Lying currently in 17th, 1 point above the relegation zone, Everton are at a crossroads and can’t seem to figure out which route to go. When you look back to the Moyes era, Everton are a far cry from the teams that included the likes of Ferguson, Cahill, Lescott, Baines and Arteta. A team who qualified for the Champions League in 2005, but failed to make it through the qualifying round. A team who made Goodison Park a fortress and believed they belonged at the summit of the league. Almost 20 Years on, Everton continue to battle it out to avoid relegation. A goalless draw with Aston Villa on Sunday was somewhat accepted by Toffee fans but it highlighted the drastic fall from where Everton were once challenging and competing.

This result was worsened when reports that Everton, along with Nottingham Forest, are expecting to be found in breach of Premier League Profitability and Sustainability rules. This would add more heartache for the club after already receiving a point deduction earlier this season. It hasn’t been an easy ride for the Merseyside club but the crucial question remains; where do Everton go from here? 

Sean Dyche

After the short spell that Frank Lampard endured as Toffees boss, Sean Dyche arrived at Goodison Park on January 30th 2023, with Everton in 19th place. Almost a year to the exact date, Everton currently sit in 17th, just two places better off, albeit a 10 point deduction earlier this season and possibly another point deduction coming. Sean Dyche’s record as Everton manager is a sore sight:

Points Per Game	Win %	Goals Scored/Game	Goals Conceded/Game
1.46	42.31%	1.23 Goals	1.19 Goals

Finishing above the relegation zone last season was the ultimate goal for Sean Dyche. It allowed for the club to rebuild and get their house in order for the 23/24 season. Their summer recruitment was less than inspiring. Only signing three players permanently, Ashley Young, Youssef Chermiti and Norberto Bentancul, while Jack Harrison and Arnaut Danjuma signed on loan. A number of players left the club but with new reinforcements a necessity, spending just £38 million on new signings didn’t show fans that the club were fully behind their manager and a club rebuild. 

Their season began with three defeats on the trot and it was a feeling of deja-vu for worried supporters. Despite the opening losses, Dyche remained calm and slowly began to get through to his players. They endured some decent results, including impressive wins against West Ham, Bournemouth and Burnley. But this sense of hope faded when Everton received a 10 point deduction ​on 17th November. It curtailed their, somewhat, positive start and sent them back down into a relegation battle. This deduction lit a fire in Dyche and his side. They recorded four straight victories in December, including wins over Newcastle and Chelsea. However, they now have failed to win a game since the 23rd of December and it has left Dyche under pressure. Everton face another point deduction now and it has to be wondered if Sean Dyche can progress this side after this inconsistent season. 

Everton have been blessed with some excellent managers in recent times but there is a sense that they haven’t yet met their match. Martinez, Koeman, Silva, Benitez, and even Ancelotti haven’t inspired this club so who could? Sean Dyche is an excellent manager. He guided Burnley to two top 10 finishes in his career, including a seventh place finish in the 17/18 season. Despite this achievement, it must be noted that Burnley only scored 36 goals in 38 games that season meaning that they were heavily reliant on defending and being a difficult side to beat. There is no taking away from this achievement. It was Burnley’s highest position ever in the Premier League but these Everton fans don’t see themselves as a side who want to defend and hold onto leads. They strive for better and it might not come under Sean Dyche. For some context, Everton finished 5th under Roberto Martinez and scored 61 goals in the 13/14 season. They scored 62 goals in the 16/17 season under Ronald Koeman and finished in 7th place. It’s not all about scoring goals, it’s about winning. But these stats don’t lie. Last season Everton scored 34 goals, 2 less than what Burnley scored in that history making finish. They finished in 17th place. There’s no question about Sean Dyche’s qualities as a manager. He is a leader and top coach. He certainly is a Premier League standard boss but you would question or not he can take Everton back to the higher end of the Premier League. 

Players

Seamus Coleman is the last player left of the Moyes era in this current squad. Making his debut in 2009, he has consistently been an outstanding professional and player with this club. He has played alongside many great players and has worked with top level coaches. There’s no debating his credentials and his place as a club legend.

“I have never met anyone who has his morals and standards and he is an incredible player.”

“You talk about legends of football clubs and he is certainly one of those.”

Frank Lampard

Coleman sets the standards at this club, but you could agree those standards have dropped severely in 14 years.

 When you consider the calibre of players that have graced Goodison Park, it’s incomparable to current times. Peter Reid, Howard Kendall, Alan Ball, Kevin Ratcliffe, the list goes on. These club heroes were amongst Everton’s finest. A level above those who have played in this side in recent years. Everton fans look to legends of the past with fond memories, and can only question where has it all gone wrong. The players haven’t been good enough and it’s no coincidence that they have found themselves in a relegation scrap for the third year running.

Looking at the list of players who have been brought in by managers since David Moyes, it is quite an astonishing read. Since the signing of John Stones in 2013, the final player brought in by David Moyes, there have been a handful of signings that you could say succeeded or even improved within the side. Most notable signings you would have to mention are Jordan Pickford, Romelu Lukaku and Lucas Digne. The constant changing of managers has not helped the situation as each coach will have their own philosophy. They will bring in players that will suit their style of play, but unfortunately, these coaches don’t last long, and the club are left with these players that don’t suit the team or the league. Take James Rodriguez as a prime example. The 2014 Puskas winner went from Real Madrid to Bayern Munich and then to Everton. He was a statement signing and a player that had incredible potential. However, he was a flop and there are many other players who unfortunately fall into this category.

The club need an identity and a coach who they are going to stick with and back in the transfer market. You look back to when the club had stability under Martinez or Moyes. They were backed and trusted which led the team to a fourth and fifth place finish. Everton need to get back to signing players who will fight for the club, and set the standards like that of Seamus Coleman. 

The Club 

The biggest issue to consider is what this club does and where they go from here. Having already received a 10 point deduction last November, due to a breach in financial rules. This week has brought more bad news as both Everton and Nottingham Forest have been found to have breached the League’s profit and sustainability rules. This could lead to another point deduction and would see Everton plummet to the bottom of the table, facing a mountain to climb to keep their Premier League status. There’s no question that this club is a mess. 

The sad passing of chairman, Bill Kenwright, last October, was a shock to the club and to supporters around the world. He was a dedicated and professional member of the Everton board and saw many changes throughout his tenure. The board and Kenwright had come under pressure from the fans due to how the club was being run. The Everton faithful had enough. Everton owner, Farhad Moshiri was hopeful that a deal could be agreed to sell the club to Miami-based private equity firm, 777. The deal was set to agreed at $685 million dollars but the sale stalled because 777 had failed to provide audited financial statements to the FCA (Financial Conduct Authority). This sale could have been the spark that this club needs to turn itself around and begin to climb back up the table. With the new stadium set to be finished at the end of this year, there are some positives that this club is moving forward.

It’s quite clear that Everton Football Club have many issues to resolve before aiming to compete with the league’s elite once more. The club is in dire need of restructure and with the threat of another point deduction hanging over their head, they are facing a troubling second half of the season. The Toffees have a great manager in place to deal with this pending relegation fight. He is made of steel and will instil this into this team once again. The players have also had this fight before, they fought this battle and know how to survive it. But this isn’t Everton. This is not where they should be positioned. The club are at a crossroads, and their next move will be critical.