David Moyes hopes to give fans “chance to win a trophy” ahead of FA Cup tie against Bournemouth
The Everton boss spoke to the media ahead of their fourth round FA Cup fixture this weekend.
Ahead of Saturday’s matchup with Bournemouth, David Moyes has stated his intention to guide Everton to domestic victory.
With three victories from their past four games, the Toffees have found their rhythm under the Scot, and now their focus is on the FA Cup.
With a 2-0 victory over Peterborough at home, Everton advanced to the fourth round and will be looking to win again on Saturday night.
The Cherries, meanwhile, are hoping to recover after losing to Liverpool last weekend, ending their 11-game winning streak.
Bournemouth has only made it to the fifth round twice in their history, despite their success in the Premier League; ironically, that was in February 2016, when they lost 2-0 to Everton.
A win this weekend would guarantee the 50th meeting in the fifth round since the competition’s inception, which is a sharp contrast to the Blues’ philosophy.
Keeping with the statistics, Everton has won the FA Cup five times. Their most recent trophy victory was in 1995.
As Moyes addressed the media prior to Saturday’s match, the emphasis was on the anticipation of a closely contested cup match.
Balancing cup hopes
This weekend’s cup tie could arguably seen by fans as an unwelcome distraction based on Everton’s recent upturn in league form.
The Blues had won their last three on the bounce, with the switch to cup action placed days before an intense midweek Merseyside derby.
Forgetting league commitments for a moment, the Toffees faithful have also waited almost 30 years for another trophy win.
The major dilemma for Moyes, who was eager to emphasise how important it was to avoid relegation initially, is striking a balance between league and cup priorities.
Being in the Premier League is the most important thing to Everton. That’s crucial,” he stated.
We still have a lot of games to play, so we’re not even close to finishing the job. We must maintain our focus and keep gaining ground.
“But we have to give them that too, because every Everton fan wants to go to Wembley again and hopefully win a trophy.”
During his first tenure as manager, Moyes guided Everton to Wembley three times, including a 2-1 loss to Chelsea in the 2009 FA Cup final.
Though he was realistic about his team’s future, the Toffees manager was eager to express his desire to repeat the feat.
“My dream Everton squad would be one that is striving for greater competition and making it to the semifinals and finals.
“But I think, first of all, you have to try to take those steps to get closer to it.”
Alcaraz ready to go
Many Premier League sides operated in silence during the January transfer window until a hectic deadline day.
Before they were able to get midfielder Charly Alcaraz on a late loan from Flamengo, Everton was one of those teams with little action.
The former Southampton and Juventus player joined the Blues as their lone acquisition, most likely to take Orel Mangala’s spot.
Moyes was pleased to announce the Argentinean’s availability when asked if Alcaraz might make an immediate impact this weekend.
“I believe [Alcaraz] is fit and ready to play. The most important thing, in my opinion, is acclimating him to the group of players and ensuring that we are not overtaxing him.
Given his Premier League background, he shouldn’t be overly surprised by the game’s tempo or what to anticipate.
When Alcaraz returned to English football, the Everton manager was eager to emphasise what he might provide.
“I’m happy that I got him. It allows us to examine him and observe the outcome. There is currently no certainty that he will be accepted, but if he meets the requirements, we will be able to bring him to the Club.”
His reputation will always be based on his energy. We’ll give him the chance, and I believe it will be an opportunity to see if he can become this good again.
Third time lucky
Everton’s aspirations to defeat Bournemouth for the third time are an intriguing undercurrent in the lead-up to this match.
As everyone knows, the Cherries won the league twice, thanks to a thrilling 3-2 victory at Goodison in August and a 1-0 victory at home last month, which essentially cost Sean Dyche his job.
Given that it’s a cup knockout, the third meeting between the two teams may be the most significant.
Ahead of a difficult contest, Moyes was full of admiration for his opponents despite the commotion surrounding the match.
Bournemouth is performing incredibly well, so it’s going to be a difficult game. Excellent side, positive energy, therefore we must see if we can secure a significant victory.
“Bournemouth is performing admirably under their boss. They’ve performed incredibly well this season, in my opinion.
“We must hope that a result will be obtained. Let’s see whether we can win the cup because our two outcomes against them this season didn’t go our way.”
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