Angus Kinnear called Everton missing Europe a failure. David Moyes said nobody ever set that target for him. The split sits at the centre of a summer conversation that has already moved beyond last season's final table.
Kinnear's verdict on the season
Kinnear said the Friedkin Group viewed the missed opportunity as failure, then added: “The Friedkins are winners. They want to win and we didn't win anything.” He also said: “They viewed it as a failure because it was a failure.”
That verdict lands harder because Everton were in one of the nine European places on offer to English clubs before the collapse. They finished 13th, after losing 3-1 at home to Sunderland and then losing on the final day at Tottenham Hotspur.
The late run was poor in plain terms. Everton failed to win any of their last seven league games, and the 49-point finish with a -3 goal difference looks a long way from the level that would normally force a club into a European race.
Moyes wants more backing
Moyes's response was not really about argument for the sake of it. It was about what he says was actually said to him. “I'm surprised they were disappointed because there was never, ever any time anyone said to me 'David, you have to make Europe or you have to be in and around the top end',” he said.
He has been even clearer about the squad itself. “We need more players. Our squad is not big enough and we need to get more quality in some areas if we can do.” He also said: “For us to be a side which is competitive, I still think we have got a lot of work to do. Hopefully we are able to try and do some of it.”
That is the part Everton cannot ignore. The chief executive is talking about winners and missed chances, while the manager is still talking about numbers and quality. Moyes is in the final year of his contract, and he has made it plain that the work is not finished before the window closes.
Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 1 outlet. How we work →
