Moyes Moves Up Manager of Month Rankings

Posted on by footybet
David Moyes
David Moyes (Credit Giovanni Batista Rodriguez via Wikipedia)

David Moyes was recently named the Premier League Manager of the Month for February after the sensational start he made in the dugout back at his former club Everton. Things did not start perfectly for the Scottish former West Ham boss, and the Toffees actually lost his first game back at the club.

4,266 days (or more than six million minutes) after he last sat in the home dugout at Goodison, Moyes returned, but he was unable to work his magic instantly and Aston Villa earned a 1-0 win. They played better against Villa than they had performed in previous recent matches but old issues haunted them, chiefly an inability to score.

That clash took place on the 15th of March, and afterwards, Moyes cautioned that he was no “magician” and could not change Everton’s deep-seated issues instantly. Instantly, no, but miraculously it took the underrated boss just that one game and a few training sessions to somehow transform the club.

Next time out Everton not only won, but scored three goals and could – probably should – have been four or even five up inside the first half. In the end they beat Spurs 3-2 and had to endure a nervy last few minutes, but they then backed that up with an impressive, gritty, 1-0 win at Brighton.

Fabulous February for Fans


That saw out January and everyone at the club was delighted with six points from nine and four goals scored. Everton were playing better football too and beginning to establish a healthier gap over the bottom three. But things would get even better in February.

On the first day of the month Moyes and Everton welcomed Leicester to Goodison for what was, at the time, a real relegation six-pointer. Everton were 2-0 up after just six minutes and never looked back from the fabulous start that Abdoulaye Doucoure and Beto gave them. Beto, looking more like Eto’o, or even Pele, than the player fans had seen under Sean Dyche, got two in that game, the Toffees winning 4-0 in front of their jubilant fans.

They lost next up, in the FA Cup, but nobody cared about that four days later when Liverpool were the visitors to Goodison. A quirk of the fixture list, combined with the cup game and this rearranged Merseyside derby, meant that this was Everton’s sixth home game in seven, and boy was it a thriller. James Tarkowski’s late stunner, with virtually the last kick of the game, kicked off riotous scenes inside Goodison, the prolonged VAR check only adding to the drama.

There was no hangover from that amazing clash though, with the Toffees picking up three more points with a valuable win away at Crystal Palace. They then rounded off a busy and very fruitful February by earning two draws, first at home against Man United and then away at Brentford. Having led Man United 2-0 after 33 minutes and maintained that lead (though they had chances to extend it) until inside the last 20 minutes, Moyes and his men will have been disappointed with the draw.

That is a real sign of how far they have come though, and their performances and results have been superb under their new (new-old) boss. They head into the international break in 15th position in the table, a massive 17 points clear of the bottom three and everyone associated with the club is now looking up, not down.

February Results in Premier League

Everton played five league games in February, going unbeaten despite some tough fixtures. Nine points from 15 was enough to see them move well clear of the relegation battle and Moyes was a deserving winner of the Manager of the Month award.

Date Opponent Score Result
1st Leicester 4-0 Win
12th Liverpool 2-2 Draw
15th Crystal Palace 1-2 Win
22nd Man United 2-2 Draw
26th Brentford 1-1 Draw

Moyes Claims 11th Manager of Month Award


These fine results and the impact Moyes has had at Everton brought him this recognition and it was the 11th time that the Scot had been crowned the Premier League Manager of the Month. It will be no surprise to learn that he never claimed the accolade during his brief stint at Old Trafford but it may be unexpected to some that he also never won it during his two spells as West Ham boss.

Moyes last won this prize during his first stint in the Goodison dugout and so all 11 wins have come as manager of Everton. His previous win was almost exactly 12 years earlier, in March 2013. Testament to his longevity is the fact that the first time he got his hands on this monthly prize was way back in November 2002, during his first year in charge of the Blues.

This latest addition to Moyes’ personal trophy cabinet means only two managers have won the Manager of the Month more times than he has. Sir Alex Ferguson is streets ahead of the rest with a huge 27 wins, a tally that may never be matched. Arsène Wenger is second with 15 wins but there is at least a chance that the two men currently tied for third might be able to surpass the former Arsenal boss.

Moyes’ February prize moved him level with Pep Guardiola and it is possible that either the Scot or the Catalan might have what it takes to draw level with the man who brought so many trophies to north London. It is a slim chance though, and the fact that Moyes has now moved above Jürgen Klopp and level with Guardiola shows just how hard it is to win this prize.

Manager of the Month

Manager Total Wins
Sir Alex Ferguson 27
Arsène Wenger 15
David Moyes and Pep Guardiola 11
Jürgen Klopp 10
Martin O’Neill and Harry Redknapp 8
Mikel Arteta and Rafa Benitez 7
Nuno Espirito Santo, Sam Allardyce and Bobby Robson 6

Moyes Underrated?

Some feel that Moyes is overrated and others that he is underrated. No doubt some feel his status in the game is just about right and such debate is what football is all about. However, when one considers his standing in terms of this prize, and also the number of times he has won the League Manager Association Manager of the Year, we feel the argument that many fans underestimate his excellence is valid.

His three LMA victories mean he is second only to Fergie (five) and is level with Guardiola and one ahead of Klopp and Wenger. His longevity in the game and ability to improve players and build teams are all outstanding. One cannot help thinking that Man United would be in a much stronger place right now had they given Moyes time, rather than just a single, post-Fergie season.