David Moyes has admitted he will stop publicly discussing European qualification after Everton’s latest away victory kept their continental hopes alive.
The Blues secured a superb win at St James’ Park to move up to eighth in the Premier League table, now just three points off seventh-placed Brentford. It marked Everton’s seventh away win of the campaign and further underlined the transformation under Moyes.
Yet despite the momentum, the Everton boss says he will change his messaging in press conferences.
David Moyes changes tone after Everton win over Newcastle
Moyes has regularly spoken about returning Everton to European competition, raising expectations after taking charge during a fourth consecutive relegation battle. Thirteen months on, the conversation has shifted dramatically.
However, the Scot now believes mentioning Europe might be counterproductive.
“You’ve probably not been in my press conferences, in every one I’ve sort of said I would like to try and talk about Europe.
I am not going with that because every time I say it, we fluff our lines. I’m probably just going to say: ‘Hey, let’s see if we can try and keep challenging to be in the top half of the league and see where it goes from there’.”
— David Moyes
Everton’s away form has become a defining feature of their campaign, though Moyes acknowledged the challenge of sustaining momentum.
“I’m honestly saying I told the players I wanted to get us in Europe. At West Ham we nearly got relegated and then the following season we made Europe, so I didn’t think it was impossible to be done.
But every time I get back to the Hill Dickinson, I start to feel as if it’s getting harder and harder. We’ve done a great job away from home, we’ve got a great record away from home, and long may that continue.”
— David Moyes
Newcastle frustration grows
The defeat leaves Newcastle four points behind Everton, with manager Eddie Howe acknowledging their recent Premier League form has dipped.
“Certainly in relation to the Premier League, our form for a while has not been strong enough, it’s not been good enough. We know that, we take responsibility for that.
It’s been really frustrating. That is the perils of Europe, I’m afraid. With the deluge of games, your focus can be swayed and yes, our Premier League return in recent weeks has been nowhere near the level that it has been historically.”
Key Insights
- Everton moved up to eighth after beating Newcastle.
- Moyes says he will stop mentioning Europe publicly.
- The Blues are three points off seventh place.
- Newcastle are now four points behind Everton.
- Away form has been central to Everton’s rise.
What’s Next?
Everton return home on Tuesday aiming to end a seven-game winless run in all competitions at Goodison Park when they host Burnley.
Maintaining their away standard while rediscovering home consistency could define whether Moyes’ European ambition becomes reality.
Can Everton sustain their push, or will talk of Europe remain carefully off the record?
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