Source: Liverpool_Echo
The curse of the Manager of the Month award - its impact on Everton FC and Liverpool FC
DAVID MOYES and Everton have gone three games without a win since the Blues boss was named Manager of the Month for October - raising the time-honoured question as to whether the award is actually a jinx for the recipient.[LNB]Looking at the previous occasions a Merseyside manager has received the accolade since Moyes arrived at Goodison in March 2002, it seems on virtually every occasion the team involved has suffered a slump in form afterwards.[LNB]The first match of the following month has only been won on five out of the twelve months concerned, with the team's win percentage falling on average by 23.3% a season (see graph below - pre-award win percentage in blue, post-award in red).[LNB] Mersey Managers of the Month since 2002[LNB]October 2002 Gerard Houllier [LNB]P 6 W 5 D 0 L1 (Nov 02 P 3 W 2 D 2 L 2)[LNB] A late Danny Murphy penalty against Spurs on the last weekend of October kept unbeaten Liverpool at the top of the Premier League and confirmed their impressive start to the season but an insipid defeat at Middlesbrough on November 9 started an eleven-match spell without a league win, torpedoing any title hopes Reds fans had.[LNB]November 2002 David Moyes [LNB]P 5 W 4 D1 L0 (Dec 02 P 7 W 1 D 3 L3)[LNB] Wayne Rooney's solo goal at Elland Road started an impressive spell for the Blues that also included a Carling Cup penalty shoot-out victory at Newcastle but a Rooney-inspired win over Blackburn at Goodison was December's ony success although only the crossbar denied the Croxteth sensation a Merseyside derby debut winner at Anfield.
