David Moyes worked without a director of football in his first spell at Everton but spoke about the dynamic before his return to Goodison Park
David Moyes spoke of his willingness to work alongside a director of football earlier this season ahead of his return as Everton manager. The 61-year-old’s return for a second spell as Blues boss was confirmed at 9am on Saturday as he signed a two-and-a-half year deal after being chosen by the club’s new owners The Friedkin Group to replace Sean Dyche.
During Moyes’ first stint in charge at Goodison Park, between March 2002-May 2013, he steered Everton to nine top half finishes, including a highest ever Premier League placing of fourth in 2004/05. That was an era before the Blues had appointed their first director of football and the Scot was renowned for his hands on approach when it came to overseeing many aspects of the team, including recruitment.
Since Moyes’ departure for Manchester United almost a dozen years ago, Everton have had eight other managers and three directors of football with Steve Walsh plus Marcel Brands having operated in the latter role before current incumbent Kevin Thelwell. Like Dyche before his sacking, Thelwell’s current contract expires at the end of this season.
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No comments from the 51-year-old, who is understood to have had a close working with Dyche, were included in Everton’s official statement to announce Moyes’ appointment. Speaking exclusively to the ECHO back in September though for his episode in our Goodison Park: My Home series, Moyes outlined he is happy to operate with a director of football but insisted that individual should also take ownership for any recruits they bring in.
He said: “It’s certainly changed. There are certainly a lot more things required now.
“Ultimately, I think the manager, maybe called ‘the head coach’ now, are the ones who are getting fired for it so if I’m going to get fired, I’m going to get fired because it’s players I sign or I choose to sign.
“It’s how I play and not how I get told to play. You need to be able to do that.
“If it’s changed differently, then I can do that. If somebody turns around and says: ‘By the way, I’m signing the players for you,’ I can do that.
“But don’t be putting my name to everything then, everyone you bring in, and not taking responsibility. There are very few people now who really want to take the responsibility for what’s going on.
“I had very little interference. I was really fortunate that I had no interference from the people at the club.
“They allowed me to just get on with it, within reason. I didn’t have a great deal of money to spend but we watched Joleon Lescott around 24 times live because I had a decision to sign him or Robert Huth and it was a toss of a coin.
“I wanted a naturally left-footed centre-back if I could and it was really touch and go over who we got. I signed Joleon and he was a brilliant buy for us who went on to become an England international and what you could say were better things.
“There’s a lot of proof in those ones we brought in that there was room for improvement, they suited us at Everton. I think we chose quite well in those days.”
