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 Director of Football Kevin Thelwell has been replaced by Angus Kinnear as the chief executive and Moyes is also likely to play a major role in identifying and bringing in transfer targets.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 (25)
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3 Posted 26/05/2025 at 13:36:25
4 Posted 26/05/2025 at 13:44:58
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.
6 Posted 26/05/2025 at 14:58:52
7 Posted 26/05/2025 at 16:07:38
Price inflation in football transfers has gone through the roof. Try buying a player like Phil Neville now and he could cost about £35m.
8 Posted 26/05/2025 at 16:44:43
9 Posted 26/05/2025 at 16:55:47
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.
10 Posted 26/05/2025 at 17:17:23
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).
11 Posted 26/05/2025 at 17:22:41
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.
12 Posted 26/05/2025 at 17:27:58
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.
13 Posted 26/05/2025 at 17:32:30
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
14 Posted 26/05/2025 at 17:45:14
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.
15 Posted 26/05/2025 at 17:55:11
16 Posted 26/05/2025 at 18:01:44
17 Posted 26/05/2025 at 18:07:06
18 Posted 26/05/2025 at 18:11:58
19 Posted 26/05/2025 at 18:12:04
20 Posted 26/05/2025 at 18:17:14
21 Posted 26/05/2025 at 18:22:26
Got no problem with loans tbh. Just want more quality, don't care how we get it!
22 Posted 26/05/2025 at 18:25:37
23 Posted 26/05/2025 at 18:27:41
24 Posted 26/05/2025 at 18:48:07
25 Posted 26/05/2025 at 18:53:34
118 Posted 28/05/2025 at 23:58:38
Fabianski out of contract so he might be happy to sit on the bench as a No 2 keeper?
I bet he would at 40 years of age; bring back Young and Coleman.😀
119 Posted 29/05/2025 at 10:24:09
Also if it doesn't work out we send them back
Try before you buy almost
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1 Posted 26/05/2025 at 12:19:03
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.