DE Moyesiah was back at Finch Farm – and admits he doesn't have much time to pull off a miracle.
Certainly less than in his first stint. David Moyes was in charge of Everton for eleven years before joining Manchester United in 2013. David Moyes was all smiles as he completed his stunning return to Merseyside.
The Scot revealed he had repeatedly come close to a Goodison return before the stars finally aligned.
With Everton in 16th place in the Premier League, one point clear of the relegation zone, the 61-year-old is out to steady the ship.
He wants to ensure that the club moves to their beautiful new stadium at the Bramley-Moore Dock as a top club. And maybe, just maybe, he could get Everton back to Europe.
As he entered the room, Moyes said: “I see a lot of old faces, including mine,” before posing with the Everton shirt, something that seemed impossible a few weeks ago before Sean Dyche was sacked.
Moyes, whose second spell at West Ham ended this summer, said: “I have had other opportunities to consider other jobs. Quite a few since I left West Ham. I certainly didn't feel ready for it.
“But this was too great an opportunity to turn down. I want to try to show that I can do it again. I've come very close to returning three or four times.
“I've had conversations about coming back at various points in my career and for various reasons that hasn't quite happened yet.
“That's football. It used to not sound good to go back, but I came back to West Ham and we won a European trophy.
'I hadn't been to Finch Farm since the day I left. On my first day as manager I went into the dressing room with David Ginola, Paul Gascoigne, Duncan Ferguson and Thomas Gravesen.
“Being a very young coach, I said, 'My God, they won't even know who I am.' I'm back in a different phase of my career. People know me a little better, the players will know me.
“I know a lot of the players and some of them I probably tried to sign. I hope we can come together, work well together and make something happen.”
Moyes says the opportunity comes as a shock after Dyche's departure. Now he must prepare for the visit of Aston Villa tomorrow.
He said: “Sean did really well. I didn't see any changes happening at that time. I wasn't necessarily planning on going back, but as everyone knows, this is a different beast for me.
“There are a lot of people in this room who have probably watched Everton over the years. It has been a difficult time and I admire a lot of them for getting through a difficult period.”
And Moyes will have a few euros to spend during the January transfer window, thanks to the club's new owners.
He said: “The damage has been done for a long time, but we've had a great time here and I'd like to help improve it if possible.
“There's a stadium at the end of it. The stadium looks businesslike, looks elite. So we need to start recruiting some elite players.”
In his first spell, Moyes almost sent Everton into the Champions League until a controversial decision by referee Pierluigi Collina in a play-off against Villarreal in 2005 cost them their way.
Moyes said: “We got out of relegation trouble last time and finished sixth, seventh and ninth in the Premier League in three or four years.
“At Everton I remember feeling like a team challenging the top teams trying to be in Europe. At West Ham I did it quite quickly.
“My idea is to try to do everything here as quickly as possible, because I won't be here like before for the next eleven years.”
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