David Moyes Faces Manchester United with a Thin Squad

David Moyes faces Manchester United this weekend with a squad list that looks alarmingly light for a long Premier League season – and he knows it.

Everton staggered over the line at the end of the transfer window, losing Beto, Adam Aznou, Nathan Patterson, Iliman Ndiaye and Tim Iroegbunam in the final days of business. The exits stripped depth from a group that was hardly overflowing with options to begin with.

There were arrivals, but not enough to change the mood. Jack Grealish returned to Goodison Park on loan, Ainsley Maitland-Niles came in from Lyon, yet a failed move for Folarin Balogun underlined how messy the finale to the window had become. Plans frayed, targets slipped away, and Moyes has been left to count the cost.

The numbers tell their own story. Everton have named just 19 senior players in their 25-man Premier League squad. Three more – Harrison Armstrong, Tyrique George and Tyler Dibling – sit on the under-21 list and will effectively function as first-team cover.

For a manager who has spent decades navigating the demands of this league, the shortfall is obvious.

“I know what I needed and I know what it’s like to build a squad for the Premier League,” Moyes said in his pre-match press conference. “I know the numbers you need. I’ve been around long enough to know that, but some things went against us and some things could have gone better. Ultimately, we didn’t want to lose a lot of the players, but for different reasons that had to happen.”

The reality is blunt: Everton will have to grind through the schedule with what they have. No safety net. Little room for injuries. Even less for passengers.

“They’re all going to have to be able to muck in as we’ve got a real small squad now,” Moyes continued. “It gives opportunities to some people who have not had them and sometimes in football you need to be given that chance so that you can show what you can do.

“Let’s see if some of them can do that. I have no concerns. I am sure they will be fully at-it.”

That is the pivot point for Everton now. The departures have dragged fringe players into the spotlight, whether they are ready or not. The manager’s tone is pragmatic, not panicked; he accepts the damage of the window but leans into the possibilities it creates.

Against Manchester United, he will find out quickly who can carry that responsibility.