Everton’s hunt for a new manager is underway, and former boss David Moyes has been linked with a return to the Goodison Park dugout
Following the sacking of Sean Dyche, David Moyes has stepped in to become the new Everton manager.
After winning one of his last 11 games in charge that saw just seven goals scored in that time, Dyche’s two-year spell as Everton manager came to an end this week, with the Toffees currently sitting 16th in the Premier League table, just one point off the relegation zone. Premier League safety is non-negotiable for Everton ahead of their move to the new stadium at Bramley-Moore Docks.
After leaving West Ham at the end of last season, Moyes is now back where he spent 11 years as manager between 2002 and 2013.
So, now Moyes has been given the green light to take over as Everton manager for the rest of the season, what could happen? Let’s take a look.
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Rest of Everton’s 2024/25 season simulated with David Moyes as manager
To set up this simulation, we used Football Manager 2024 to appoint Moyes as Everton’s manager before simulating the rest of the 2024/25 season. This is how the Toffees performed.
The new manager bounce came into play after Moyes was made manager, with Everton going six games unbeaten across January and February, winning four games in that time. The good run of results pushed the Toffees up the table, while Moyes also picked up the February Manager of the Month award.
But, it unfortunately went downhill for the Scotsman after that, with Everton losing 10 of their next 13 games in the league. In the end, the Toffees did manage to secure Premier League safety, but Moyes was sacked at the end of the season.
In total, the 61-year-old led his side to six wins, three draws and 10 defeats in the league after his arrival, with Everton ending the campaign on 38 points, four points clear of the relegation zone. Southampton, Ipswich Town and Leicester City were relegated.The biggest games in Everton’s calendar are the Merseyside derbies, but Moyes was unable to put an end to his Anfield curse in the simulation as the Toffees lost 4-1 away after drawing 1-1 in the final derby at Goodison Park.
At the end of the 2024/25 season, Football Manager 2024 put together an overall best Everton XI, based on performances, statistics, and other metrics. This is what it looked like:
Full Everton best XI: (4-2-3-1): Pickford; Patterson, Tarkowski, Branthwaite, Mykolenko; Gueye, Doucoure; McNeil, Ndiaye, Harrison; Calvert-Lewin.
Under Moyes, Everton played in a 4-2-3-1 set-up, with Abdoulaye Doucoure dropping into a deeper role, allowing Illiman Ndiaye to play in a more central role and support Dominic Calvert-Lewin in attack. Jack Harrison and Dwight McNeil were the regulars on either wing, while Nathan Patterson once again became a regular in the side under the guidance of his fellow countryman.
The FA Cup is Everton’s only chance of a trophy, and the Toffees put up a respectable fight, but a 3-1 loss away to Manchester City in the quarter-finals put an end to their journey as they missed out on a trip to Wembley.
Overall, FM24 predicts that Moyes can do enough to ensure survival for Everton, but if the Toffees want better results in the long run, he may not be the man for the job.
