Everton: 'Aggression, energy, desire' - how David Moyes is motivating Toffees, again - Voice of Asia

During my time at Everton, under David Moyes, the most prominent characteristics of the team were aggression, energy, intensity, and desire. He had a way of igniting a strong fighting spirit within us, making us believe we could beat anyone. In Everton’s victory against Tottenham on Sunday, I saw those qualities resurface.

It was a significant win for Moyes, the players, and the fans, especially for the manager, securing his first victory in his second game back. But more importantly, it was the manner in which they won. The team's start was almost flawless, taking the initiative, putting pressure on Tottenham, and scoring two rare open-play goals this season; they could have had more if luck had been on their side.

Yes, Tottenham scored two late goals to make it a tense finish, but the first half was possibly the most exciting display Goodison Park has seen this season. You could clearly see that this team is capable of executing what Moyes demands. Of course, this is just the beginning, and he still faces the tough task of leading the team out of the relegation battle, but he's now on the right track and knows he has resources at his disposal, particularly in the forward line.

Goals and attacking threat have been the most lacking aspects of Everton’s game this season, and this was one of the biggest changes against Tottenham. They created opportunities and took them, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin working tirelessly throughout the match. During my time playing for him, Moyes always liked a center-forward with presence, in fact, he always wanted an all-rounder – someone strong in physical duels, able to run, hold up the ball, get on the end of crosses, and make runs in behind.

I look at Calvert-Lewin, and he has all of those qualities. He's currently maintaining his fitness, and you can see how much he can contribute to the team when he's not struggling with injuries. Perhaps getting a goal for the new manager will give him the confidence he needs. Moyes's demand is "to put your head down and work, and don't expect praise."

I played over 200 Premier League games under Moyes. The way he asks you to play can be an enjoyable style, but also a very demanding one. Against Tottenham, I think some Everton players had more arduous roles than others. In particular, Jesper Lindstrøm was almost asked to do two jobs on the right – a winger with the ball and a right-back without it – but that allowed Iliman Ndiaye to stay further forward on the left, which undoubtedly benefited Everton in the attacking third.

If you want to have a regular place in the team under Moyes, you have to do that. Like Lindstrøm, I quickly learned that sometimes you just have to put your head down in games and not get any individual praise. But that should be a given. Under Moyes, we played our best when everyone bought into his methods and believed in the end goal that the team was striving for. He was very good at getting us up for games, no matter who the opposition was. He'd get the tactical information across, motivate us, and then send us out – we’d be shouting "charge" in the tunnel.

That confidence comes partly from the work on the training ground and the time the team spends together, building as a unit. Moyes has only just come in, so that process is only just starting, but one advantage he has is his knowledge of Goodison Park. He's managed more Premier League games here than any other Everton manager, so he knows what the fans are like, what they expect, what they react to, and at which moments they can best help the team. If you start quickly, press aggressively, and force the opposition into mistakes, then the fans will react. That’s what happened against Tottenham, and it brought even more out of the players.

Everton won the tactical battle early in the game, but they also overpowered Tottenham. It was only when they got tired towards the end that Tottenham could find some momentum. Experience and emotion are equally important. It’s not just the excitement of the fans that can motivate players. When I played for Moyes, he had a certain energy and determination that rubbed off on us. He is a bit older now than when he first came in 2002, but his passion is clearly still there, and that will help the current players too.

His experience will also be key. As well as growing older, he is wiser in terms of when to let his emotions impact the team. Moyes always wore his heart on his sleeve when he managed us, and while that had a positive effect on us a lot of the time, there were also times when it might have been better if we had stayed calmer. I think Moyes's experience is a big advantage, and of course, he also has that connection with Everton. He described getting the job again as like coming home, and the fans appreciate that, of course.

Of course, there will be some Everton fans who may not have necessarily thought his return was a good thing, but they might be thinking differently now. The first-half performance we saw against Tottenham is exactly why Everton fans embraced Moyes in the first place, but anyone who knows him will know he won’t get carried away by it. I wasn’t in the dressing room this time, so I can’t tell you what he said after the game, but I have a good idea of the message he will have tried to convey.

He always likes to keep his players hungry, even after a big win like that, so while there will be lots of praise, he will also tell people they can do better – that's how he gets you to strive for more. This is what Leon Osman said in an interview with BBC Sport reporter Chris Bevan.