David Moyes has not spoken to the Everton owner and chair, Dan Friedkin, in the 20 months since he returned to the club as manager. Moyes also issued a defiant response on Friday to Everton’s calamitous end to the transfer window, claiming it could galvanise players and fans to achieve “something special” this season.
No contact with owner
Moyes exposed an astonishing disconnect at the club when confirming he has had no contact with Friedkin, founder and chief executive of The Friedkin Group, since replacing Sean Dyche as manager in January 2025. TFG president, Marc Watts, is Everton’s executive chair and Rishi Majithia, Friedkin’s son-in-law, is the owner’s day-to-day representative at the club.
But with TFG’s ambition for Everton under scrutiny after the transfer window, and amid claims they are looking for fresh investment or even to sell the club, Moyes’s revelation raises further questions over the company’s commitment.
Defiant response to transfer blows
The Everton manager admitted any successful club “needs to be aligned” at the top and added: “We’ve got new owners in who are still feeling their way in the club. I think if we get to know each other more it will get better.” Moyes, whose main point of contact at Everton is the chief executive, Angus Kinnear, was later asked whether he had ever had a conversation with Dan Friedkin. “Er, no,” he replied. So you’ve never met him? “No,” said Moyes.
It was TFG’s decision to sell Harrison Armstrong to Nottingham Forest last weekend that started Everton’s dreadful end to the transfer window. They U-turned after a backlash from Evertonians over the deal but Moyes was ultimately left with a weaker squad after the sales of Iliman Ndiaye, Beto, Tim Iroegbunam and Nathan Patterson.
Moyes hopes for ‘something special’
“We don’t have a huge squad but sometimes you need to do something special in football and we will attempt to do something special,” Moyes said. “It’s not going to be easy. You know what happens in these situations, there’s only one person who tends to get called out at the end [the manager].
“But Everton’s different. I wouldn’t have come back for anybody but Everton. People saw the face of Evertonians last week and it can be really powerful. I would expect them to be really powerful now. Powerful for the team, powerful for the players. We’re going to need extra from them because we’re short. We need them. If they’re not with us, then it’s terrible.
“But they are with us. I believe they are with us. I love Everton and always have done. It’s reinvigorated me being back and now there’s a little bump in the road. I need to get over the bump quickly and start looking at how I can make it go smoothly.”
