Howard Kendall: No invite back to Everton in 11 years but good luck in Spain David Moyes!
Nov 13, 2014 10:46 By Howard Kendall
Former Blues boss new job in Spain is a bold but promising career move
David Moyes has made a great move in becoming the new manager of Real Sociedad.
I was fortunate to enjoy a stint in charge at their local rivals Athletic Bilbao, and both clubs are in a fantastic part of Spain.
Obviously Real haven’t had a great start to the season, and it might be about surviving in the toP flight for this term.
But if anyone can get them fighting and upwardly mobile again, it is Moyes.
If I could give him one piece of advice it would be – get a good translator.
Mine was a guy from Leeds who had married a Basque girl, but he didn’t have a clue about football. That was ideal, because instead of adding opinion or his own spin on what he thought I was trying to say, he literally just translated my instructions word for word. I could be sure I was getting through to the players.
If David wants me to give him any other tips I’d be happy to go and speak to him. But as he didn’t invite me to Finch Farm during his 11 years as Everton manager, I won’t be expecting an invite to San Sebastian anytime soon.
Nevertheless I wish him luck in a bold but promising career move.
Time for Everton to examine their defending at free-kicks Roberto Martinez was quick to point out how referee Lee Mason’s decision not to send off Connor Wickham cost Everton on Sunday.
The Blues boss was rightly aggrieved that the forward didn’t get his marching orders for his tackle on Seamus Coleman, which would have given Everton a potentially winning numerical advantage.
It was a clear penalty. Never mind the Sunderland players’ protests about where the ball ended up and how Wickham had won it. He came through Seamus to get it and it wasn’t a hard decision for Mason.
But rather than complain about the lack of a red card in the aftermath, Martinez might well have explained further why his side only drew against a struggling team near the bottom. In that sense, it was frustrating because Everton have the better players and really should have come away from the Stadium of Light with three points.
That’s not a dig at Roberto. Managers get asked for their opinions on controversial decisions and he was only providing that. But he will know his side could and should have done better.
For starters they should have been better prepared for Sebastian Larsson’s free kick. It’s not like his prowess from set-pieces is a hidden secret.
The midfielder has been a thorn in our side before and I don’t think we defended it well enough, or rather gave Tim Howard the right amount of protection.
I’ve said it before and it’s hurt us before – I’m talking about specifically Steven Gerrard’s free kick at Anfield recently.
Why not try having a defender on the back post for free kicks when you have someone as deadly as Larsson taking them?
It gives the keeper more protection; he can cover one side of the goal in the knowledge the other is covered. He’s far less vulnerable and doesn’t have to try and lunge across like Tim Howard did.
OK it could lead to opposition sides putting strikers on the line because they wouldn’t be offside, but it’s got to be worth a try. The wall was pretty pointless so why not look at it differently?
It could be helpful to attempt a new way of defending against these specialist free-kick takers, because it could have been the difference between one point and three in the North East.
Either way there were some positive elements of our display and it’s a point which could be important as the season winds on.
Gibson's chance to stake first team claim
I have long been an admirer of Darron Gibson and what he brings on the pitch.
In my eyes he’s an intelligent midfielder with everything in his locker to be able to have a real influence on games.
The lad hasn’t had the best of luck with injuries at Goodison, and that’s prevented him getting a clear run of games under his belt.
Nobody would suggest that Gareth Barry won’t be missed. Any side would be lessened by having to cope without a player of his undoubted quality.
But I’m intrigued to see Gibson perhaps get the run of games he’s needed since he joined from Manchester United.
He’ll have to prove he can stay fit himself for starters, and it will take him a couple of games to get up to speed with the intensity of proper Premier League matches again.
Playing for his country against Scotland tonight will probably help in that regard.
But there’s no mistaking his technical ability, and what’s more he has an eye for goal and is a fierce striker of the ball who could contribute with goals as well.
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