The old flaws coming back to HAUNT Blues

THESE ARE THE GAMES WHERE MOYES WILL LEARN ABOUT HIS PLAYERS - AND HE WON'T LIKE EVERYTHING HE IS SEEING

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IT would be easy to fall into the trap of thinking some of Everton's most recent games have not been important.

Yes, the good run that started with the return of David Moyes was crucial.

Those wins, particularly the exciting victories over Tottenham Hotspur and Leicester City, not only started the climb away from the relegation zone, they revived Goodison Park in her final year.

And the draws with Liverpool and Manchester United were emotional, poignant occasions that could easily have ended in wins for the Blues.

The matches that have followed have been more than mid-table battles for pride.

For me and I think for Moyes - the games against the likes of Wolves and West Ham have been the first occasions when the new manager has been able to take a proper look at his squad.

As challenging as they can be, the games after a new boss is appointed and crunch matches against survival and local rivals are some of the easier ones to get up for.

What Moyes needs to know as he heads into a summer of squad building is what this group of players can do when the pressure is off, when the emotion has gone and when a moment of magic or imagination or passion is needed to break the deadlock in a stalemate when the attention of the world is somewhere else.

In this area, I think Moyes is learning a lot about a group of players who have, at times, flattered to deceive.

Against West Ham, I was a little disappointed. I It was great to see the resilience shine through and for Jake O'Brien to keep the unbeaten run going.

Yet I think I saw some of the old flaws of this group start to show again.

Where this squad has often struggled is against teams of a similar stature those performing around the same level and where a moment of intelligence or sharpness can make the difference.