Moyes inspires Freedman
Bolton boss Dougie Freedman believes Everton counterpart David Moyes sets a benchmark for young managers making their way in the game.
Wanderers entertain Moyes' men in the FA Cup on Saturday having seen off Barclays Premier League opposition in the form of Sunderland to book their fourth round place.
Such showpiece occasions provide welcome respite from a trying npower Championship campaign, where Bolton lie 16th despite being strongly tipped in pre-season for an instant return to the top flight.
This indifferent form cost Freedman's predecessor Owen Coyle his job and the 38-year-old Scot, on his second managerial assignment following 20 months in charge of Crystal Palace, points towards countryman Moyes as an inspiration for the rebuilding job ahead at the Reebok Stadium.
"Obviously David's done very well in his managerial career, going back his time at Preston," Freedman said at his pre-match press conference.
"He's a good man, that's first and foremost. I think you try and look at what managers have done in their past and you try and do better than that.
"What David has done at Everton is huge. I think many young managers will look at David Moyes and think they would like to try and do what he's done, but that's not an easy job.
"I think, to many young managers, David Moyes is an inspiration."
Bolton's third round hero was Team GB Olympic forward Marvin Sordell, who followed up scoring in the 2-2 home draw with Sunderland by netting the decisive brace in a 2-0 triumph at the Stadium of Light.
Sordell struggled to settle in the north-west following his big-money move from Watford a year ago, something Freedman - a striker himself during his playing days - identified immediately upon his own move from the capital.
"What happens is everyone tries to be negative when a young man's not quite performing and I think he's had a lot of negative publicity around him," he said.
"I came in and found a young man who was very low on confidence and self-esteem and I just sort of stripped him down, worked back to the basics, worked on his fitness, worked on his all-round forward play and all of a sudden he's feeling a bit better."
David Moyes is hoping his 500th match in charge of Everton will take him a step closer to his first major piece of silverware.
The Scot, who will celebrate 11 years in charge at Goodison Park in March, reaches the milestone at Bolton.
Moyes said: "I didn't know until (Friday) morning that it was 500 games. It's amazing that some people have got 1,000 games at one club, that is some achievement.
"Obviously 500's not a bad number when you see the way people get rid of their managers so quickly nowadays."
Moyes' tenure at Everton is highly regarded despite the lack of trophies, with the club a lot less wealthy than many of their rivals in the Barclays Premier League.
The closest they came in recent years was a run to the FA Cup final in 2009, including victory over Manchester United in the last four, but they were beaten to the trophy by Chelsea.
Moyes said: "Hopefully the real highlights are still to come, they're the ones I'm looking forward to. But I've enjoyed a lot of good times at Everton.
"My first game (against Fulham) was a great day, scoring in the opening minute. Since then we qualified for the Champions League, and in that year we had to beat Manchester United in the run-in and Newcastle, so I think that would stand out.
"And maybe the semi-final of the FA Cup, when we got to the final. Albeit we didn't win the final. There maybe haven't been enough trophies but certainly some good highlights."
Moyes made his intentions clear with his strong team selection for the third round tie against Cheltenham, a match Everton won 5-1, and it is likely to be the same on Saturday.
The Toffees will be without full-back Seamus Coleman, who suffered a thigh injury against Southampton on Monday, but winger Kevin Mirallas and defender Johnny Heitinga are pushing to start.
Moyes said: "I think we've always gone for it. Talk's cheap - you have to do it. We're going to try to do it. I've said to the players that we want to try to win the FA Cup, but I say that every year. It's down to us to try to make that happen."
Moyes admitted he will have to think about the midweek Premier League round of fixtures, which sees the Toffees take on West Brom at Goodison Park.
"It'll definitely come into the thinking," he said.
Source: PA
Source: PA