Two months is a long time in football. It is a long time in the world of Everton. And two months ago, Everton was a club in a very different place.
There was room for optimism - The Friedkin Group had completed their takeover just before Christmas and, within days, a second major boost followed when the club received the keys to its stunning new stadium.
But frustrating defeats and, more poignantly, the miserable displays that underpinned them, had burst that festive bubble and the Premier League table was once again a terrifying sight with the Blues hovering just one point above the bottom three.
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Against that backdrop, the return of David Moyes came at a pivotal moment for Everton. Facing the prospect of a fourth consecutive relegation fight he arrived at a club wracked with anxiety. And not every fan was convinced he was the right manager to steer the Blues through their latest crisis.
Two months later, with Goodison galvanised, Everton unbeaten in nine league games and 17 points above the relegation zone, any questions over whether he should have returned have long gone.
Results, clearly, have helped. But the success of the reunion has been built on more than just events on the pitch. And Moyes has worked hard to do everything in his power to rebuild his bond with Blues supporters.
Publicly, there has been a notable shift in the atmosphere of press conferences. Under Sean Dyche the weekly spectacles often became bogged down in what felt like competing ambitions - reporters seeking to get information from a manager who much preferred to keep his cards close to his chest. Moyes, however, instantly recognised the Finch Farm showcase was an opportunity to send his message directly to supporters - something he did after posing with the shirt for photos before responding to journalists ahead of the Aston Villa match.
He hit the right notes quickly, immediately making clear his desire to take the supporters with him: "We need everyone behind us, the players playing better and scoring more goals if we're going to make that happen."
Once the cameras stopped rolling he was candid to the written press. Moyes has changed immeasurably in the years between his stints at Everton. It was clear his respect for the Blues had not diminished. He spoke of his gratitude at being able to return.
He also - and this chimed with a fanbase that had endured years of turmoil - spoke of the Everton he thought the club should be. While he showed caution over the severity of the job at hand he shifted the tone - no longer was this a club existing to meet bottom lines, this was an historic institution that needed to do better and he demanded improvement.
"The football club now needs steering in the right direction, putting in a place where you’re not fighting at the bottom of the league all the time”, he said. “I’ve told the players today. I said to them; ‘I’m not coming here to manage a team at the bottom of the league. I’m coming to manage a team that’s going to be fighting and challenging.’ We might not be in a good position at the moment, but I’m not coming here to take a team at the bottom of the league.
"Part of it is - you players had better turn up. I’ve got no doubt the crowd, the people, Goodison, will all play a part. The players have to play their part now and they have to show they can handle it. Goodison can be a very fierce arena and they have to go on stage and put on a big act. They have to perform."
His eagerness to embrace the power of the supporters struck a positive nerve. Dyche spoke of a respect for the fanbase but nurturing that relationship did not appear to come as naturally to him as it did to Moyes, whose words fuelled a surge in hope that was reflected in the stands when the team emerged from the tunnel against Tottenham Hotspur and roared the side to a landmark victory.
While it may have looked as though Moyes’ intuition was guiding him, his efforts to win over any doubting supporters were painstaking and meticulous. They still are. When he arrived at Finch Farm he was aware that not every supporter was convinced by him, that some still had lingering concerns over his departure to Manchester United and his efforts to take Blue talent down the East Lancs.
Every effort was taken to speak to the fanbase, with a desire to prevent any opportunity for his message of unity to be misinterpreted. This extended to his matchday programme notes. The words are ghostwritten, with Moyes spending time discussing ideas and the tone he wishes to adopt. But he is ruthless in his pursuit of perfection and demands to see drafts of the words. It is not unusual for him to make amendments and to keep doing so, often pushing the revision of them close to the deadline for publication.
Changing the playing style also helped. Everton appeared bereft of ideas by the final matches of Dyche. In his last home game, the defeat to Nottingham Forest, Everton took 82 minutes to have a shot on target. Days later they did not test the keeper once in a dismal loss at Bournemouth. Coachloads of supporters travelled home in the snow that night wondering where the next goal would come from.
Having stuck with Dyche’s XI against Villa, Moyes changed the team and the attitude for Spurs. There was excitement at the prospect of Jake O’Brien getting his first league start after spending six months in the shadows under Dyche, the move an easy win but also a signal of change.
Buoyed by the home support, he wanted to harness it before it dissipated and start the match quickly. There was a clear attitude change as the Blues shot on sight and the image of Dominic Calvert-Lewin dancing past defenders to end his goal drought and provide an early lead was followed by Iliman Ndiaye flying down the left wing and rifling in the second. On the brink of half-time a team conditioned to play safe went for the jugular, finding the match-winning third goal by refusing to release the pressure on the hapless visitors.
Seven days later and the adventure of Spurs gave way to the resilience of the narrow win at Brighton & Hove Albion. At the end of that match a mass brawl epitomised the desire of a rejuvenated side that appeared desperate to fight for every blade of grass. The away end roared on their players before celebrating with Moyes, who stepped onto the pitch, walked past the battle in the Brighton box and shared a poignant moment with the away end.
Watching that scene unfold from the press box, it felt as though that was when everything clicked for the new regime.
Moyes has been keen to highlight that he inherited a strong defence and resilient side from Dyche but the past two months have seen passion and flair added. Feel-good moments such as the incredible stoppage-time equaliser in the final Merseyside derby at Goodison Park have helped - but perhaps more important was the way Moyes’ Blues took on what were then an all-conquering Liverpool side without fear. The template set by Dyche in the famous win the previous April, the highlight of his reign but one he struggled to repeat, was followed and home supporters again left L4 with pride.
For all that Moyes has worked hard to partner so effectively with the stands, he has adopted a similar approach behind-the-scenes. His backroom staff has been boosted by people who know Everton and can relay the spirit of the club to the players. Seamus Coleman, who Moyes famously signed in his first stint, has been influential but the promotion of Leighton Baines and return of Alan Irvine, who was with Moyes all those years ago, have helped.
There were times when Coleman stepped in to rally flagging Everton players under Dyche, including in the comeback win over Crystal Palace earlier this season. His ability to act as a link between the dressing room and the stands was unrivalled but all of a sudden he is not a lone voice. Others can now help to inspire the connection.
Baines’ extended influence at Everton goes beyond his emotional awareness and onto the training ground, where he has been leading extra sessions to help the defenders provide more attacking threat - something that has been key to the upturn in form.
One beneficiary of that has been O’Brien, the centre-back having morphed into an attacking full back with two goals to his name.
Explaining Baines’ inspiration, he said recently: “That is part of the training we are working on, getting into the final third and creating chances. I think we have shown that today we are just unlucky we didn’t finish them. Leighton (Baines) has been a big part of it; all the coaches have been part of it, getting a few players in, attacking and defending, working on different things.”
Everton’s stars have been unanimous in their welcoming of Moyes and his approach. That has extended to players who were among Dyche’s most trusted, including Abdoulaye Doucoure - the architect of some of the Blues' most significant wins under him.
Speaking after the draw against Manchester United, in which Doucoure scored a second goal under Moyes having not hit the back of the net for months before, he said: “I think since [Moyes] came in, he’s given me so much faith, so much confidence. So obviously every time I step on the pitch, I need to give that confidence back… I love the spirit around the club at the moment. The manager is very calm. I think that helps me a lot.”
O’Brien has been the big winner of Moyes’ appointment and has started every one of the nine games in the unbeaten streak. The defender, on the periphery under Dyche despite his big money arrival from Lyon in the summer, has embodied the freedom now felt under Moyes. This month he, like winger Jesper Lindstrom, returned to his national squad due to the new lease of life inspired by Moyes.
Meanwhile Jack Harrison, whose confidence appeared shot when Moyes took over, has also been lifted from his slump. Footage from the warm weather training camp in Abu Dhabi last month showcased the effort Moyes has put into trying to boost the 28-year-old’s self-esteem.
It has worked, Harrison having stepped up his performances before the break and grabbing his first goal of the season in the draw at Wolverhampton Wanderers.
Opening up on Moyes’s intervention last week, Harrison said: “I know there's still a long way I can go. I think the manager has offered a bit more detail in terms of what he wants from players, so it's good to get some of that clarity. I'm feeling in a good moment and a lot of it is down to the manager while some of it is myself doing some things off the pitch and then teammates as well.”
Moyes’ approach has gone down well with the squad. Training sessions are now more focused on the finer details many players feel offer them direction. Dyche’s focus was largely on fitness and a basic tactical approach - a belief that worked on the idea that if his players were able to run a certain distance, win so many duels or put so many balls into the opposition box, rewards would follow.
Under Moyes it is more nuanced - though still challenging. Training sessions are often longer now - though balanced out with genuine respite, such as the Abu Dhabi trip. This week the first team was given the entire week off to relax, recover and spend precious time with their families.
The success of the past two months is, therefore, no fluke. And Moyes is aware that challenges lie ahead and that a slump of form will hurt when it comes. For now, he is just grateful at the way in which supporters have embraced his return. For the Blues boss, none of the past two months would have been possible had they not been willing to give him a chance and he credits them with a major role in the climb away from trouble and new-found optimism around the club.
Asked about his approach by the ECHO, he explained: “When I came back I didn't know how I was going to be taken, but I actually felt that they were willing to give me an opportunity after what had happened.
“Because the supporters were willing to give me an opportunity, it allowed me to talk to them the way I think they would want to be talked to. The one thing I won't do is I'm not bulls****ing them. In no way will I bulls*** them.
“I will tell them exactly what I think. If we play well, I'll tell them we played well. If we don't play well, I'll tell them we didn’t play well. Obviously, I can't give all the details of things that are going on maybe all the time, but I'll try and be as straight and upfront as I possibly can.
“And I think if they get that, they'll have it, you know. I think the one thing the Evertonians are seeing is they just want to find clearer water, somewhere else where they can go and move, get things a bit better. I think the run we've had has been great, but I've got to say their support has been amazing towards me, so I really appreciate it.”
