Moyes' Programme Notes For Record-Equalling Everton Fixture

Good evening and welcome back to Hill Dickinson Stadium for a Premier League fixture staged, unusually, on a Friday night.

I’m told the last time Everton hosted a home game on a Friday night was when Tottenham Hotspur visited Goodison Park in 2021, when games were still being played behind closed doors due to Covid.

Now we find ourselves here this evening, just four days after a really good victory at Newcastle United in the Premier League.

We were in good spirits on our journey back from Tyneside on Monday after we had secured three valuable points in a league where, with the table so tight, one win can make a big difference to your Premier League position.

On the night, we produced some very good performances and were really pleased to come back from St James’ Park having secured what was our second victory over Newcastle United in four days.

There was a lot of scrutiny of our goal on the night, which we all felt was undoubtedly legitimate and which eventually proved to be the case. But after looking back on the non-penalty award which also involved Thierno Barry I could question whether VAR could have easily asked the referee to have another look at the incident, but chose not to.

Last Thursday we reached the quarter-finals of the Carabao Cup with victory over Newcastle.

The timing of the tie meant both teams knew the winners on the night would go to Fleetwood Town in the last eight, after they had produced a remarkable result to knock out the league champions Arsenal.

In the event, we scored three goals on the night, which was really encouraging, to go through and we will now treat the next round of the cup with as much respect as we have every round so far.

Tonight I am fully aware I equal Harry Catterick’s record of most matches as Everton manager. I am incredibly thrilled and honoured to have been given the opportunity to manage this football club in so many matches and for so many years. Seeing my name alongside Harry Catterick’s is hugely humbling and I hope I can continue to add to that figure. What I really hope, though, is that I can bring trophies to the Club like Harry Catterick did in his period as Everton manager.

After tonight we head into another international break. Thankfully, for most people, the break is not as long as the last one, and on our return all clubs will face a really packed period of football leading up to Christmas and the new year. Hopefully all of our international players who are away on duty will return fit and well.

It is important we keep our squad strong and fit, with all of our players ready to perform when required to the standard we all want for Everton, as they have showed in the past few games.

It is important for us that we continue to try to show improvement week on week.

Tonight we welcome some ex-Evertonians and a former Everton manager back to the Club and I am sure they will get a good reception from you supporters.

Frank Lampard has done a great job in lifting Coventry out of the Championship and into the Premier League and we have no doubts tonight will be another competitive game.

One of the more pleasing aspects of being a manager is when you see players go on to have good careers, when it can’t always be at the club where they started, and we have a few former players in the Coventry squad who I am sure you will all warmly welcome back.

The performances of our own players in recent games has been excellent and you supporters have picked up on that. The effort they have put into getting those back-to-back results has been clearly noticeable on the field and you have responded.

Your support in the cup game was magnificent, as it was on Monday at Newcastle, and we will need every one of you again tonight to help us along, to give us that extra boost of energy and be the extra man when required. 

Enjoy the game.

David