David Moyes
Sunderland is set to host Everton at the Stadium of Light on Monday evening, but the visitors will be without full-back Nathan Patterson. Everton manager David Moyes has confirmed that Patterson will miss the match due to a recent groin procedure. Despite this setback, Moyes remains optimistic about the overall health of his squad as they prepare for the fixture.
David Moyes said: “He [Patterson] has had a small procedure on his groin, so he’s obviously not available for this game. I think we’ve got a couple of knocks and bruises and one or two people with little bits, but hopefully we’ll be okay.”
In addition to the defensive concerns, Moyes is contemplating changes to his forward line. The current striking options, Beto and Thierno Barry, have struggled to find the back of the net this season, with only one goal between them in the Premier League. Moyes has not ruled out the possibility of making adjustments to his attacking strategy to address these issues.
David Moyes said: “Obviously we want our centre forwards to score more goals. Whatever we say, we are making more chances. We’re having much more of the ball than we’ve had. We’re being more creative in what we’re doing. This is where you’re hoping that we make a few more chances and the forwards get it. A couple of the games recently we’ve just not quite got on the end of two or three things which maybe on another day we do. It’s very difficult for anybody. Footballers can lose confidence when their form isn’t so good. It could be a centre forward, it could be a centre-half, goalkeepers. They all need to have confidence to play well. But centre forwards are the ones who thrive on the feeling of getting the goals. All you can ever do is keep putting them in the right positions and hopefully they’ll get the goals. We also have to get plenty of balls in to give them those chances to do so. Of course, I will look to see if there’s other options. If I think that I’m not getting what I want then I’m going to look to see what else there is. But we’ve got two people who are number nines and are that way. Iliman [Ndiaye], it gives you less focal point… It changes how you may have to play and build at different times if we do that. But no, we wouldn’t bury our head in the sand, we’re certainly thinking about it.”
Moyes’ comments highlight the ongoing challenges faced by Everton in their pursuit of goals. The manager’s willingness to explore alternative strategies underscores his determination to improve the team’s offensive output. As Everton prepares to face Sunderland, Moyes will be keen to see his players convert their creative play into tangible results on the scoreboard. The match at the Stadium of Light presents an opportunity for Everton to address these issues and potentially experiment with different tactical approaches.
About The Author
