David Moyes calls for consistency after Everton’s draw
David Moyes has demanded that Everton transform encouraging periods of play into sustained performances following Monday evening’s 1-1 stalemate at Sunderland, reports BritPanorama.
The manager expressed frustration with his team’s inability to maintain their standards across entire matches. Speaking after the match at the Stadium of Light, Moyes described his side’s second-half display as “abysmal” despite their impressive opening period. He highlighted a concerning pattern of strong 30-minute spells that fail to translate into positive results.
Emphasising the need for greater consistency, Moyes said: “We’ve got to find a way out doing it for much longer periods than we’re doing at the moment.” Everton controlled the opening thirty minutes with Iliman Ndiaye producing a moment of individual brilliance in the 15th minute, collecting possession near the touchline, dancing past three defenders, and bending a left-footed strike into the roof of the net.
The visitors created further opportunities during their dominant spell, with James Garner’s 20-yard effort narrowly missing the target just seconds into the match and Jack Grealish’s shot grazing the post. However, Thierno Barry squandered a golden chance to double Everton’s advantage when he fired wide from close range after being found unmarked at the far post.
Sunderland’s response came quickly after the interval when Granit Xhaka’s 20-yard strike deflected off James Tarkowski, wrong-footing Jordan Pickford just 40 seconds into the second period. This marked Xhaka’s first goal for the Black Cats and signalled a resurgence for the home side, which had been subdued in the first half.
The hosts nearly took the lead moments later when Enzo Le Fee’s effort deflected off Wilson Isidor, forcing Pickford into an exceptional save. A VAR check for a potential handball by Michael Keane concluded he could not avoid Noah Sadiki’s cross. Moyes expressed dismay at his team’s dramatic drop in performance following their promising start, drawing comparisons with recent matches against Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur, where his players produced similar spells of quality without securing victories.
Moyes reiterated that these brief flashes of excellence were insufficient to achieve the consistency required in the Premier League after the game, stating: “We played quite well at Man City for 30 minutes, we played quite well against Tottenham for 30, 40 minutes, but it wasn’t enough and it’s not enough.” The Scot emphasised that maintaining the standards demonstrated in the first half throughout entire matches remains essential for Everton to secure better results and improve their league position.
As the countdown to the next fixture begins, Moyes faces the ongoing challenge of instilling a sense of enduring quality within his squad. The Premier League’s demanding nature leaves little room for erratic performances, a lesson his team must quickly embrace as they seek to solidify their footing in a competitive landscape.
