Everton need “a lot more quality” – and Calvert-Lewin “can work harder”
New Everton coach David Moyes regretted his players’ performance in possession against Aston Villa – and reiterated his desire to help out-of-form striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin score again.
Twelve years after leaving the club following his 11-year first spell at Goodison Park, Moyes took charge of his first game, less than a week after his predecessor Sean Dyche was sacked as a guest of the Villans won a hard-fought game 1-0.
“I have no illusions about the job I have to do,” Moyes told TNT Sports after a result that kept the Toffees one point above the relegation zone on a run of one goal in six league games.
“I hate to say it, I don’t think we were at our best this season” 😤
Morgan Rogers says Villa are back to top form after their first away win in five games 🙌
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– Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) January 15, 2025
“We couldn’t score again tonight. We have to show a lot more quality on the ball and play better with the ball.
“I was disappointed with that part tonight; I told the players that. We just didn’t play well enough and didn’t keep the ball as well as we should have.”
Moyes on Calvert-Lewin
Moyes had challenged Calvert-Lewin to score straight away on his first day at Everton’s Finch Farm training complex and the former England international had a presentable chance in the first half before firing in a shot from close range in second-half stoppage time shot over the bar.
The 27-year-old’s contract ends at the end of the season and has made 16 appearances since his last goal, the one at Aston Villa on September 14.
“It doesn’t really have much to do with David Moyes tonight, it has a lot to do with the players.”
An honest assessment from David Moyes of today’s defeat and what lies ahead for Everton 💬
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– Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) January 15, 2025
“I asked Dom to see if he could get himself into scoring position,” Moyes said. “He can show everyone that he is a really hard-working centre-forward and can work even harder.
“He had a few chances tonight – in the first half he got one on the run and was a bit unlucky, it was a really good performance. “He had a pretty big mistake at the end, which was probably his big chance for him .”
Everton vs Tottenham
Moyes attributed Ollie Watkins’ 51st-minute winner to “a small mistake and lack of position” and praised Dyche.
Just the absolute worst Southampton have won fewer games and scored fewer goals in the Premier League this season than Everton, who host struggling Tottenham on Sunday (2pm GMT).
“Sean got some great results at the start of the season – good draws when we were difficult to play against,” Moyes said.
“The character (of the players) always came through when Sean was here. They tried (tonight) but just couldn’t get a result.”
