David Moyes ‘private talk with Jack Harrison’ mooted after Everton standout
Everton picked up yet another impressive three points under David Moyes with a victory against Nottingham Forest on Saturday.
The Toffees had to wait until the 94th minute to score the winner through Abdoulaye Doucoure to seal their 1-0 victory against the Champions League hopefuls.
The win pushes Moyes’ men up to 13th in the Premier League table, a sign of just how far they’ve come under the Scot.
Michael Ball picks out Everton man
Moyes will be looking ahead to the summer transfer window with the hope of bringing new faces to Goodison Park, although plenty of players have upped their standards since his arrival, too.
Jack Harrison is one man who is in better shape under new management, playing more regular 90 minutes and tallying up goal contributions.
The winger joined the Blues on loan for the second season in a row, making the temporary move from Leeds United after their relegation to the second tier.
It’s yet to be seen what the future holds upon the end of the campaign and a lack of consistency may be adding to that problem.
Harrison played the full 90 minutes, only being substituted off ahead of added time, and Michael Ball felt he was worthy of plaudits.
Writing in the Liverpool Echo (15 April), Ball argued: “There were a few stand-out displays at Nottingham Forest, one of which was Harrison. In the first half, I thought he let himself down a little bit.
“He put in a few crosses and played a good through-ball to James Garner, but very early on, he had three one-versus-one duels, and he lost them all, including giving away a corner. It looked like he was taking too many touches and looked far too tentative when it came to his confidence at getting at the full-back.
“Whether something was said at half-time by Moyes or one of his coaching staff, Jack seemed to put himself in a better position, further out wide in the second half. He was more assertive, more direct and kept it simple, taking on the full-back several times and getting his cross away.
“I felt Jack grew into the game and started getting a bit of confidence. It was like he realised that it is a bit easier if he just gets his head down, beats the full-back and gets his cross in.”
Moyes has Harrison decision to make in the summer
Harrison has spoken out about his desire to stay put on Merseyside upon the expiry of his loan deal in the summer transfer window, leaving the Blues with a decision to make.
Unfortunately for Harrison, at this stage, he probably hasn’t done enough to convince his loan club that he is worthy of a longer-term deal.
| Appearances | Goals | Assists |
| 28 | 1 | 1 |
Although his form may have picked up under Moyes, a lack of contributions at the top end of the pitch has to raise question marks, and the Toffees could surely attract better players.
With Angus Kinnear set to join Everton from Leeds at the end of the season, this could have an impact on proceedings regarding the winger’s future.
However, if Moyes is serious about looking up the table with his side and showing signs of progress, then there is no doubt he has to push his staff towards more ambitious targets instead.
With his parent club looking toward promotion back to the top flight, he could always find himself back at Everton next term, but as an opposition player.