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Liverpool Echo
Liverpool Echo
Sport
Matt C Jones

David Moyes nadir left Everton with wounds they've never been able to heal

"They played well and we didn't. I’m disappointed."

David Moyes provided as succinct a summary as could be given on this day in 2013, as his Everton side were stunned 3-0 at home to Wigan Athletic in the FA Cup.

But the match would prove to have far more complex consequences than that straightforward assessment the Scot shared.

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When the Blues drew the lowly Lancashire outfit in the FA Cup quarter-finals 10 years ago, there was already a sense that change may be coming at Goodison Park.

Moyes had yet to sign a new contract with Everton and there were murmurings Sir Alex Ferguson was ready to walk away from Manchester United at the end of the campaign. It was easy - and as it would prove, correct - to join the dots.

Yet there was also a feeling that what had been a promising chapter in the club's history could get a silver flourish. Moyes at that point had overseen 12 years of steady progress at Everton, although had come up just short in pursuit of silverware both domestically and in Europe.

The FA Cup that season felt like a huge chance. The Toffees avoided Manchester United, Chelsea - who drew each other - and Manchester City in the quarter-final draw, meaning another Wembley trip appeared to be on the cards. Wigan, sat 18th in the Premier League at the time, were not only an inferior opponent in theory, but one who should be distracted by their relegation battle.

But 202 remarkable seconds on the brink of half-time left any Blues who had already booked their London hotels scampering to cancel. The Latics stormed into a three-goal lead through Maynor Figueroa, Callum McManaman and Jordi Gomez. Goodsion was aghast.

It was the second of the two goals that carried the most resonance on a day laced with narrative.

McManaman, a former Everton academy player and season-ticket holder, latched on to an errant pass from Phil Neville to race clear of the Blues defence and slot home.

"I was there for nine years and was released when I was 15 and it broke my heart to be honest, but I still look out for Everton’s results," the Wigan winger said afterwards.

"I was there from the age of seven and that was my life at the time so I was gutted when it happened, but you just have to get on with it. It was make or break when I left. I either packed it in or went and found another club and Wigan came knocking and I haven’t looked back."

Moyes had put his faith in his trusted skipper Neville to feature in midfield ahead of the in-form Darron Gibson, a decision that would ultimately backfire spectacularly. That pass would not only prove to be the Mancunian's last touch of the ball that day - he was hooked at half-time - but his last in an Everton shirt, as he was jettisoned from the team and left at the end of the season.

Neville was not the only target of fan ire, as an angry Marouane Fellaini was subject to jeers when he was substituted after a lacklustre display.

"We might have words in the dressing room, but we don’t point the finger at people in public," said a clearly glum Moyes afterwards when asked about the incidents.

While the loss appeared to usher the end of Moyes' tenure closer, it almost certainly played a part in finding his successor too.

Roberto Martinez's side were applauded off by those who remained inside Goodison Park at the final whistle. As shambolic as Everton were, his Wigan side had played with purpose and panache. It was understandable that the higher-ups at Goodison were enticed.

The campaign did prove to be a bittersweet one for Martinez and Wigan. They were unable to preserve their top-flight status, but more magic from the Catalan coach saw them past Millwall in the semis and then the Manchester City juggernaut in the FA Cup final.

When Moyes' departure to United was confirmed, Martinez quickly emerged as Everton's top choice as a replacement, with the Scot reported to have endorsed the Wigan boss as a sound successor.

Wigan chairman Dave Whelan spoke candidly about the approach from the Blues: "Bill Kenwright rang me last week and said if the talks with Roberto broke down, can he talk to him? Bill being the gentleman he is I said: 'Yes, you can have permission'. I have given permission immediately.

"I would expect and they would expect to pay the compensation. Everton are a fantastic club, local and similar to Wigan in how Bill controls it. They have a great fan-base and it is a happy club so I recommended to Roberto to go and talk to Everton."

Kenwright, of course, famously revealed that Martinez had made a promise to get Everton in the Champions League at his unveiling. In his first season, the Toffees did come close, although a Premier-League-record 72 points was jarringly only enough for fifth.

From there, Martinez's tenure unravelled and he was sacked by new majority shareholder Farhad Moshiri toward the end of his third season in charge. The stability the Spaniard inherited from 12 years of Moyes' studious pragmatism had disintegrated and has not been close to being replicated since.

As reported in the ECHO in the aftermath of the 3-0 loss to Wigan a decade ago, rival supporters were keen to remind Evertonians that March 9 was 'Get Over It Day' - selected as such because it is the mid-point between Valentine’s Day and April Fool’s Day.

But some results and games have such profound consequences that they leave deep wounds.

So - get over it? Everton arguably never have.

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