Remember When?

[The Dude]

I never doubted Moyes either.

I did, however, think most of the blame lay with Kenwright when things weren't going well that season, so I was wrong in a different way! I kind of thought the Rooney money would pay off debt and not much of it would come back to the team.

So my apologies go to Bill! My reasons for never doubting Moyes are:

1 - Fergie wanted him as a number two, he turned the position down for us. Can't think of much higher praise than Fergie wanting him.

2 - Who else was there, at the time, who was any better? I can't remember any of the names bandied about, but none of them ever made me think it was any improvement.

 

[evertonianstu]

I can honestly say, hand on heart that i've never doubted DM for a second.The dead wood he had to ship out was incredible,Ginola, Gazza etc.Our youth policy was a [Poor language removed] joke, there was no future and we were treading water.But now, even though he's prone to the odd tactical error or misplaced substitutions,he now learns from his errors.

We have a manager who is taking the whole structure of the club forward. Were we once were weak and fragile, we are now strengthening and brimming with hope and expectation. Football fans of a certain age group are fickle,and understandibly so, they want success and they want it now, but those of us who have witnessed the glory days can see real evidence of those days returning, maybe not in respects of trophies but a club more than capable of competing.And if the younger fans get to witness something similar to what we did in the 80's then i'd be more than happy for them.

Because of David Moyes and his staff we are now a stable club, maybe not as financially stable and pro active as we'd wish just yet, but the signs are very promising. I personally want to thank DM for saving us from oblivion and restoring my pride in Everton F.C, let the good times roll !

Me either. I usually get most things wrong but i never doubted Moyes are called for his head. b)

 

[DENNIS STEVENS]

i have to admit i'd not heard of him before he was appointed, but he impressed me from the start. he's certainly made mistakes along the way, but he doesn't seem to repeat them much. i've never seen the point in calling for him to be sacked as, firstly, he hasn't been so bad as to merit such drastic action, secondly, we aren't likely to recruit better & any replacement would have to start all over again & thirdly, as we saw with smith, kenwright can never accused of not being loyal to his managers. the pleasing thing is that moyes seems to have developed so much as a manager in these last few years, he has the potential to be one of the great mangers of the game, let's hope we can match his ambition & keep him at everton.

 

[ToffeeDan]

Never doubted him for one minute. The media made a lot of the 2004 campaign - which, although it ended with us in 17th place was never in any shape a relegation fight - we were midtable for just about the whole season and then fell apart (perhaps he did lose the dressing room at the end of that season but it was soon regained after the pre-season trip to the States).

It was clear by the ease with which we avoided relegation in 2002, the marked improvement in 02-03 (coupled with the sensible handling of Rooney) that we had brought in a top man. These alone bought him time when 03-04 ended so flatly. I believe that the faith shown in David Moyes after 03-04, repaid in 04-05 in spades, bought him the time in 05-06 when things weren't going well.

There have been some pivotal moments in his 6 years as our manager. Some great moments (Derby wins, Man U 1-0 in 2005, finishing 4th, reaching the Carling Cup semis and the current run in the league and UEFA Cup to name but a few) - but some of the less obvious moments are worth remembering, such as:

1. The superb effort of the ten players to outplay Blackburn (2006) for 80 minutes and win 1-0

2. The tactical lesson that Moyesie learnt from the last minute loss v Spurs (2007) - although I had a great deal of sympathy for him given the lack of options open to him for that game (ditto Bucharest away btw) and the fact that Spurs were winning the midfield battle at the time. this was brought home only last Sunday when he showed the guts to pull off Tone for AJ and go on and win a game that we were struggling to stay in!!

3. I am sure that this change of tactics is reflected in the buys/loans we have seen in the past 12 months and the positive way in which we play (particularly on our travels - just look at our record home AND away against the "rest of the PL")

4. The quiet way in which we do our business - we don't wash our dirty linen in public (Yak's disappearance for example), you don't hear Moyesie giving it large to other clubs/players/refs - excepting when he needs to.

Onwards and upwards

TD

 

[SuitsBlue]

i was there for #1.

the turner red was thin.

the bellamy pongole off side being more blatant.

looking back, with the decisions of the modern day, it could have been worse.

that game was decided by a quick arteta free kick from the right side onto beatts head into the parkend goal.

a couple of people threw half pies at the lay-about, inept, stupid, myopic, inbred, typical-kopite linesman that made the decision that cost us.

a 1-0 win, and a kick in the balls to the decision/result deciders that tried to hurt us.

 

[DENNIS STEVENS]

i was there for #1.

the turner red was thin.

the bellamy pongole off side being more blatant.

looking back, with the decisions of the modern day, it could have been worse.

that game was decided by a quick arteta free kick from the right side onto beatts head into the parkend goal.

a couple of people threw half pies at the lay-about, inept, stupid, myopic, inbred, typical-kopite linesman that made the decision that cost us.

a 1-0 win, and a kick in the balls to the decision/result deciders that tried to hurt us.

i remember feeling that the moment the red card came out there would only be one result, the palpable sense of injustice amongst the supporters & the players meant rovers didn't have a hope. at least that's how i felt at the time.

 

[Neiler]

I never liked him even before he signed for Real Madrid!

Sarcasam off*