David Moyes said the decision over Nottingham Forest's bid for Harrison Armstrong rests with the club, not him, after Everton's 1-1 draw at Bournemouth. The Everton manager also admitted his squad is not strong at the moment, with injuries forcing players back early.
Everton rescued a stoppage-time equaliser through James Tarkowski at the Vitality Stadium. The result extended a strong start to the season, but the match was overshadowed by transfer-window concerns. News of Forest's bid for Liverpool-born teenager Armstrong prompted the away end to urge the club to keep hold of him.
Moyes on the performance and the point
Asked about the resilience shown by his players, Moyes said: "I would say I am pleased we got the point. I was disappointed with the second-half performance. I was pleased with the first half, and I don't think we deserved, really, to be 1-0 down at half-time, but I thought we had done well enough, but we missed big opportunities to make a better chance or score a chance when we had it in the first half and I was hugely frustrated."
He added: "I think the players were frustrated by it as well. In the second half I just don't know if midweek kicked in. We played Wednesday (4-0 Carabao Cup win at Preston North End), had to travel down, all the things that come from it. I don't want to make excuses for how we played in the second half, but I think it'd be wrong not to highlight it, it could have been a possibility of that."
Moyes also referenced Bournemouth's recent performance against Manchester City, saying: "I watched Bournemouth against Man City last week and Bournemouth played really well at Man City, they were really unlucky not to win the game, never mind draw it and, in the end, lose. So, it was never going to be an easy game here today."
Armstrong bid and squad situation
On the Harrison Armstrong situation, Moyes said: "I know that there's been an offer. Apart from that, I don't really think there's much else I've got to say about it." Asked whether the bid should be accepted, he replied: "Well, it's not really a question for just now, it'll be a club decision."
On the impact of losing first-team players before the window closes, Moyes said: "We have to try and... I mean, without losing anybody, which we obviously don't want to do, we still need to add players to what we've got. I've been saying it for quite a while." He highlighted injuries to Hayden Hackney's ankle and James Garner's hernia, saying: "We're not that strong at the moment, squad-wise."
Asked if any incoming deals were close, Moyes said: "No, not yet." He also sent a message to supporters and the board: "Their manager is an Evertonian."
