Realist Moyes takes the blame as abject Everton hit for six

WHAT odds on David Moyes becoming the first Premier League manager to lose his job?

Before the weekend, the Everton manager’s job prospects were rock solid having steered the Merseyside club to a top five finish as well as the FA Cup final last season.

And even after one of the most humiliating opening day defeat in the club’s history, Moyes is in no danger of finding himself unemployed any time soon after seven years of success on a tight budget under his management.

But the Scot is anything but complacent and after suffering one of the worst experiences of his Goodison tenure against Arsenal, Moyes brought up the subject of his job.

“I take responsibility,” Moyes said. “It’s my responsibility to make sure my players perform on the pitch.

“There was a manager sacked for a 7-1 defeat last week (Norwich boss Bryan Gunn) so I’m not immune to that. We’ve lost six so it’s no different for me than it is for any other manager. I’ll need to pull my socks up and try and do better with the players that I have got.”

As a former defender, Moyes felt the pain of this defeat more than anyone. Everton secured fifth spot last term on the back of 17 clean sheets and went more than eight hours without conceding a goal at one stage. Arsenal netted six in the space of 63 minutes on Saturday.

It was the manner of the defeat which hurt Moyes most of all. Two of Arsenal’s first three goals were from set-pieces while Joseph Yobo and Joleon Lescott, reliable performers last season, were guilty of serious lapses.

They were not the only ones but Lescott, in particular, seemed to have his mind on other matters.

Having had a transfer request rejected by the club earlier in the week, Lescott, the subject of two unsuccessful bids from Manchester City, was target of jeers from a section of supporters.

Yet Phil Neville insisted Everton could not hide behind the saga of Lescott’s future for the team’s opening day disaster “Forget the speculation and all the rubbish that everyone has been talking about,” Neville said.

“That’s had absolutely nothing to do with what happened out there.

“How has it come to this? How do you explain it? Hopefully it is just a one off. It’s a kick up the backside, without a doubt.’’

Arsenal have been quiet in the transfer market this summer although Thomas Vermaelen looks to be a solid addition to Wenger’s side.

Vermaelen cost £10 million (€11.5m) from Ajax and marked his Premier League debut with a goal after Denilson had broken the deadlock with a stunning 25-yard finish.

William Gallas was also gifted a rare goal before a Cesc Fabregas brace and a goal by Eduardo rubbed Everton’s noses in it, while most home fans had long gone when Louis Saha netted a stoppage time consolation.

Arsene Wenger played down Arsenal’s title prospects afterwards yet his latest signing was not so cautious.

“I don’t think we have more of an incentive because people have not been talking about us as title contenders,” said Vermaelen.

“We want to win the league whether people talk about us or not. We will be working very hard in every game this season to win as many games as possible and we will see where that takes us. That is all we can do.”

MAN OF THE MATCH: Robin van Persie (Arsenal): He may not have scored but the Holland forward did more or less everything else. His pace and movement proved a constant threat.

REFEREE: Mark Halsey (Lancashire) 7: Solid performance and a rare game where he did not have to produce a card.

MATCH RATING: **** Great entertainment for the neutral but a complete nightmare for the home supporters.