Everton's first defeat of the season has led to calls for David Moyes' sacking, but the club's owners have left the manager with a squad of just 18 outfield players after selling over £100million worth of talent on deadline day.
The 2-0 home loss to Chelsea at Hill Dickinson Stadium was a toothless display, with the Blues hardly laying a glove on their visitors. Frustrations were compounded when Chelsea's regular goalkeeper, 2022 World Cup winner Emiliano Martinez, was stretchered off and 21-year-old Mike Penders came on for his Premier League debut.
There were also groans about Moyes starting Merlin Rohl on the right wing ahead of more attack-minded options such as Brennan Johnson, Tyrique George or Tyler Dibling, an attempt to combat Chelsea left-back Pep Chavarria who didn't even play.
Context of the defeat
The defeat came after an eight-match unbeaten run achieved in trying circumstances, with the first loss arriving in mid-October. Moyes' tactics and individual decisions have been questioned, but calls for his head are ill-placed according to the ECHO's Christopher Beesley.
Things are likely to get worse before they get better, with Arsenal away next. The Gunners are reigning Premier League champions, and Everton have a record 26 defeats in the Premier League era against them, with just two wins and six draws, producing the lowest points per game (0.35) against any opponent.
The last win at Arsenal came on St George's Day 2021 behind closed doors. The last time Blues fans saw their side defeat the Gunners on their own patch was at Highbury on January 20, 1996.
Owner's lack of backing
Moyes once complained that competing with Manchester City was like taking a knife to a gunfight. Now, The Friedkin Group left both Moyes and Evertonians high and dry when the summer transfer window closed, pocketing over £100million on deadline day and leaving the manager with a squad of just 18 outfield players, including a solitary striker, right-back and left-back.
The Friedkin family fortune has its roots in the aviation industry, and what once might have been a machete now resembles flimsy plastic cutlery handed out on planes.
Praise for Moyes
Speaking on his own podcast The Football Boardroom with Christian Purslow, Henry Winter, formerly the chief football writer for The Times, declared that a new contract was essential given that the Blues boss' current deal expires at the end of this season and The Friedkin Group have put the club up for sale.
Winter said: "It's been fascinating covering his career and obviously having been critical of him at times at Manchester United, et cetera. I think history will look very kindly on David Moyes as a manager. I think we should appreciate him looking back on his career and long may he continue. He is 63 and long may he continue in dugouts across the country because he is a force for good. Having worked under quite difficult circumstances at times, one or two owners that we saw that at West Ham. I just think the job that he is doing at Everton is absolutely vital."
Moyes previously masterminded West Ham United to a first trophy in 43 years, and after his departure they now reside in the Championship. Similar rumblings about his style of play raised their head among elements of the fanbase at West Ham.
