Great article Darren, very fair.

Likewise I was dead against his appointment and to a degree bringing in Tony G, would make Everton, even slower in transition to attack.

Im proven wrong on both accounts. Moyes took barrages at West Ham, over two stints. He took heavy scorn during his first stint at Everton.

But he has changed. In my view he has become more realistic and has mastered the press and has improved significantly as a football manager.

Its early days in this season, Euphoria and hopes are rightly high at Everton, and why not.

Hopefully Everton bury the international. 1st game back bogey. and build from strength to strength for the next game.

Elephants never forget. Evertonians are generally very astute in their views on football.
I wasn't happy at the time and the adage he was too big and good to lead Everton, in 2013.

Digging the psyche to get Felli cheap, and succeeding.

But 12 years on he is different. The dynamic at Everton, is positively different.

Hopefully a win today and put Villa away with style.

Moyes in my opinion has proven to be a good appointment for Everton.

Good piece, Darren. I actually thought it was a very savvy decision to appoint Moyes, despite being glad to see the back of him first time round. The club has to walk before it can run, and he's the ideal person to get the club walking forwards. Whether he's the one to get us running, let's see.The bigger games will show us plenty.

great Topic Darren and certainly Food for thought.

I personally was neither hot nor cold about the return of Moyes, as I felt Numb and despondent, after the Previous incumbents.

Although, Dyche has to take credit, for the miracle that was performed, after those points deductions, to avoid, what could have been the catalyst, for being Catapulted into Football extinction.

Our football under Dyche became absolutely atrocious and unbearable to watch.

He himself, stated that the Lads didn’t listen to him, after we gave Brighton a tonking.

It was lamentable to see an absolute Class act like Branthwaite, not being able to breach the half-way line.

Our Brand new shiny Stadium, the Change of ownership, The Passionate Fans, Have all played a part in the renaissance of Moyes.

He was faced with a Monumental task of finding the ten 9/10 players, that he needed, with the expiry of so many contracts.

We are still short in defence, but according to Moyes himself, he did try and get a RB.

He also stated that he got the most urgent positions covered, so, obviously he feels confident, that, barring injuries, we can hold out until January.

but seriously, who would have thought, that we would be seeing Jack Grealish playing in Royal Blue?… with two legs!

I haven’t felt so reassured, since the eighties, when I look at the possibility, of Combinations up front.. with Dybling still on the Bench!

I’ve got a smile on my face, of the kind you get, when your holding a winning Ticket !

I feel that, even if we take a hit, we can still Bounce Back, and have the quality to give the opposition, a Jolly good Trouncing !

Top-drawer article Darren.

Thanks for being my ventriloquist.

Enjoyed this. I was v keen to bring him back, I knew he'd sort us out, at least in the short term. I'm confident he'll do a very good job over the medium term ie in the next 2-3 years get us up to the European spots and significantly improve the squad. the charge of him 'needing to be braver' or a failure to push through, whilst I understand why people say it, if you think about it it is an accusation that can be levelled against every manager who doesn't actually go on and win something. if you don't win a pot, then you've failed according to this analysis. I don't see it that way, I don't see the Palace manager or Eddie Howe as better than Moyes just cos the cards fell their way on the way to a cup final.
There is a point there though. Once we get to top six (as we will), does he have the nouse to take us up from there. To buy good players and make them excellent players. we know he can turn ok into very good, but can he take good to excellent? he never could before, whenever he was given a lot of money he never spent it very well, both here and West Ham. But that's for another day, for now I'm just enjoying the home wins.

Darren, have just spotted this article having crossed over from Toffeeweb. I see that it was posted on 12th September. At that time, they were exactly my thoughts. I would be interested in a follow up piece.It seems to me that the new flamboyant, carefree Moyes has gone. Davie Mk1 is back. In my view it is about the stresses of management and an inherent conservative nature. Stability was his target and he has got there. For me, the Wolves cup game was the turning point. Moyes is short term and he spurned the chance to go for it and write a new chapter.
What are your thoughts now? Genuine request.

Andy, like you I've just now read Darren's article and I rate it interesting too. Like Darren I was not enamoured about his return but thus far he's done a reasonable job.

That said, he still exhibits too much of his innate conservatism for me to feel confident he'll be the boss to win us a meaningful trophy.

Good morning Andy.

Good to see you on here. I guess I was hoping Moyes would have changed rather than expecting him to. If I'm honest. I still am.

You would think that having got to my age I would have wised up a little, but I'm still hoping this particular leopard will at least try out new spots before he retires.

Funnily enough I typed an article in which I referred to the difference between his attitude and Roberto Martinez's at OT this morning. I don't know if Lyndon will put it up. He might think its crap....

One of the most observant thoughts I have seen written about David Moyes, came from a man standing in an airport in Lisbon, all those years ago.

He simply doesn’t understand us Darren. I might come across has being a little bit of a snob, in saying this, but the Everton, that you, me and thousands of other Evertonians, have witnessed with our own eyes, was simply dismantled by the “gruesome twosome” and it definitely wasn’t David’s fault, because he ended up getting a call from Sir Alex.

Yes I agree the consensus. The article is an opportune reflection on our position which has been made even more intriguing by the game since it was written.
Clearly any Blues who loves 'the Beautiful Game' played, well, beautifully were enthused to see a new set of genuine creative players set to start the season.
A rhetorical question as for me all Blues are united when it comes to our footballing values.
Had the 'old leopard' finally changed his spots?
Sadly he has vacillated almost on an a game to game basis; sometimes adventurous, then ultra cautious.
This represents something of a betrayal of those players who clearly thrive (and deliver)when he frees them to play.
True, the lack of an effective focal point for attacks has reduced our potency but I remain frustrated by his managerial inconsistency.
Monday we have virtually all our talents available.
Which inspired or deflated team will show up?

He won't change his spots, Darren. He a pragmatist, he had two options throughout his career, given his limited ability, go for it and get sacked, or settle for dull as ditch water mediocrity and gain a name for himself among dullards.

Good balanced write up and delivered with fair reasoning.

I'd personally go a bit harsher Darren.

I didn't want him back and still don't want him. But thanks for opening old wounds. The Wigan fiasco still haunts & that semi-final is best not spoken about.

We are an unforgiving bunch as Benitez found out, especially at the Brentford & Norwich away fixtures with travelling letting there sentiment be heard loud and clear. Dyche too in his last season when he lost the will & we were being numbed more effectively than a morphine injection. Not as toxix, but no love lost there.

To your point, you get a very good gauge for the fans' feeling from the matchday regrgulars. Despite the general good will shown since his return, every game is a test for me. Maybe some can forgive, but few, if any forget. His past tenure will surface should things start heading south.

That may seem harsh to those in the Moyes camp, but I can see it myself.

And, he doesn't have the unwaivering support of the previous "leader". The Texans won't mess around.

Darren, it has to be said but bring Moyes back was the right decision and I took a fair amount of stick for proposing it in November last, but a year on its been progress from where we where but more of a pragmatic approach than a dynamic one. Indeed for this reason I didn't want Moyes Mk1 beyond the end of last season and I was very much at odds with myself for recommending his return as I didn't believe he was the right manager for the future. Some of the games this season have driven me mad with his tactics and selections but beneath it all when we did actually play on the front foot in games, we were pretty bloody good, indeed if it wasn't for the failure of strikers, we would actually / probably be in the top half comfortably. But the Moyes of old, cautious, would be very, very evident too..
Fast forward to Monday night, forget the handbags with Keane and Gana, but we were by far the better team to that point, backs to the wall after a sublime goal (the Moyes of old probably would have everyone in their own half, Dyche most certainly would have) the difference was this didn't feel inevitable that they would score or we wouldn't, we still attacked.. In the end we deservedly won, not because Man u were poor, but we were good.
Front foot football. Take the game to the teams with better squads, close them down from the front, play the high line, disrupt, challenge every second ball. I have said before with this squad we have to play this way, we cannot sit and hope.
So good article Darren, Moyes might be bloody frustrating but if he approaches games with attacking intent rather than caution, we won't have a problem this season.
PS He deserves the credit when its due, so I hope it is the forerunner for a lot more.