Everton’s 1-0 home Premier League loss to Aston Villa meant that the team has failed to score in nine of their last 12 league games, including one victory, and their meagre total of 15 goals in 20 games this season is the second-worst after bottom club Southampton’s 12.
The league table told the story before he arrived, but David Moyes made it even clearer after his first game back in charge of Everton on Wednesday that the team’s fundamental issue is a failure to score, or even appear to score.
“I didn’t think we played that well, we offered a little bit more in the second half but ultimately couldn’t quite score a goal that was required,”
Moyes said after Ollie Watkins’s 51st-minute goal settled his first game since replacing Sean Dyche last week.
“We’re lacking people to score, we’re lacking creating those chances. We probably had two or three good chances, half chances.
“I thought Jesper (Lindstrom) had a good chance to score with his head and Dom (Dominic Calvert-Lewin) at the end as well – but we need to create even more than that.”
With the final of his two goals arriving in September, Calvert-Lewin is having a terrible time.
He missed a first-time shot from an uncomfortable low cross that went over the bar in stoppage time, but he also missed two good chances in the first half.
He doesn’t look like the player who scored four goals in 11 England games in 2020 and 2021, and until he regains even a semblance of that form, Everton, who are now two spots and one point above the drop zone, appears destined for another tense relegation battle.
The striker’s struggles are just one aspect of the issue, though, as the midfield is severely lacking in skill, especially given Dwight McNeil’s ongoing injury.
“It’s a huge challenge,” said Moyes, who regularly had Everton in the top eight during his 11 years in charge up to 2013.
“I think we’ve got a really good group of lads and they’re committed.
“They’ve been great in training and they’re up for the fight.
“We’re desperately needing some players to create and craft goals – and finish them as well. We need to get those levels up.
“I thought the crowd were great and I was really thankful for their reception.
“But I’m kind of keeping my head down because I’ve had some great memories with the supporters but right now we’ve lost tonight and we’re near the bottom of the league.
” I need to find a way to score more goals and get more wins.”
Moyes also disclosed that Armando Broja, an injured on-loan striker, may have to return to Chelsea after suffering ankle ligament damage in last week’s FA Cup victory against Peterborough, which would keep him out of action for 10 to 12 weeks.
