David Moyes has faced criticism for a “embarrassing” post-match interview following Everton’s 1-0 defeat at Anfield on Wednesday night. Diogo Jota scored the winning goal in Liverpool’s 100th Merseyside derby, moving them one step closer to their 20th league title.
As expected, the contest was not without controversy. Just seven weeks ago, the last derby at Goodison Park saw two red cards and several tense moments. That ferocity continued over into this match, demonstrating yet again that the so-called “friendly derby” is anything but. From James Tarkowski’s reckless studs-up challenge on Alexis MacAllister to Darwin Nunez receiving a controversial yellow card after being kicked by Jordan Pickford, Anfield saw yet another heated clash.
Moyes, who is now winless in 20 Premier League games at Anfield, was not pleased with the result, and his post-match comments have perplexed many.
David Moyes’ ‘Embarrassing’ Post-Match Interview
In the buildup to Liverpool’s goal, Luis Diaz appeared to be offside, leading an Everton defender to quickly clear the ball before Jota profited by blasting past Jordan Pickford. The goal was allowed to stand because the Colombian winger did not interfere with play. However, Moyes thought VAR should have ruled it out. He stated (see the interview below):
“There’s an offside goal, which they get. So that’s the difference in the game tonight. I think the players behind Tarkowski have interfered with him. It’s a clear offside, I think it’s an easy decision. I can’t think of any reason that wouldn’t have been given offside.”
Later in the same interview, Moyes appears to praise Tarkowski for a challenge on MacAllister, which the rest of the world, including Duncan Ferguson, denounced as one of the most obvious red cards ever (watch the incident below). He added:
“My first thought was that it was a great tackle in a derby. A tackle that we used to see a few years ago. I understand it’s a bit different now to what it was like afterwards. We were maybe a bit lucky, but don’t put it in the same bracket as Liverpool’s goal, because it was another incident that won the game for Liverpool.”
His interesting comments have certainly drawn the ire of fans online, with one X user remarking: “Moyes has embarrassed himself. You’d have thought after all his years in the game he’d know the rules. Clueless about the red card. Clueless about the offside,” while a second continued: “Moyes is an idiot. The 2 incidents aren’t related, eh Davey boy? Tarkowski shouldn’t have been on the pitch in the lead up to the goal.”
A third user wrote: “Diaz made no attempt for the ball and never interfered with play. Sounds like Moyes is making excuses for losing a game that his side didn’t deserve to win in the first place. Nothing new there,” while a fourth said: “David moyes clearly doesn’t know the offside rule. That’s not an opinion, it’s fact. How can a Premier League manager rock up to a post-match interview and speak like someone who has never watched football in his life?”
“David Moyes giving an interview straight out of the 90’s,” someone else said, while a sixth user concluded: “A case of a manager not knowing the laws of the game.”
