Merseyside Football latest: Transfer rumours continue and Moyes’ biggest changes so far as Everton boss

National World - LocalTV

A full roundup with Will Rooney of LiverpoolWorld.com

Transcript

00:00So, Will, let's start with Liverpool and a bit of a transfer situation update.

00:05Obviously, we've mentioned a few times, a few deals have come in.

00:09The likes of Darwin Nunes, there's obviously been interest around Salah.

00:12There's obviously been also on top of that, the sort of contract situation

00:16with three big hitters all out of contract come the end of the season.

00:20What's the latest you can tell us in terms of Liverpool's situation?

00:24How are the fans feeling about how this month's panned out?

00:27Because obviously, you're not long left until this winter window closes

00:31and there aren't been many deals done at Anfield.

00:35Yeah, I don't think it's a surprise to be honest with you.

00:38I think Arnold Slott set a stall out quite early that he was happy with his squad.

00:44He said it in the summer and he's reaffirmed that,

00:49why would he change his mind now when Liverpool are top of the table,

00:52top of the Champions League?

00:56So, it's been expected that it's been a slow window.

00:59Liverpool never go out and make wholesale changes.

01:02They don't need to make wholesale changes to the squad to say that

01:05they're in a position that they couldn't imagine.

01:09I still think, you know, the line is that if a deal maybe comes up

01:14that they think is good business, they'll react to that.

01:18Like they did in summer with Man Utd, really like they have in previous January windows.

01:23Yeah, I don't think there will be any big hit signs arriving.

01:31And by the same token, I don't see anyone leaving the club in January as well.

01:35You say, it's been a little bit about Nunes, Saudi Arabia,

01:39would Diogo Jotas have an injury issue?

01:42Liverpool can't afford to let him go anyway.

01:44And in the middle of a final four fronts, why would he let Nunes go?

01:48Because he shows at Brentford that he still has massive value to the team.

01:53Maybe it might be from the start all of the time,

01:56but he shows he can come on and make an impact.

01:59Salah's not going to be going anywhere, certainly not.

02:02Neither will the likes of Van Dijk and Alexander-Arnold.

02:07Alexander-Arnold is obviously the one that has the interest from Real Madrid,

02:12but I don't think that will happen.

02:15Will any other players, maybe youngsters, go out on loan now?

02:20I think one that supports the look on that is Jadon Danes,

02:23who scores against Atherton in the FA Cup.

02:25He's over an injury issue now.

02:29But with Diogo Jota out now for a couple of weeks,

02:32can Liverpool afford to allow him to leave?

02:35Because he is well-rated at the club.

02:39And he adds something else to the forward line, really.

02:44Can he come on in cup games?

02:46Maybe that's a plymouth in the FA Cup and make an impact there.

02:50So, yes, as I say, I don't think we've all known

02:52it's not going to be a massive January window for Liverpool.

02:56It wouldn't be a surprise if nobody comes in and only a couple go out.

03:02Looking at Liverpool and Arnish Slots Group,

03:04obviously we've mentioned the sort of rise, the progression,

03:07their top of the Premier League, a game in hand, a few points,

03:12that gap to second as well and top of the Champions League.

03:14They've been pretty much flawless all season,

03:18albeit Nottingham Forest stealing four points from them.

03:22I mean, just sort of look back at the impact Arnish Slots had

03:27and maybe do they have the ingredients for this full-on title push

03:31and maybe even to go further in the Champions League as well?

03:34Can you see them maybe reaching that Champions League final

03:37or getting to those real latter stages of that?

03:41And also, were fans expecting this sort of rise to happen so quickly?

03:45Obviously, an incredible period under Jurgen Klopp.

03:48He comes in and it's absolutely fantastic to see where Liverpool are right now.

03:53They're in an amazing position as we head into this sort of running

03:57come the end of the season.

03:59Yeah, they are. I don't think anyone quite expected it.

04:03With Arnish Slot coming in, no-one knew what was going to happen.

04:07If you'd have asked a lot of fans,

04:09look, you'll finish third again

04:11and you might challenge for a domestic trophy,

04:14I think a lot of supporters would have probably taken that

04:18because it was so unknown,

04:20changing from who many people regard as the second-best manager in the world

04:26and someone of an unknown quantity coming in.

04:29But it's been an incredible season so far.

04:33Just in terms of the Champions League,

04:36well, it's funny because Arnish Slot was speaking about that

04:39at his pre-Lille press conference at the top of the table,

04:42but it doesn't necessarily mean they could have a favourable draw

04:45because you look at Manchester City and say PSG,

04:48who were battling to finish in the top 24,

04:51it's a new format that has made it more difficult now.

04:56So it might depend on the luck of a draw,

04:58but in terms of the ingredients,

05:02you're probably looking at the squad thinking,

05:04as things stand, the injury situation is very healthy,

05:08only Diogo Dias and Diogo Gomes out.

05:11The one maybe question that some supporters are having

05:15is are some of these players going to get a little bit burnt out

05:18to say the likes of Ryan Gravenberg,

05:20who's started to date every Premier League and Champions League game,

05:25which is a lot of football for someone who's 22.

05:30Alexis McAllister has played so much

05:34just for Argentina as well,

05:35when you add in all that travel and Virgil van Dijk

05:38has been, he's 33 now,

05:42he's recently come back from an injury

05:44and has admitted he's playing with painkillers.

05:46That's the only doubt.

05:47Is the squad a little bit thin?

05:50I think if there was an extra midfielder,

05:53I don't think fans would be concerned,

05:55but Arnish Slot seems happy.

05:57There haven't been many real long-term injuries this season,

06:00so that's a positive.

06:02He seems to have a grip on that.

06:04Looking at Everton and David Moyes coming in,

06:07in terms of the transfer situation,

06:10obviously a bit of an interesting one,

06:12changing manager halfway through the month almost.

06:15What's your take on the current transfer situation?

06:19Are fans expecting any business in or out?

06:22We've mentioned a few times positions that might have been filled,

06:25but that performance against Spurs at home was absolutely fantastic.

06:29So it's sort of cut those worries out maybe for fans for now,

06:33for the time being.

06:34But obviously a big run in left,

06:36they are still just hovering above the relegation zone.

06:39They need to make sure that they continue this little run

06:42and don't fall back towards the bottom three.

06:46Yes, definitely.

06:47David Moyes said after the Tottenham game

06:50for his goals to win,

06:51whilst he wasn't getting carried away,

06:53he still knows that Everton need players through the door

06:57because Stilton scored 18 league goals in 21 games

07:01and that's the second fewest,

07:03just in front of Southampton,

07:05who are obviously in deep, deep trouble.

07:10A lot of supporters still want to see intact improvements.

07:13Almanzo Breaux is just now out for three months.

07:17Yousef Chimithy's absence as well,

07:19so that leaves two strikers.

07:21Dominic Calvert-Lewin scored a great goal against Tottenham,

07:24but it was his first in September.

07:26As well as Jesper Lindström's against Tottenham,

07:29he still hasn't been absolutely consistent since he arrived.

07:35In the midfield, is there enough goals in there?

07:38Is there enough threat from the full-backs?

07:41It's an interesting one because we speak to less than two weeks now.

07:47David Moyes has said that Everton need players,

07:50elite players from the elite stadium that they're moving to,

07:54but they also need recruits coming in

07:56who are going to make an instant impact.

08:00Moyes' command said they like Ernest Neumar at Lyon,

08:04but he's off the profile of a development side

08:07and he couldn't come in and go right.

08:09You're our new right winger.

08:11We're expecting five goals and five assists from you

08:13in the second half of the season.

08:15It wouldn't be fair on the lads to start with,

08:18and you can't get a guarantee.

08:20It's a difficult market Everton are working in.

08:23They have got some wiggle room with the PSR,

08:26but what sort of players do they sign?

08:28Do they want development ones?

08:30Do they want younger players who will give their all?

08:34I think whoever Everton sign,

08:36there's going to be one fault to them,

08:39whether that's if it's a younger player,

08:41whether it's an older player,

08:43but maybe has a couple of injuries in the past,

08:46or maybe has a bit of an attitude problem in the past per se.

08:50It's not straightforward.

08:52I think David Moyes and the recruitment team

08:55have got to weigh everything up

08:57when it comes to who they're bringing in

08:59and decide what would be best.

09:01The task the players need is maybe midfield

09:04and the full-back area, the left-back area,

09:07somewhere they could look at.

09:09Just looking at David Moyes' appointment,

09:11obviously coming back,

09:13you mentioned it's a 2.0 of David Moyes.

09:16He's got a big job on his hands

09:19and he's really certain of signing

09:21that longer extended contract

09:23to make sure it's not just a survival job.

09:25It's something they want to build on in the future

09:28and he wants to have another great crack

09:30at going with Everton's managerial role.

09:33What's the biggest changes he's had so far?

09:36The obvious ones being the morale inside the camp

09:40and inside of Goodison.

09:42They seem a bit more confident to have him back

09:45and a bit more stability maybe

09:47than under Sean Dyche.

09:49In terms of all round,

09:51what's the biggest changes he's made so far

09:53and can you see these changes sticking

09:55and having a good impact on Everton?

09:57I think in the two games he's been in charge.

10:00He's wanted to play a little bit more football.

10:04Sean Dyche, we know his style,

10:06it's a game of percentages.

10:10Since Aston Villa, the 1-0 defeat,

10:13there wasn't much in it to be fair.

10:16He was punished by a good counter-attack

10:18but when you looked at all the stats of the game,

10:20the game was quite close.

10:22Everton showed a few improvements on that.

10:25They started trying to play around

10:27from the back a little bit more

10:29and that's what happened against Tottenham.

10:32They looked more comfortable

10:34knocking it around, playing it about.

10:39The players looked like they enjoyed it as well.

10:42He looks like he's rejuvenated as a player

10:45like Jesper Lindström who has a really good game

10:47against Tottenham on the right flank.

10:50He struggled under Sean Dyche.

10:52He didn't look like a Sean Dyche player whatsoever

10:54but maybe he's someone who can benefit.

10:57Dominic Calvert-Lewin's getting more chances now.

11:00That was the trouble for as long as his baron streak went on.

11:05He went and got a lot of goalscoring chances.

11:07It was a bit of a flankless task for him,

11:09running the channels up top, isolated.

11:11An interesting move that he made against Tottenham

11:14was Hans and Jake O'Brien,

11:16his full Premier League debut.

11:18He came in from Lyon in the summer

11:20for a fee of £16 million.

11:22He had limited chances.

11:24He is a centre-back by trade

11:26and I think he maybe understands

11:28that Everton's centre-back pair

11:30and James Sarkozy and Jared Bramford

11:32are pretty much certainties to start.

11:35He would have hoped for more chances

11:37but it was interesting that he was bullied

11:40as a right-back against Aston Villa

11:42was a little bit more attacking.

11:46He looks like he maybe has benefits as well.

11:49He struggled certainly under Dyche this season.

11:52Plenty to build from

11:54but it's all about results now.

11:56Everton need to get results

11:58and just get out of that relegation bath.

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