David Moyes Disagrees with Virgil van Dijk as Everton Boss Issues Clear Verdict After Liverpool
David Moyes has shared his thoughts on Everton’s 2-2 draw with Liverpool, with Virgil van Dijk offering a completely different perspective from the Blues boss following the final Merseyside derby at Goodison Park.
Everton’s manager has a poor record against Liverpool in the Premier League, having secured only four wins in 38 encounters. With 10 draws and 24 defeats, his win rate stands at just 10.5 per cent—his lowest against any opponent in his managerial career.
Despite that, the 2-2 draw in what was the last Merseyside derby at Goodison Park must have felt like a victory for Everton and their returning boss. The celebrations reflected this sentiment, while for Liverpool, the result was a frustrating one.
Moyes would not have been in charge for this fixture had it not been rescheduled. Instead, Sean Dyche was dismissed, leading Everton to reappoint the Scotsman. As the historic farewell to Goodison Park gets underway, occasions like this may prove to be among the most significant for him.
“I thought the referee refereed the game well, he didn’t get involved with every challenge,” Moyes told TNT Sports at the final whistle. “I think that it was a bit of an old-fashioned game.
“I didn’t see [the incident at the final whistle] from where I was. I have had a chance to see it and I’m disappointed because [Abdoulaye] Doucoure played really well tonight and I’m going to now lose him because he’s got a second yellow card.
“The emotions were running high here all night, the stadium was at fever pitch. You could see what it meant to supporters at the end of the game, the crowd was rocking. It was one of the big nights.”
Virgil van Dijk strongly disagreed with Moyes, criticising Michael Oliver’s handling of the match. He expressed frustration over the lack of control, which saw Arne Slot, his assistant Sipke Hulshoff, and midfielder Curtis Jones all sent off.
“The ref didn’t have the game under control in my opinion,” Van Dijk told the same TV channel. “I said it to him. I don’t know what it is but both teams have to deal with it. Listen, it is what it is. We take a point and move on.”
Liverpool took the lead through Mohamed Salah, who played a pivotal role in the match by not only scoring but also assisting Alexis Mac Allister’s equaliser. Earlier, Everton had gone in front when Beto finished clinically, beating Alisson Becker in a one-on-one situation.
“We made a good start and I thought in the second half we played well, looked more likely than Liverpool to score,” Moyes continued. “When they scored I thought ‘Oh, well this is just going to be one of those days’.
“We’re just a little bit short of when the moment comes in the final third to have the quality to finish at times. It started to look as if it was difficult but we got an incredibly good goal at the end. It was a great point which keeps our position in the Premier League a little stronger.”
In other news, Liverpool Initiate Talks With European Club in Search of Robertson’s Long-term Replacement
