- Moyes used Bournemouth and Brentford as Everton’s benchmark on World Cup show
- He questioned whether Everton “can make big strides” heading into next season
- ReadEverton looks past the soundbite at what the comparison actually means
David Moyes is at it again, this time from a World Cup TV studio in New York rather than a press conference at Finch Farm.
Appearing on talkSPORT’s Jim White World Cup show, Moyes pointed to Bournemouth and Brentford as the standard he wants Everton to match next season, rather than talking up a return to Europe.
Predictably, most people who’ve heard the clip have taken it one way: as a manager who’s given up on any real ambition for the club.
The obvious read isn’t the only one
On the surface, comparing Everton to two clubs with a fraction of their history and fanbase looks like someone deliberately setting the bar low. But, in fairness, Moyes wasn’t really talking about size or prestige.
He was talking about how Bournemouth and Brentford spend the money they’ve got. Both clubs punch well above their budgets, and Moyes more or less admitted Everton still aren’t doing that well enough in the transfer market.
That’s different to “are we ambitious enough,” even if it sounds the same when clipped to thirty second radio segment.
Where the criticism still lands
None of that makes the comment especially well-judged. Everton’s history and the size of the move to the Hill Dickinson means fans naturally expect more than parity with Bournemouth and Brentford, and Moyes knows that better than anyone.
Telling supporters their realistic ceiling is matching two well-run mid-table sides, just days after Sunderland leapfrogged Everton into a European spot, was never going to go down well. Neither should it have.
ReadEverton’s take
There’s a sensible point buried in here about how Everton spend their money, and there’s also a manager talking down expectations before pre-season has even started. Both things are true at once.
Evertonians are right to be annoyed at how it came across, even if Moyes has a fair point about recruitment underneath it.
What actually matters now is much simpler: does the business Everton do this summer look anything like the model he just pointed to? Or is this just another way of saying don’t expect much?
Time will tell.
