David Moyes on Jack Grealish and Squad Challenges at Everton

David Moyes admits frustration over a key signing’s slow recovery, but his mood lifts the moment the conversation turns to Jack Grealish.

The Everton manager revealed that one new recruit has yet to set foot on the training pitch, a delay nobody at the club anticipated.

“I don't think we expected his recovery to take this long when we signed him,” Moyes said. “We are looking forward to gaining his experience, but we haven't even had him on the grass yet. It is disappointing – for us and for him – but hopefully it won't be too long.”

From there, the focus snapped to Grealish, who is edging towards a first start since January. Moyes made it clear: this is a player who needs the cut and thrust of competition, not just drills and rondos.

“Jack is a boy who needs football matches more than he needs training,” he said, hinting strongly that this weekend could finally bring his return to the XI. “It will be incredibly exciting to have him in our starting line-up. If he gives us what he gave us at the start of last season, we will be thrilled.”

Tight squad, tight bond

Everton arrive at the weekend still unbeaten, a platform Moyes welcomes without being remotely satisfied.

The run is “pleasing in some aspects”, he admitted, but he did not hide the sense of a missed step. He “would have liked to get another win rather than a draw somewhere along the way”, even as he praised his players for doing “a really good job”.

Part of that resilience, he believes, comes from the size of the group. A smaller dressing room, a tighter circle, a stronger bond.

“You only have to look at Leicester City's title-winning squad to see how their small group of players thrived,” Moyes said. “It's the amount of games which means you need the extra players, but we don't have European football this year so maybe we can find a way of getting through with what we've got.”

He still feels light. Given the choice, he would not be working with such a lean pool of options.

Moyes wants “more numbers” this season. His ideal is “21 outfield players”; he currently has 18.

Scouring the market and eyeing Tottenham

That shortfall has pushed Everton into the free agent market, a tricky hunting ground for a club trying to bridge the gap to the Premier League’s elite.

He confirmed the club are exploring options, but he did not sugar-coat the difficulty. It “isn't easy to find a player who could make a difference” at this level, especially without a transfer fee to smooth the way.

Next up come Tottenham, still searching for their first league goal and first league win. Moyes recognises the danger of underestimating a wounded opponent. Everton have been there.

“It wasn't too long ago that we were in those situations as a club,” he said. “We know we can only look after ourselves. We didn't quite make it over the line there a couple of months ago, so hopefully we do it this time.”

Break brings its own risks

Just beyond the Tottenham fixture looms the international break, and Moyes does not pretend it will be a relaxing pause.

The disruption, the travel, the uneven workloads – all of it worries him.

The next two weeks will be “difficult for everybody to manage”, he warned. “There will be a lot of players who will end up playing a lot more minutes than others and injuries could be a problem as well. We've got to hope that our boys do play a bit, but maybe not all of the games.”

A thin squad, a key signing still sidelined, Grealish on the brink of a long-awaited start and a dangerous Tottenham side in need of a spark: Everton’s margin for error is narrow. Moyes knows it. The question now is whether that tight group he trusts so much can carry them through the storm of games that’s coming.