Moyes Draws Positive While Insisting On Transfer Plans

David Moyes says James Tarkowski's return to action provides his Everton side with a boost but maintains work continues behind the scenes to bolster the Blues' attacking threat.

Tarkowski made his first minutes of pre-season in Wednesday's 2-1 defeat to West Ham United in Chicago, stepping up his return from a hamstring injury suffered against Ipswich Town in the Club's penultimate Men's game at Goodison Park at the end of last season.

Idrissa Gana Gueye had given the Toffees the lead at Soldier Field – home of NFL side Chicago Bears – before a costly individual error saw the Hammers equalise before half-time and Germany international Niclas Füllkrug landed a decisive strike in the second half.

Speaking afterwards, Moyes insists he is "not overly concerned" by the result, given the need for more additions in the remainder of the transfer window, but called for more from the players at his disposal.

"One of the positives was getting Tarky back for 20 minutes," said Moyes. "He's been out for more than 12 weeks now, so to get him back is really important. A big strength of the team is probably Tarky and Jarrad [Branthwaite] and the goalkeeper [Jordan Pickford], so to get Tarky back today for a little while was good."

On the result and transfer plans, he continued: "I'm not overly concerned because I don't have the players I need. Obviously, we're really up against it and we knew before the start of the [tournament] that we were going to be really up against it. We finished above two of the three other teams that are playing in it, so we have to get back on it. But, at the moment, until we get our better players back and until we add to the squad, we're going to have a struggle.

"I think there is a bigger turnover of players now at clubs than there used to be. It used to be signing maybe three or four, tops, every season, but because of the way with the bigger squads and boys not getting games, you find that there's a bigger revolving door of players. A lot of clubs will be signing quite big numbers. Ours is partly because of the position we had, the situation we had with players. We wanted to have the players in a lot sooner, especially coming here, because I knew we'd be incredibly short. 

"Then, obviously losing Jarrad Branthwaite and Tarky [to injury] – to name two – makes it even more difficult. 

"But no excuses. We played the last game of the season without those two and beat Newcastle, who were going for the Champions League, so there's no excuses for our performances and I'm not giving any – but I think there are reasons for it because those boys are really important for the team."