Anjishnu Roy 26/05/2025 23comments  |  Jump to last

Everton secured a 1-0 win over Newcastle United at St James’ Park on Sunday to finish the Premier League 2024/25 season. The Blues finished 13th in the league and picked up 48 points this campaign - their highest since the 59 they racked up during Carlo Ancelotti’s final season in charge four years ago.

Carlos Alcaraz scored the only goal in a game where the visitors had little to play for while the hosts were fighting for a Champions League spot. Jordan Pickford was at his best and made some glorious saves to deny Newcastle a chance to come back into the game.

David Moyes’ return was the defining point of the season for the Blues, who were struggling dangerously close to the relegation zone in the final weeks of Sean Dyche’s tenure. Under Moyes, they have picked up eight wins and seven draws in 20 games to collect 31 points out of a possible 57. The previously goal-shy Toffees also scored 29 goals under the Scot while conceding 22.

It may not have been spectacular, but it has been solid. The progress Everton have made under Moyes is undeniable. While the squad previously seemed to be stuck in a rut under Dyche, the Scot managed to squeeze a lot more out of his players in the second half of the season.

Moyes also had to deal with a host of injury problems as Everton missed key players like Iliman Ndiaye, James Tarkowski, Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Jake O’Brien and Seamus Coleman on several occasions. 

A nine-game unbeaten streak between January and April in the league was at the heart of the Blues ensuring safety, once under threat, ahead of their much-anticipated move to the Hill Dickinson Stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock next season.

Led by new owners and set to play at a new stadium, a new era awaits the club. It’s been reported and rehashed a lot recently, but the upcoming summer transfer window is going to be pivotal for the Blues.

Several departures have already been announced, and many more are on the cards. The squad is essentially in need of an overhaul and with PSR issues behind them now, Everton can probably afford to add major firepower going forward.

At the administrative level, too, there has been a massive shakeup. Director of Football Kevin Thelwell has been replaced by Angus Kinnear as the chief executive and Moyes is also likely to play a major role in identifying and bringing in transfer targets.

It is too soon to say how the squad will look like when a new season of the Premier League gets underway in a few months. What can be said with certainty is that Moyes and his staff have given the fans and the players reason to believe in the project and hope for more progress.

 

Reader Comments (23)

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Mike Allison
1 Posted 26/05/2025 at 12:19:03
Let the reboot begin.

We have 12 confirmed players for next season and need 12/13 more.

GK: Pickford
RB: Patterson
LB: Mykolenko
CB: Tarkowski; O’Brien
CB: Branthwaite
DM:
CM: Garner; Iroegbunam
AM: N’Diaye
LW: McNeil
RW:
CF: Beto; Chermitti

We’ve got 5 sources of those 12/13 players:
Contract renewals
Youth promotion
‘Bosman’ Free transfers
Loans
Spending actual money on exciting new players

Only Armstrong and possibly Tyrer have a realistic chance of youth promotion under Moyes, there are plenty of ‘Bosman’ frees out there, and I’m sure we’ve all got our ideas of who we want to buy, sign on a free, try to loan etc.

In the end, we’re just going to have to accept that it’s going to be a worse/better summer than usual for checking our phones 3 times a day for made up gossip.

Can’t wait.

Iain Love
3 Posted 26/05/2025 at 13:36:25
I remember last time Moyes was here thinking, if only we had some real money, as I believed we where only one or two players off joining the top teams. Go on Davey lad now's your chance.
Danny O'Neill
4 Posted 26/05/2025 at 13:44:58
Iain, it was said a lot at the time.

It's not a criticism, more a compliment. Moyes has generally been better finding hidden gems rather than splashing money on expensive signings.

He has an opportunity now. The club are behind him and the supporters are, even initial sceptics like myself. I don't need these pages or the media to tell me that. I hear it every week with my own ears.

Like you say, he has earned his chance. Go and take it. If he succeeds, Everton do, and regardless of my opinions, Everton succeeding is all that matters and all that has ever mattered to me.

Great title photo by the way. They could see us and they could hear us.

David McMullen
6 Posted 26/05/2025 at 14:58:52
The progress has been great. Many thought the players were a lost cause but that's the Dyche illusion. Moyes is a far better manager. I see a really good season next season.
Robert Tressell
7 Posted 26/05/2025 at 16:07:38
Moyes was very regularly buying players who would now be valued £20m to £40m in his first spell with us - and a few who would now be more like £40m to £65m.

Price inflation in football transfers has gone through the roof. Try buying a player like Phil Neville now and he could cost about £35m.

Tony Abrahams
8 Posted 26/05/2025 at 16:44:43
You are making it sound like the Alkaraz deal, might be in the Seamus Coleman or Peter Reid, bargains there Robert!
Andrew Clare
9 Posted 26/05/2025 at 16:55:47
I was completely against the return of Moyes but now I have to admit he has done a terrific job.
Now if the right signings are made and Alcaraz is one of them I will be delighted.
We already have the core of a very exciting team here let’s go out and make some astute signings.
Young hungry players in my mind are the way to go.
Robert Tressell
10 Posted 26/05/2025 at 17:17:23
Tony, these days anything below £15m is very much bargain bin for Premier League transfers.

Free transfers aside, most sub-£15m transfers in the Premier League are development players who won't get first team appearances initially (and not just for traditional rich 6 teams but for teams like Wolves too). There are a few exceptions but really not that many.

Third tier Birmingham spent £15m on Jay Stansfield last summer. Chelsea are paying more than £15m for youth player signings for their academy. Clubs in the MLS are now paying more than £15m for their big signings.

So if we get Alcaraz for less than £15m I think we can safely treat that as an absolute bargain (especially if he develops from his encouraging start).

Tony Abrahams
11 Posted 26/05/2025 at 17:22:41
Have you heard about anything or ever watched a player called Luciano Vallente, who plays for the Dutch side Groningen, Robert?

Also after reading your post then it makes me think that the premier league might have to review their PSR rules, to move with inflation before they are caught up by other leagues.

Robert Tressell
12 Posted 26/05/2025 at 17:27:58
Vallente and his Groningen teammate Resink are getting a lot of coverage in the scouting channels on YouTube, Tony - which usually indicates they are in line for a move.

Both appear talented - but of the sort of profile who might be more obvious signings for top sides in the Championship (especially the three who will now get parachute payments) or the Old Firm - or possibly signed and then farmed out on development loans by Premier League sides.

Tony Abrahams
13 Posted 26/05/2025 at 17:32:30
The rumours are that he his going to Feyenoord, for around €5 million, Robert, which might be very good value for a young player who I’m led to believe is not far off the Dutch squad.

He played for Italy, in the younger age groups, and a scouser who I know lives in Groningen, and when he came over to watch Everton, with a few of his Dutch mates the other week, they were all raving about him

Robert Tressell
14 Posted 26/05/2025 at 17:45:14
A player like Valente probably needs a step up to a bigger club in the Netherlands before he'd be ready for a move to the Premier League. I doubt he'd be a nailed on starter for Feyenoord unless they sell a lot of players this summer.

We might sign this profile of player - but they'd probably need to be shipped out on a development loan or two before they'd be ready to join up with the first team squad.

Tony Abrahams
15 Posted 26/05/2025 at 17:55:11
I’m not sure if we have got the money to do this Robert, but the more we can treat recruiting as a business then the better we might do?
John Chambers
16 Posted 26/05/2025 at 18:01:44
Fabianski out of contract so he might be happy to sit on the bench as a No2 keeper
Robert Tressell
17 Posted 26/05/2025 at 18:07:06
Tony # 15, recruitment, player trading, etc etc. It is a business all of itself. Let's see what TFG do this summer. More so than very speculative players like Valente, I am interested to see what sort of recruitment they do in the 14 to 18 age group. We have already bought Dodds from Hearts - hopefully we stock up heavily.
Tony Abrahams
18 Posted 26/05/2025 at 18:11:58
Good point Robert, and hopefully the club can also recruit some better coaches to aid the younger players in their development
Liam Mogan
19 Posted 26/05/2025 at 18:12:04
No doubt we will still heavily depend on the loan market.
Martin Mason
20 Posted 26/05/2025 at 18:17:14
Liam, it is potentially a great source of good players and a way to quickly send back poor "buys". For me the best thing is that it gives the club breathing space. Do you not like it so much?
Liam Mogan
21 Posted 26/05/2025 at 18:22:26
I think we will have to bring in some loans, Martin, as we probably can't afford to bring in 7/8 buys due to psr.

Got no problem with loans tbh. Just want more quality, don't care how we get it!

Martin Mason
22 Posted 26/05/2025 at 18:25:37
Here's hoping we can steal some good loans. I trust Moyes, he has a decent history of finding some value over the years.
Liam Mogan
23 Posted 26/05/2025 at 18:27:41
He must have a plan? Can't see how he'd let so many depart if they didn't have a few lined up.
Mark Murphy
24 Posted 26/05/2025 at 18:48:07
Didn’t David Moyes say that we have too many loans with four and should be looking at two max??
Martin Mason
25 Posted 26/05/2025 at 18:53:34
I can understand a limit, a buffer.

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