You can see directly to my David Moyes’ prudent approach paying off for Everton
West Bromwich Albion (0) 1 Everton (0) 2
For all Everton manager David Moyes’ self-flagellation over his failure to add to his squad, victory at the Hawthorns demonstrated the club’s most important asset moving forward: the manager’s ability to extract the maximum from minimal resources.
While the need to strengthen the spine of the squad is paramount, it is apt that in these financially straitened times, Moyes’ prudent approach continues to pay off.
Yet he yearns to play the markets before the transfer window closes. Last season’s fifth-place finish represented something of a ‘boom’ for Everton. Now the ‘bust’ – of being sucked back into the maelstrom of mid-table mediocrity – must be avoided. The right signings, as left-back Leighton Baines suggested, can help. “The lads would like to see other players come in because that helps to push everyone on,” Baines said.
Moyes will be pleased that the academy graduates dispelled some of his doubts over their level of preparedness with Jose Baxter, 16, holding his own on the left wing and further infield Jack Rodwell, 17, showing plenty of poise.
Albion’s defence capitulated when Leon Osman fired past Scott Carson and Yakubu netted his 100th goal in English football. Roman Bednar’s late penalty, after Phil Neville handled, came as mere consolation, but right-back Gianni Zuiverloon’s impressive debut will give manager Tony Mowbray cause for optimism.
A snip at £3.2 million from Heerenveen, Zuiverloon is the type of bargain Moyes would do well to find as he prepares for his final foray into the summer sales.
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