Moyes playing low-expectations game as Everton face up to bottom 10 finish

By David Anderson

Published 12:11 16/01/12

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As well as managing his players, David Moyes is doing a great job managing expectations.

He caused a few raised eyebrows at the start of the season when he claimed Everton's target was a top-half finish - despite averaging sixth over the last five campaigns.

After a creditable point at Aston Villa on Saturday moved them into the top-10 - only for Swansea to knock them down to 11th - he was at it again, claiming his first priority is to reach 40 points and safety.

That is shrewd management by Moyes and he is lowering the sights of Evertonians because he is fully aware of the new landscape in the Premier League.

Basically, Moyes has overachieved at Everton over the last few years since the money to buy big dried up.

Seventh place last season was a fine achievement, particularly given their awful start, and would have been good enough for Europe 12 months earlier.

But Moyes he can't keep pulling a rabbit out of the hat every season against the backdrop of huge spending by his rivals and seeing his own squad diminish.

Off the top of my head outside of the established big boys - Stoke, Sunderland, Fulham, QPR, Bolton and Blackburn - have all spent more on players this season.

With little cash to spend, Moyes has shown his eye for a good deal by securing Royston Drenthe on loan, Landon Donovan on another holiday from the MLS and most-recently Darron Gibson.

Gibson is a snip at £1million and his ability to weigh in with goals from midfield could prove priceless for Everton, particularly now that Tim Cahill's goals have dried up.

With the top six seemingly set in stone and Newcastle looking like they can hang on to their coat-tails, it doesn't leave a lot for Everton to aim for.

Stoke also have big ambitions to record their best-ever finish in the Premier League, while Aston Villa will not settle for a place in the bottom half.

This is the stiff competition Moyes is up against as he tries to steer the Blues to an eighth top-10 finish in his decade at Goodison Park.

Privately, he believes they can do it, but is right to prepare fans for the worst in case they don't.

Wherever Everton finish, it should not tarnish the remarkable job he has done at Everton over the last 10 years.

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