From Relegation Fodder to European Hopefuls: Is Moyes Finally Making Everton Believe Again?
David Moyes walked into Goodison Park in January 2025 to find a club gasping for air — one point above the drop zone, morale in tatters, and a fanbase that had seen this horror film before. Fast forward fifteen months, and Everton are gatecrashing the European conversation. Three wins from their last five Premier League outings, ten goals scored, a statement 3-0 dismantling of Chelsea, and a gritty 3-2 comeback at Newcastle — this is not the Everton anyone expected.
James Garner and Jack Grealish are pulling strings with six league assists each, Iliman Ndiaye is chipping in, and after a 2-2 draw at Brentford, the Merseyside derby on April 19th awaits. Europe is no longer a pipe dream. So the real question is: can Everton afford *not* to back their manager?
Wyness Breaks It Down: Here’s Exactly What Moyes Has Earned
Former Everton chief executive Keith Wyness isn’t mincing words. Speaking on Football Insider’s *Inside Track* podcast, the man who ran the club from 2004 to 2009 — and who has personally sat across a negotiating table from Moyes — says the board needs to move fast and move decisively.
His blueprint? A 20 per cent pay rise on Moyes’ reported £5 million-a-year salary, a two-year extension with an additional option, and a performance-based bonus structure. Clean. Simple. Deserved.
“What should happen is that David should get a 20 per cent increase. There should be another two-year contract with an option. There should be a new bonus structure. All those things are achievable. He’s deserved them. All parties could live with that — and it could be happy. I would expect there to be a pretty quick resolution.”
With Everton sitting eighth and within touching distance of Europe, Wyness believes both sides are motivated to settle this quickly. Former West Ham scout Mick Brown echoed the sentiment with a pointed warning: don’t do what West Ham did. They showed Moyes the door in favour of a shiner name — and spent years regretting it.
Back Him Now or Risk Losing Everything Everton Have Built
Here is the uncomfortable truth Everton’s board must confront: the progress this club has made under Moyes is not guaranteed to survive uncertainty at the top.
After years of managerial merry-go-rounds, relegation scares, and mid-table misery, Moyes has delivered something far more valuable than a trophy — he’s delivered belief. He’s been open about wanting to stay. The Friedkin Group are finally thinking long-term, steadying the finances, and preparing for life at the Hill Dickinson Stadium. This is a club with a plan again.
But here’s the debate: do you reward a manager who hasn’t won anything yet, or do you wait and see? The counter-argument writes itself — Moyes’ contract runs until 2027, so why the urgency?
The answer is simple. Waiting creates a lame duck atmosphere. Players read the room. Rival clubs circle. The momentum Everton have built this season is fragile, and nothing kills momentum faster than a manager whose future is the subject of daily speculation. Settle it now, send a statement to the dressing room and the rest of the league, and let Moyes get back to what he does best.
Everton have been burnt by indecision before. This time, the logical move is staring them in the face.
