Why David Moyes told the media to leave moments before Everton press conference started
LiverpoolWorld was part of the media who were present for David Moyes’ Everton press conference before the Premier League fixture against Ipswich Town.
David Moyes knows there is still some pressure to deliver - but nowhere near as much as there might have been.
Performing for the Evertonians heading to Goodison Park for the penultimate time is why there is expectation. Heading into their game against Ipswich Town in requiring a victory to edge closer to safety is not a necessity.
It's why Moyes is in good spirits around Finch Farm. Granted, the Toffees boss wants a strong ending to the 2024-25 season. While he accepts that 40 points is not good enough for Everton in usual circumstances, achieving the tally this term would be given the circumstances that he inherited.
At the time of returning to the Goodison driving seat, the Blues were 17th in the table and one point above the drop zone. He was tasked with ensuring a bottom-three dogfight was avoided and that has proven to be the case with relative ease.
Everton are 14th in the table, accruing 22 points from their subsequent 15 games. In that period, wins over Brighton, Leicester, Nottingham Forest, and Crystal Palace have been delivered along with earning draws against the likes of Arsenal and Liverpool.
The Blues are also at the end of a difficult period. They have played five of the Premier League’s top-six sides in succession. Four points were accrued but Everton were not beaten by wide margin in any of those fixtures. Now a big finish to the campaign with four matches remaining is being eyed.
As the media gathered at Finch Farm to speak to the Everton supremo before the clash against Ipswich Town, the press conference was delayed due to an unexpected circumstance. The fire alarm went off, meaning the building needed to be evacuated. By the time journalists returned from the car park to the press room, Moyes was sat waiting - a bit like a school teacher at the front of a classroom after lunchtime on a hot day of the summer term.
“Where have you been,” he quipped before joking it was a “disgrace” and everyone should leave. Of course, it was all in jest. The status quo was resumed shortly after. And Moyes was as candid as he has been since coming back to Everton. He’s telling things how they are in a bid to raise the standards to those he left 12 years ago.
He called set-pieces in last week’s 1-0 loss at Chelsea ‘rubbish’ and agrees with every fan saying so. He also did not mince his words when it came to Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s future. The striker is out of contract in the summer and it has appeared he would leave.
On Friday morning, an interview with BBC Sport suggested Calvert-Lewin was now open to extending his nine-year stay. Moyes suggested he can understand why but also pointed to the fact that he needs players who are robust and will not spend significant periods on the treatment table. Calvert-Lewin has had fitness issues in the past and is coming back from a three-month hamstring injury.
That type of frankness is likely to be reciprocated when holding meetings with Calvert-Lewin and the other 14 members of the squad who are set to depart in the summer. Moyes is enjoying his first few months and confessed he feels like the timing has been perfect while paying homage to his predecessors. But there is no denying what he covets - making Everton a team fighting for Europe again - is clear for everyone to see.