Moyes Backs Gueye After Everton Fracas, Cites Passion as Key
EVERTON, England – David Moyes defended Idrissa Gueye’s involvement in a heated altercation with teammate Abdoulaye Doucouré during Everton’s 2-2 draw with Tottenham Hotspur, asserting that “fighting” amongst players isn’t necessarily negative, but rather a sign of commitment. The incident, which led to a yellow card for Gueye and ultimately a red card for Doucouré, sparked debate about team harmony, but Moyes framed it as a byproduct of players’ dedication to avoiding conceding goals.
The exchange occurred after Everton conceded a second goal, with both players visibly frustrated. Moyes explained,”Fighting is not a bad thing. Fighting doesn’t mean that they don’t like each other.Fighting is that you lose the ball [so] I will fight you because we will suffer a goal. That was how I felt when I watched. And I don’t agree with the sending off.” The result leaves Everton on 18 points, two behind Crystal palace in fifth place, a position that could still qualify them for Champions League football.
Everton manager Rubén Amorim echoed Moyes’s sentiment, acknowledging the team’s current position and the need for improvement. “I know at which point we are at the moment. I have that feeling during this [unbeaten] run. I always talk about that – we are not there, not even near the point that we shoudl be to fight for the best positions in the league. We have a lot to do and we need to be perfect to win games. We were not perfect today.”
Matheus Cunha was unavailable for the match due to a head injury.
