Alan Shearer and Gary Lineker are questioning VAR consistency following Callum Wilson’s disallowed goal in London.
Alan Shearer didn’t hold back after Arsenal’s tense 1-0 win over West Ham, blasting what he sees as the Premier League’s inconsistent officiating.
West Ham, desperate for points at the bottom of the table, thought they’d snatched a late equaliser when Callum Wilson scored in stoppage time. But VAR caught a foul; Pablo was judged to have collided with Arsenal’s keeper David Raya, and the goal got chalked off. The review dragged on, too, with VAR official Darren England studying the replays for more than four minutes before telling referee Chris Kavanagh to check the monitor himself.
Shearer, chatting with Gary Lineker and Micah Richards on The Rest is Football podcast, admitted the officials probably got it right in the end. Still, he said, VAR hasn’t fixed the bigger problem: referees can’t seem to make consistent calls.
“Some people think that’s a foul; some don’t,” Shearer said. “But where’s the consistency? Every week we’re seeing almost identical incidents.”
He pointed to another recent VAR call last week at Everton; Bernardo Silva drew a holding foul, but Merlin Rohl barely got a second look from the officials. “Where was VAR then?” Shearer asked.
The frustration goes beyond just the players and coaches. “Fans will show you screenshots of similar moments, and sometimes it’s a foul; sometimes it’s nothing. That’s why people are upset.”
West Ham walk away empty-handed, missing out on what could’ve been a crucial point in their relegation battle. Arsenal, meanwhile, hang on at the top, still five clear of Manchester City.
Gary Lineker added his two cents: “Probably a foul, but this isn’t how it’s supposed to work. If I were a West Ham or Man City fan, I’d be angry too. There were all kinds of grappling at that corner, Arsenal players grabbing West Ham attackers everywhere. Sure, keepers get special protection, and maybe it was a foul. But what about everything else going on in the box?”
Wayne Rooney, though, gave the officials some rare credit on his own show. “Clear foul in my book. You can see the arm hit Raya’s face, and he can’t reach the ball. VAR actually did its job in a big moment.”
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