Everton manager David Moyes says the club received “no explanation” after the Football Association dismissed their appeal against Idrissa Gueye’s red card during Monday’s 1–0 victory over Manchester United at Old Trafford.
Gueye, sent off just 13 minutes into the match for slapping team-mate Michael Keane during a heated exchange, now faces a three-match ban for violent conduct. The suspension rules the 36-year-old Senegal midfielder out of upcoming Premier League fixtures against Newcastle, Bournemouth and Nottingham Forest.
Despite the unusual nature of the incident, Everton moved quickly to mend the optics. On Thursday, the club shared a light-hearted photo of Gueye and Keane posing with boxing gloves and embracing, signalling that the confrontation was firmly resolved within the squad.
Moyes echoed that sentiment in Friday’s press conference:
“It was over immediately. It was done, that was it. We moved on quite quickly and it was all sorted within the dressing room… We want passion — maybe not always in that style — but we certainly want that commitment from the players.”
Midfield Concerns Grow
The manager admitted the suspension leaves his squad stretched in midfield. Everton are already without German youngster Merlin Rohl, who recently underwent hernia surgery and is unlikely to return before January. Club captain Seamus Coleman is also sidelined with a minor hamstring issue suffered during the win at United, adding to a season already riddled with fitness setbacks for the veteran defender.
Asked if Everton are light in central areas, Moyes was blunt:
“Yes, we are… Merlin’s operation has made us light, so we’re quite short. But we have other people who can fill in — Charly Alcaraz, Dwight McNeil if needed. I think those players can do the job.”
Gueye has been an ever-present figure in Everton’s Premier League campaign so far, and his impending departure to join Senegal for the Africa Cup of Nations in December will stretch resources even further. Moyes acknowledged that the combined blow of suspension and international duty leaves Everton “pretty short in that area.”
Everton to Honour Gary Speed
Before Saturday’s clash with Newcastle at Hill Dickinson Stadium (17:30 GMT), Everton will unveil a memorial to former midfielder Gary Speed. The Welshman, who played 65 games for the club in the 1990s and captained his boyhood team, died in November 2011 at age 42.
To mark the 14th anniversary of his passing, a ‘talking bench’ has been installed in the stadium’s fan plaza. The initiative aims to promote conversation and provide accessible signposting to mental-health support, reflecting Speed’s lasting influence on both Everton and English football.
Speed went on to make more than 200 appearances for Newcastle after leaving Merseyside, ensuring the tribute carries added resonance ahead of the visitors’ arrival on Saturday evening.
As Everton prepare for a challenging run of fixtures with a depleted midfield, Moyes will hope the unity shown in the aftermath of Monday’s unusual flashpoint translates into resilience on the pitch.
