Everton manager, David Moyes, has had his end-of-season plans scuppered due to ongoing pitch work at the club's new home, Bramley-Moore Dock.
The new 50,000-seater stadium, which Everton will call home from the beginning of the 2025/26 season, has already hosted two test events featuring Everton youth teams, but Moyes was keen to get the first team squad onto the pitch at the stadium before the current season ends.
Unfortunately for the Sctt and the Everton squad, these plans won't come to fruition as the pitch at Bramley-Moore Dock is currently being dug up to ensure it is in top condition for the club's first competitive match there in August.
What did Moyes want to do at Bramley-Moore Dock?
The Everton boss wasn't eyeing up a competitive match at the stadium, but rather just a couple of training sessions there to help his players adjust to their new surroundings.
Everton have played at Goodison Park for well over a century and for players who have been at the club a while, such as Seamus Coleman and Michael Keane, the move could come as a bit of a shock to the system.
Explaining his frustration at the situation, Moyes told reporters this week:
“My plan was that we would go to the stadium and do two or three training sessions as well but they've gone and dug the pitch up. So it looks like we're not going to get down to the new stadium at all, which I'm pretty disappointed in because that was my plan to do it.
“The modern player nowadays plays in stadiums all over, so it shouldn't be something completely strange to them, going into a new stadium, but the point is to turn it into your home, and get comfortable and familiar with your surroundings.”
FGG says: Is Moyes planting his excuses for next season early?
Although Moyes' idea to get his players some training sessions at Bramley-Moore Dock was an admirable one, a cynic would suggest that his comments about getting his players comfortable with their new surroundings were the Scot getting his excuses in early for next season. If Everton get off to a bad start next season, then Moyes can now turn around and say, ‘I told you so. ‘