Everton farewells to spark transfer flurry as Anthony Gordon 'dive' gets perfect reaction

Yahoo

26-05-2025

Old master Moyes
Back when David Moyes visited St James' Park for the first time in 2002 as the top flight's youngest manager, the 38-year-old was given a rude awakening to away days at places like this at the highest level. Despite Duncan Ferguson firing Everton into an early lead, the Blues suffered a chastening 6-2 defeat to home manager Bobby Robson, the former England boss who would be knighted later that year and was 30 years the Scot's senior.
Speaking to this correspondent in an exclusive interview in 2022 to mark the 20th anniversary of his appointment at Goodison Park, Moyes told the ECHO: 'I remember him coming out and saying: 'That result is a welcome to the Premier League for David Moyes'. When I heard that I thought: 'Oh… you've got me now, the challenge is on.'
'Sir Bobby was a great man and a great manager but for a young coach it was like: 'You think you're doing okay, you're going to find this tough', and he was right in what he said.
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'In the end we stayed up quite comfortably without it being too big an issue.'
Some 23 years on and Moyes, now the competition's elder statesman himself at 62, has once again guided Everton to staying up comfortably, despite taking on the role in January when they were just a single point clear of the bottom three. This was his fifth away win in as many months since returning to the Blues and a confident, assured performance that dislayed all the hallmarks of an old master in the dugout who has now taken charge of more Premier League games than any other manager other than serial title winners, Sir Alex Ferguson and Arsene Wenger.
Going out on a high?
One thing that Everton's expert handling of the occasion demonstrated was Moyes' steely determination to never let standards slip. On paper, the Blues looked like the perfect opponents for Newcastle United as, having lifted the Carabao Cup to end their 70-year domestic silverware drought, they looked to produce a rampant display against visitors who were now safely ensconced in mid-table with no room to manoeuvre either up or down from their 13th spot in the table.
But on a day when unseasonal winds swirled around the country from Merseyside to Tyneside, rather than the baking sunshine that can often make final day of the season matches in late May, tepid affairs, the action on the pitch was like the weather – bracing and blustery. Everton's players were never going to be allowed to put their flip-flops on here by a manager who quite rightly demands 100% commitment from all of them, no matter what the circumstances.
Some of them, like Ashley Young – more on him shortly – and substitute Abdoulaye Doucoure knew they were playing their final games for Everton with their departures already announced. For the likes of match-winner Carlos Alcaraz and fellow loan man Jack Harrison, plus other out-of-contract stars Idrissa Gueye, Michael Keane and Dominic Calvert-Lewin, we'll have to wait and see, but regardless of where their futures lie, they were all totally dedicated to their tasks here as they successfully did a number on the Toon in their own back yard.
Young at heart
Ahead of the announcement that his two-year stay at Everton was coming to an end, Ashley Young – who can be almost as spiky on social media as he is on the pitch – took an online commentator to task who suggested he was heading for retirement. He might be just a few weeks shy of his 40th birthday but the former England international, who has won a treasure trove of honours throughout his long and distinguished career – including league titles in both England and Italy – takes no prisoners.
It's that ruthless streak, plus incredible fitness levels and football intelligence that have enabled the Stevenage-born star to keep playing at the highest level for a timespan that stretches back to just a year after Moyes was first prowling the touchline for the Blues. Young, who is Everton's oldest-ever outfield player – and goalscorer, thanks to his strike in the 4-0 thrashing of Wolverhampton Wanderers on December 4 – had Goodison's fallen idol Anthony Gordon in his back pocket for most of the first half.
When Young was adjudged to have fouled the winger, who moved to Newcastle United for £45million in January 2023, it looked like his opponent had dived and the Blues ace certainly reacted like he thought so and it was not surprising to see the lacklustre Scouser hauled off at the break. Young's reaction to that incident and his incredible ability – whether feigned or genuine – to look astonished whenever a decision goes against him is yet another string to his bow.
People talk about Mikel Arteta's Arsenal but Young, in the best sense of the word, is also a master of football's so-called 'dark arts.' Many in the home crowd – including one fella just behind the Press Box who bore a striking resemblance to Marcelo Bielsa – were going apoplectic as their team headed towards defeat, but Young's facial gestures on the touchline in the face of such outrage were worth the entrance fee alone for ecstatic Evertonians.