Paul Merson cannot believe it as Everton ‘really mess up’ at Goodison Park
Everton have seen a massive increase in form since the return of David Moyes.
The Toffees have moved up the Premier League table and now sit 10 points clear of the relegation zone, pulling themselves away from danger immediately.
Moyes and Everton are flying, with the stunning 98th-minute equaliser from James Tarkowski against Liverpool in the final Merseyside Derby at Goodison Park only adding to the good mood.
Paul Merson picks out huge Everton negative
For many at Goodison Park, the priority this term has been Premier League survival which the boss has certainly moved towards already.
However, with league action taking precedence, the Toffees saw themselves knocked out of the FA Cup after a 2-0 defeat at the hands of Bournemouth.
The boss didn’t make many changes to his team and still had a strong squad but the Cherries proved to be too much and came away with a victory.
Some supporters may have seen this as a good thing with as few distractions as possible necessary to keep Everton fighting until the end of the campaign.
However, Paul Merson admitted he thought the Merseyside club should have given it a better go.
Writing for Sportskeeda (13 February), he said: “I thought Everton really messed up when they were knocked out of the FA Cup by Bournemouth. So the draw with Liverpool was much-needed.
“If I’m being honest, I did not believe David Moyes would have such a big impact on his return to Everton. It just shows what a great manager he is, it’s phenomenal what he does. What he did at West Ham and what he did at Everton, just amazing.”
David Moyes exactly what Everton needed
As Merson points out, the transformation of the Blues under the management of Moyes since his return has been monumental and supporters will credit the managerial change as the turning point in their season.
You can understand the point about the FA Cup as it looks as though the Toffees will be clear of a relegation battle and the chance to lift silverware again is huge.
However, it is not as though Moyes’ side threw the game against the Cherries as they fielded a good side against a team that has been in excellent form for much of the season so far.
Furthermore, the focus has to remain on Premier League survival and getting too comfortable could cost the Blues.
That being said, once Everton have moved to Bramley-Moor Dock next term, supporters will certainly want to see their side going all out to try and win silverware.