Moyes' Verdict On Burnley Draw & Bright Dibling Display

David Moyes was disappointed with his side’s performance in their 0-0 draw against Burnley on Saturday – but says he’s pleased to take the point given the below-par display.

Everton were without a host of regular starters for their trip to Turf Moor. Jack Grealish was unavailable through illness, joining an absentee list which includes the injured Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall and Jarrad Branthwaite, while Senegalese duo Idrissa Gana Gueye and Iliman Ndiaye are away on international duty at the Africa Cup of Nations. 

Both the Toffees and Burnley had chances to win a closely-contested affair. 

Assessing a point on the road, Moyes told evertontv: “[It's] not a particularly good [result], but you take a point sometimes when you don't play well and we didn't play well enough today to earn more than that. That's for sure.  

“We always prepare, try to get the things right. I don't think, over the years, Burnley have ever been an easy team to beat here at Turf Moor. They picked up a really good result against Bournemouth last week when they got a good draw down there.

“I think they came into it with a bit more confidence. We just didn't really get out of the box right from the start. It wasn't to say that we didn't have a few opportunities to score and the keeper made a few saves.   

“We had one or two chances, but in the end, we gave up too much today and didn't play well enough.  

“We didn't have loads of opportunities, but look, I didn't think Burnley had many opportunities. It opened up a little bit more in the second half, but the first half there were very few chances for both teams.”

Without key players Grealish, Gana, Ndiaye and Dewsbury-Hall, Moyes was forced to shuffle his pack, lining up with a much-changed Everton attack of Tyler Dibling, Charly Alcaraz, Dwight McNeil and Beto.

“Sometimes in management, you have to find ways of getting results and winning with the players that are available to you,” explained Moyes. “You don't always have everybody right. 

“So, part of being a coach and a manager is to win games and to find ways. We didn't win today. We got a point. Hopefully, it'll end up being a good point.”

Moyes handed Dibling his second Premier League start for Everton, positioning the young winger on the right flank of the Everton attack.

A positive display from the summer signing, Moyes said: “I thought he played well today. I thought he'd done a lot of good things. Obviously, he's getting used to us and getting used to the team and what's required. He probably looked to our best attacking threat, to be honest.   

“Certainly, in the first half, he had one or two moments and a couple in the second half as well. So, I'm pleased with him.   

“He got himself booked in the late on, so we just made sure [by taking him off], there was no problem there.”