MOYES ROUND 2: Impact on EFC Recruitment, Tactics, and Survival
The Blue Frontier - American Everton Analysis
Release Date: 01/11/2025
EVERTON 2-4 BRENTFORD: Bees Saw the Gaps
The Blue Frontier - American Everton Analysis
Everton’s grim New Year tradition continued with a chastening 4-2 home defeat to Brentford at Hill Dickinson Stadium, marking their eighth loss in the opening match of the last nine seasons. Shan and Ryan deliver a candid, data-informed autopsy of a performance that started brightly (effective pressing and a couple of early chances) before unravelling after Igor Thiago’s 11th-minute opener. The Brazilian forward ran riot with a hat-trick (11', 51', 88'), finishing with 5/6 shots on target and a 2.42 PSxG masterclass, while Nathan Collins added a header from Brentford’s first Premier...
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EVERTON'S JANUARY WINDOW: Needs and Targets Revisited
The Blue Frontier - American Everton Analysis
The Blue Frontier steps away from its usual post-match grind to reset the conversation around Everton’s January transfer window. With the Blues sitting eighth in the Premier League, James and Ryan dig into what the table says versus what the numbers actually show, using expected points, xG, and xGA to separate genuine progress from mild overperformance. The core argument is simple: Everton are more stable than they’ve been in years, but that doesn’t mean January is the moment to force ambition. The positional needs identified in the summer still hold. Right back stands out as the...
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FOREST 0-2 EVERTON: Stealing From the Rich at Nottingham
The Blue Frontier - American Everton Analysis
In the first Blue Frontier episode of 2026, James and Ryan unpack Everton’s hard-earned 2-0 win at Nottingham Forest, a result that felt far more impressive than the scoreline suggests. Facing Sean Dyche’s expensively-assembled side with a threadbare squad (Keane and Alcaraz sidelined, AFCON call-ups still thinning the bench), the Toffees delivered an opportunistic, disciplined performance that turned the City Ground the venue for frustrating afternoon for the home side.The duo zoom in on the decisive first goal from James Garner, the clinical late sealer by Thierno Barry, and the...
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EVERTON 0-1 ARSENAL: Tifos, Tactics, and Terrible Officiating
The Blue Frontier - American Everton Analysis
In the last fixture before Christmas, The Blue Frontier wishes everyone a Merry Christmas and happy holidays, while hoping the PGMOL gets a dose of consistency in the new year. James and Ryan dissect Everton's gritty 1-0 defeat to Arsenal at Hill Dickinson Stadium: a tough outing for a depleted Toffees side missing Iliman Ndiaye and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall to injuries and looming AFCON duties. Arsenal's lone goal stemmed from Jake O'Brien's bizarre handball penalty, buried by Viktor Gyokeres, amid a match where Everton struggled to create, posting zero xG in the first half per Opta and...
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CHELSEA 2-0 EVERTON: Burned at the Confounded Bridge (Again)
The Blue Frontier - American Everton Analysis
Everton haven't had much luck at Chelsea lately, but they rolled into this one in solid form. Sadly, it wasn't the day to snap their winless streak at Stamford Bridge, tumbling 2-0 and pushing that drought to 31 years. On this episode, James and Ryan zero in on a game defined by big chances: eight in all, with Chelsea converting theirs amid Everton's near-misses from Jack Grealish and Iliman Ndiaye. The duo dissects tactical headaches, like fullback frailties with Jake O'Brien and Vitaliy Mykolenko getting torched by Pedro Neto and Alejandro Garnacho, plus debates on Kiernan...
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EVERTON 3-0 FOREST: Dyche Derby Demolition
The Blue Frontier - American Everton Analysis
In a commanding 3-0 Premier League victory at Goodison Park, Everton dismantled Sean Dyche's Nottingham Forest, climbing (briefly) to fifth in the table and marking four wins in five under David Moyes. The Toffees struck early with a deflected own goal off Nikola Milenkovic from Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall's delivery, disrupting Forest's defensive setup and exposing vulnerabilities without key players like Murillo and Chris Wood. Thierno Barry finally broke his scoring drought with a clinical finish on a blistering Iliman Ndiaye counterattack, while Dewsbury-Hall sealed the rout with a sharp...
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BOURNEMOUTH 0-1 EVERTON: Bounce-Back Brilliance
The Blue Frontier - American Everton Analysis
In this episode of The Blue Frontier, the hosts dissect Everton's historic 1-0 victory over Bournemouth at the Vitality Stadium, marking the Toffees' first-ever away win against the Cherries in the Premier League. James, Ryan, and Shan break down Jack Grealish's late deflected goal that sealed the gritty bounce-back from the Newcastle defeat (complete with his cheeky badge-kiss celebration that has them asking: is it true love with David Moyes? They highlight tactical shifts like James Garner's role at right-back, Jake O'Brien's solid center-back performance, and Tim Iroegbunam's...
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EVERTON 1-4 NEWCASTLE: Barcodes at Full Power
The Blue Frontier - American Everton Analysis
Everton’s three-game momentum ended in emphatic fashion as Newcastle United walked out of Hill Dickinson Stadium with a 4–1 win. On this episode of The Blue Frontier, James, Shan, and Ryan take a clear-eyed look at a first half that collapsed: a set-piece breakdown, midfield gaps, and a back line repeatedly exposed. They explain why the James Garner/Tim Iroegbunam pairing “was just really suspect… a very passive duo,” how Tino Livramento and Anthony Elanga repeatedly created overloads down the flank, and why Newcastle’s physicality forced Everton out of shape. Beyond...
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MAN UNITED 0-1 EVERTON: A Little Slap, A Lot of Pickford
The Blue Frontier - American Everton Analysis
Everton’s 1–0 win at Old Trafford was both the strangest and most satisfying result of the season, and this week The Blue Frontier tries to make sense of all of it. James and Ryan walk through a match that swung from meltdown to resilience in minutes, starting with Idrissa Gana Gueye’s surreal red card (“It was bizarre… I’ve never seen him so angry”) and ending with Jordan Pickford putting on yet another display of goalkeeping excellence. The episode digs into Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall’s solo winner, the way David Moyes re-shaped Everton’s structure after going down to...
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EVERTON 2-0 FULHAM: Offside Goals, Midfield Control
The Blue Frontier - American Everton Analysis
Everton stop the slide with a 2–0 win over Fulham at the Hill Dickinson Stadium: a match that could’ve easily finished five if not for the linesman and VAR’s meddling. The Blue Frontier crew dive into what made this performance click: Moyes’ much-needed adjustments, Garner’s surprising stability at right back, Tim’s tidy control in midfield, and Barry’s growing confidence up top. They dissect the three disallowed goals, highlight the press that throttled Fulham’s buildup, and weigh how much credit belongs to Moyes versus the opposition’s drop-off. Beyond the scoreline, the...
info_outlineThe news keeps coming and the The Blue Frontier keeps podding! James, Ryan and Shan are back with a jam-packed episode dissecting the massive news that David Moyes has replaced Sean Dyche as Everton’s manager on a 2 ½ year deal. The guys give their initial reactions to the appointment, explore Moyes’ history with relegation battles, and dive into his tactical approach and transfer strategies. With their signature deep-dive style, the American blues break down his most recent stint at West Ham, examining his recruitment successes, failures, and experience working with a Technical Director.
The trio also tackles listener questions, evaluating Moyes’ fit at Everton, the implications of his contract, and how his arrival impacts the club’s January recruitment strategy. They analyze the gaps in the current squad, revisit their team assessment, and discuss how Moyes might use existing personnel to shape Everton’s tactics and formations. Wrapping up, the hosts weigh the challenges and opportunities of this pivotal managerial shift, offering a balanced look at what Moyes’ return could mean for Everton’s future.
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