The 2025 Premier League Summer Series has extra special meaning to Everton FC manager David Moyes, as he’s managed two of the other three teams in this round-robin of preseason friendlies. Sunday’s Summer Series finale sees Everton take on Manchester United, who Moyes led from August 2013 (when he was hand-picked by the legendary Sir Alex Ferguson himself) to April 2014. Last night, the Scotsman lost 2-1 to West Ham United, the last team that he managed prior to his current role, at Soldier Field in Chicago.
It was his second stint with West Ham, who let him go at the end of the 2023-24 season.
Premier League Summer Series FYIs
Manchester United vs Everton FC
Kickoff: Sun Aug 3, 5pm EST, Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, GA, USA
Preview Material for Both Sides: Starting Lineup Predictions Team News
Summer Series Standings, Form: Man United 1st, 6 pts, +4 GD, WW Everton FC 4th, 0 pts, -4 GD, LL
And his current tenure at Everton marks his second go-around at the club. In covering the Summer Series on site this week, we literally heard some of the reporters on site forget/get confused about which club David Moyes is currently managing. And that is perfectly understandable.
“It’s interesting,” Moyes said at a press conference at the Westin Hotel on Michigan Avenue on Tuesday night.
“The best part about it is we’re not under so much pressure and stress right now, because it’s a preseason competition.
“I’ve got huge (numbers of) friends at West Ham, and colleagues there and players who I brought to the club there.
“I’ve got lots of people still at Manchester United who was there when I was there, so I look forward to seeing them all, I can do so in a little bit more relaxed manner…I look forward to catching up with them all.”
It’s definitely a slightly different vibe in the summer time, when the matches don’t count yet. Once the Premier League season arrives, the high stakes pressure cooker ensues.
“You’re not quite under as much pressure, as you would be at other times,” David Moyes responded. “You really do want to win it, you want momentum. But as well, we would also like to start beginning to shape our team up. We’re a bit short due to injuries, and late incomings.”
If there has been a theme, this preseason, for David Moyes, it has been his persistent call for reinforcements. He’s been very overt about his desire to remake the roster. That’s much more important this weekend, and the weeks ahead than catching up with old acquaintances.
“I’ve never had one of these times,” he added.
“In the past, I have had to sign a lot of players, but I’ve never had to do so many in one window.”
He said so again last night at Soldier Field. (He’s clearly pleading with his bosses to get some more deals over the line in August)
“We’re not ready to perform well enough in this tournament. We’re not ready to start the Premier League season,” Moyes added.
“I’m not overly concerned [by the results] because I don’t have the players which I need and what I want.
“And obviously, we’re up against it right from the start. We knew before we came [to the US] we were going to be really up against it. So, it was never going to be us coming here and winning [games].”
Asked which specific facet of the team needs the most immediate improvement, Moyes did not hold back in his answer.
“I think our attacking play at the moment has been really poor. I think we haven’t created enough chances,” he responded to the reporter’s query.
“I think the way we’re playing in that area of the pitch at the moment has been really below par. But we’ve made individual mistakes which has shown us up for that as well.”
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He currently contributes to USA Today’s NFL Wires Network. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. His work has been featured in numerous outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, the Washington Post and ESPN. You can follow him on Linked In and Twitter