We just lacked quality to earn point – Moyes

Aug 20 2007 by Ian Doyle, Liverpool Daily Post

Everton FC Manager, David Moyes _158

DAVID MOYES admitted a below-par Everton lacked the quality to salvage a point at Reading on Saturday.

Stephen Hunt’s 44th-minute strike sent the Goodison outfit crashing to their first defeat of the season and knock-ed them off the top of the Premier League.

It was a particular disappointment given Everton’s outstand-ing performance in winning 3-1 at Tottenham Hotspur in midweek.

And Moyes conceded his team were missing a cutting edge at the Madesjki Stadium.

“Reading made it very difficult to get control of the ball, but when we did I don’t think we used the ball as well as we could have done,” said the Everton manager. “I thought the first 10 or 15 minutes there was a real air of confidence about us. We moved things quickly, were lively and tried to be intelligent with our play and finding ways through, but it just petered out after 20 minutes or so.

“I thought we would get through to half-time and we could have a word with them but we lost a really bad goal.

“Reading aren’t easy to play against it. They were the better team against Chelsea in the first half and it was Chelsea’s top quality players who baled them out. Maybe that was the difference. Chelsea have that real top-edge quality to pull the game back against Reading.

“We maybe didn’t have that on Satur-day, or at least until we get a few players back from injury.”

Moyes added: “We can play much better than we did on Saturday and maybe we could have got something more.

“If we had drawn at Tottenham and drawn today you may have said that was a fantastic start, but as it is we actually have one point more, so we can’t complain too much.

“We’re looking to improve the squad, yes, but we’re also not looking to get away from what got us up to sixth last year. These people are here to add to that and they will be used when we see fit really.”

The nearest Everton came was in the 85th minute when both James McFadden and Andrew Johnson struck the Reading woodwork in the same attack.

Johnson meets up with the England squad today ahead of Wednesday’s friendly against Germany at Wembley, a game the striker has been touted to start.

And Moyes said: “If he plays on Wednesday and does well it will benefit England and it will benefit Everton.

“He’s a perfect team player and that is one thing he did today even if the goal didn’t come for him.

“He didn’t have too many chances but his team ethic and his teamwork will never be in question.”

Saturday’s game was the 400th of Moyes’s managerial career, although the Scot was surprised to discover the landmark. “Is it? I know it was 200 with Everton recently,” he said. “I’m really pleased with that. It’s a difficult thing to stay in management that length of time so I’m pleased if that’s the case, just disappointed I didn’t get a win to go with it.”