David Moyes reckons that Everton were only one player away from competing for the Premier League title under his tutelage.
Moyes was in charge of the Merseyside club for over 11 years, a time during which they often found themselves as the closest challengers to the top tier of teams in the league. They even managed a fourth place finish in the 2004/05 season.
Speaking on Sky Sports today, the Scot says that he believed his side were only a top-class forward away from competing for the Premier League title.
"We were a centre-forward away from competing for the Premier League." 🏆
David Moyes discusses leaving @Everton for @ManUtd and gives his thoughts on the current squad...💭
Watch build-up to @Wolves v @BurnleyOfficial live on Sky Sports PL now! https://t.co/YLDQ0nysdq pic.twitter.com/cxayD5CnCS— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) September 16, 2018
I was here 11-and-a-half years and when we finished we had a great team.
I think our style was as good as anybody and I think we were a centre-forward away from being contenders for the Premier League. We had a terrific team.
While that Everton team did feature some excellent players, it is difficult to imagine that the addition of one player could have catapulted them to the summit of the division.
This was an era that was dominated by Alex Ferguson's Manchester United sides and a Roman Abramovich backed Chelsea, while Liverpool and Arsenal were also strong at the time.
It is true that Everton were often lacking in the striking department during this period. Players such as Duncan Ferguson, Andrew Johnson and Tim Cahill led the line for the club, none of whom could contribute the goals necessary to close the gap on the top sides.
Moyes did manage to maximise the resources he had at his disposal during his time at the club, but prolific strikers were always likely to be beyond his reach.
His managerial career has suffered a sharp decline since leaving Goodison Park, and he has become a ridiculed figure in recent times. His disastrous spell at Manchester United was followed by equally fruitless stints at Real Sociedad and Sunderland. He did steer West Ham to safety last season, but he was not retained at the club for this term.
If he could have landed that coveted 25 goal a season striker and led Everton to the promised land, perhaps he would be viewed in a much different light.
