A ten stage guide to the apposing manager

Club: Everton

K.O: Goodison Park, Saturday 1st October at 12.45pm

1. Born on April 25th, 1963- currently making him 48- David moyes originally plied his trade as a centre back, starting his career at Celtic, where he made just 24 appearances in three years, but did manage to win a Championship. 

2. Moyes then moved to Cambridge United, (79 appearances) before moves to Bristol City ( 86), Shrewsbury Town (93), Dumfirmline Athletic (105), and Hamilton  Acidemical (5). The journeymen completed his playing career in 1993, with Preston North End in 1999 for whom he appeared 143 times, netting 15 in the most fruitful period of his playing career.

  3. After 535 appearances and 46 goals and preperation for management as a player, Moyes ended his playing career to take up a management role for Preston North End. Taking over in January of 1998, Moyes guided the relegation threatened club to safety. 

4.  The following season, Moyes guided Preston North End to the play-offs but they failed to win. The following season though, the 99/00 season, he guided them to the Division Two Championship, gaining promotion to Division One in the process. 

5. Following season, with largely the same squad, Moyes guided Preston to the League One Play-off final, where they lost. Shortly after in March of 2002, David Moyes joined Everton. 

6. His first game in charge came in a 2-1 victory over Fulham at Goodison Park. Moyes managed to guide the Toffees to Premier League safety – the reason for his appointment – before narrowly missing out on a Uefa Cup spot to Blackburn Rovers the following season, after defeat to Manchester United on the final day of the season, leaving Everton to finish 7th.

7. Poor results followed, though and Everton did not win a game in 2004 until 28 February.  Everton finished 17th with 39 points that season, which currently stands at  the lowest total in the club’s history, although they managed to avoid relegation.

8.During the 2004–05 season Everton went on to exceed  expectations by finishing fourth in the league and securing a place in the following season’s Champions league . However, at the beginning of the 2005–06 season, Everton struggled and were battling relegation rather than pushing for Europe. Their European adventure was short lived as well. Although, after making a number of big name signings, they climbed from bottom place in late October to a secure 11th place finish at the end of the season.

9.In 2007–08- his sixth full season in charge – Moyes secured fifth place in the league and reached the semi-final of the Carling Cup, also managing the last 16 of the UEFA Cup, only to be beaten on penalties by Fiorentina. 

10. The Scot was named as Manager of the month in January 2010, after 3 wins and a draw. He then took charge of his 600th match as a manager on 6 February 2010 in the Merseyside Derby against Liverpool, which resulted in a 1–0 defeat. Everton finished the season in 8th failing to make Europe for the 1st time in 4 years. On 21 April 2010 it was reported that the old Liverpool foe, Sir Alex Ferguson had  endorsed Moyes as his successor as manager of Manchester United when he eventually retires.

* Currently this campaign Moyes has guided Everton to 7th place, after 7 points from 5 games.

Martyn Edwards