Everton 25/26 Season Review

I would say that the expectations for Everton for this season for me were not high. Like previous seasons, I mostly just wanted to avoid being in a relegation fight, which we did. So why am I so dissapointed? Well it's largely with how the season ended, but we'll get to that.

The First Half of the Season

Looking at the results from the time before Christmas as a whole it's feels distinctly average. The prevailing consnesus was that we had a really poor home record this season which isn't wrong, but a lot of people forget that things started pokay. We beat Brighton in our first home game and would beat an at the time unbeaten Crystal Palace team. But then we lost to Spurs and that's pretty much when our home form dipped. Despite beating Fulham and Nottingham Forest, we still had a painful loss to Newcastle. But we managed to get some really nice away wins. We beat Wolves in one of our first games, and that was before we really knew how poor Wolves would be this season, and then we got a win against Man U at Old Trafford after going a man down. That match truly felt like a turning point. I felt like we were finally on an upward trajectory.

The Third Quarter of the Season

I feel it's necessary to separate the second half of the season into two parts as they felt completely different. We managed some unexpected wins away from home against the likes of Bournemouth, Aston Villa and Newcastle, and I got a new feeling this season. The feeling that the game wasn't over if we go down a goal first. When we had Dyche as manager it was clear that if we conceded a goal, that was the match done. But now, we could do it. I remember hanging out with some mates while we played Fulham and hearing we'd conceded. Normally I'd accept that as a loss but now I had a feeling that we could still come back. With Fulham we did. The end of this quarter (I'm placing the arbitrary line for this on the international break) was the Chelsea game that I actually got to go to. Winning 3-0 was amazing to watch in person and easily one of our best wins of the season. I enjoyed getting to sit back on the Sunday after and watch all the football that day, feeling good about our massive win the day before.

The End of the Season

I was so optimistic after the Chelsea game. Little did I realise that it would be our last win of the season. The match after this was the first Merseyside Derby at the Hill Dickinson. I've acknowledged that this match happened. No more needs to be said about it. Let's move on, but I will say it set the tone for the rest of the matches. We lost so many points from conceding last minute goals. Whether it be losing to West Ham to drawing against Man City (a result I'd have been happy with going into this game but the circumstances make it painful). Despite taking going in to half time against Sunderland with the lead, we lost it 3-1. I actually managed to go to the final match of the season at Spurs' stadium. We were useless. Those were expensive tickets and it seemed like out players weren't even trying until the very end. Was it just that our players were tired or on the beach? Perhaps, but given that we reached a point were we were being considered for Europe (and a chance at the Conference League is something I'd be ecstatic for) to finishing 13th. So that's why I'm disappointed. My hopes for the season were raised. Heck, I would've been happy with a top half finish, but the way we ended the season shows that we are still a team in transition.

Notable Players

Thierno Barry

The new striker. Beto tries so badly for the club, but he hasn't shown the ability to be the striker to take us to the next level (although he did pretty well this season). So getting a new striker, especially after losing DCL, was something I was very hopeful for. He was okay. He had a very slow start, but did manage to get going with goals against Nottingham Forest. The big controversy of course was the Arsenal game were he apparently put his friends, Arsenal fans themselves, in the away end with other Everton fans. I wasn't sure if he could sort of come back from that, but the Man City game showed that we could do a job for us. I'm still hopeful that there's more we can get from him.

Tyler Dibling

One of the, if not the, biggest signings of the Summer. The second highest transfer fee that Everton have paid. He hasn't really done much though, has he. He was the best part of a pretty poor Southampton team so expectations were high, but I guess they need to be tempered. He's still young and so arguably has a very high ceiling.

Merlin Rohl

One of our less significant signings in the Summer, a player who didn't get much playing time until nearer the end of the season. In those matches he played, however, he showed some brilliant moments, even getting a goal against Sunderland. A player I'm glad we've signed permanently (we had to if we didn't get relegated) and one I'm very optimistic for.

Jack Grealish

Another big signing, probably the biggest name signing we made in the Summer. They always say to not fall in love with a loan player, but Grealish came in and showed so much love for the club and the fans, and certainly gave us more ability to go forward and score goals. At the start of the season he was top on assists and then he managed to get his first goal for us in the last minute winner against Crystal Palace. As I'm writing this, reports are coming in that he's set to come back to use for next year. Very expensive wages but the kind of signing that shows we have ambition. Losing him to injury was a huge blow. He might have been considered the best signing of our Summer if not for that, and if not for one other signing we made.

Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall

Easily our best signing this Summer. I remember watching him in person at the Roma friendly and every time we won the ball back, he was involved. He's a player who has given so much for this club and has been a phenomenal player for us. One of my best mates is a Leicester City fan and continues to wax lyrically about him. I'm so glad we have him as a permanent signing and I'm sure he can be a big part of any future successes.

Conclusion

Despite my disappointment at where we finished, I can at least take the positivie view in the fact that we could've gotten more out of this season than just avoiding relegation. I would say overall I'm optimistic for the next season. We have some decent young prospects in Dibling, Adam Aznou and Harrison Armstrong, and apparently we are looking to permanently sign Tyrique George, who in his brief appearances showed some good signs. Next season we have to be aiming for Europe. No more 'just avoiding relegation fights'. It's time to show some real ambition for success. This club hasn't won anything since 1995, the year before I was born. I've not seen us win anything. I want trophies. I want a decent cup run. That should be the goal for next season.