Pre-season Delusion? Or a Genuine Cause for Optimism?

As a new season approaches, football fans up and down the land will be filled with a sense of optimism. For most, this will be misplaced naïveté, but for others, the upcoming season will bring success and genuine sense of both progress and pride.

A look at the squad and it is evident that it contains some of the most exciting young talents in English football, alongside battle-hardened leaders.

As Everton gear up for the 2026/27 Premier League campaign, should we as a fan base be optimistic? Here are my musings!

The Manager

Let’s start off with the man at the wheel. Moyes has years of experience, he’s seen it all. After listening to Giulia Bould’s excellent interview of Angus Kinnear during the week, I believe Moyes is trying to strengthen in all the areas we, as fans, see as lacking in the squad. I disagree with his negative tendencies; I think the squad has more talent than he trusts them with, but he is a known quantity and he is predictable. Some see this as a failure of his but, again, he is a safe pair of hands and this article is trying to frame things in a positive light!!

Defence

Jordan Pickford, England's undisputed No. 1, enters his tenth season at Everton, fresh off another impressive major international tournament. His shot-stopping and distribution remain elite. Yes he has his detractors but there is no denying Pickford is the goalkeeper of his generation and, importantly, he is happy to be here and play for us. Mark Travers appears to have steadied himself after a few questionable performances last season (when given a chance) and is a capable deputy, though there are rumours he is frustrated at his lack of game time. In fairness, it was never going to be any different for him!

The partnership of Jarrad Branthwaite and James Tarkowski provides real balance. A fully fit Branthwaite (fingers crossed everyone) offers elite ball recovery, composure and distribution, while Tarkowski continues to lead with physicality and positioning. I would like to see a transition this season to a Branthwaite-O’Brien partnership, I believe this to be one of the strongest in the PL with the potential to be a rock solid partnership for the majority of the next decade.

Full-backs. Ah yes. Here we go. Again referring to the Kinnear interview above, we will have a new right back in by the end of the transfer window. The reason it hasn’t happened yet is because of the trickle down/domino effect of transfers. Clubs are unwilling to release a player until a replacement has been identified and agreed. This chicken and egg situation is what is causing us frustration. I, for one, admire this new approach. Rather than go out and buy our plan C or D option, we wait so we can get our Plan A. In the meantime, the very capable and flexible Rohl can do a reliable job at right back while Mykolenko (no word on a replacement left back) can do a minimally effective job. I don’t think Aznu will get his chance this season; if not now, when?

Overall, we need to tighten up on set pieces, corners in particular, and leverage our height when executing our own set pieces. Tarks, as captain, appears to be “too nice” to referees, never in their faces after decisions, unlike most other captains. We need to develop a nasty streak, one that can really gear the team up with determination and steel when things aren’t going our way.

Midfield

We have assembled an enviable midfield, one I am highly excited about. David Moyes faces a welcome selection headache in midfield following key summer moves.

Christian Nørgaard, an experienced holding midfielder, provides defensive protection and a sense of composure. I am really looking forward to seeing how he emerges at Everton as a leader and talker in the centre of the park. Again, very encouraging that we appeared to do our homework on this lad, talking to the player, talking to Arteta and ensuring he was coming here for the right reasons. It must have been difficult for him to play second fiddle to Declan Rice, one of the best midfielders I have ever seen. He will come to us fresh (though slightly injured) and determined to prove that he has what it takes to be a top midfielder.

Hayden Hackney is another player who we pursued over the summer, who, it seemed, few others were interested in. Credit to the scouting/recruitment team for this one. A deep-lying playmaker, his progressive passing & pressing were very impressive in the pre-season and I believe he will emerge as a leader and future England international.

James Garner provides versatility, he has come out of his shell in the past year, evidenced by his increased communication on the pitch. His box-to-box work rate, set-piece delivery and ability to contribute goals will be a real asset to us this year. Again a player who could make an England place a regular occurrence, providing he stays fit.

Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall impressed us all last season, this year should be no different as he consolidates his place in the team as our number 8. An advanced creative midfielder, his ability to create chances and get into the box on a regular basis (he won several - soft - penalties in pre-season), makes him a vital cog in our attacking endeavours. He is also key in our transitional play, linking defence to attack.

Harrison Armstrong looks like he is finally finding his feet at this level. He was impressive against Lille (that shot aside). I really like his high energy and technical ability. As a local homegrown talent, if he is encouraged and supported by his manager and fans, he can grow into a very useful addition to our midfield.

The presence of versatile talents like Charly Alcaraz and Merlin Röhl—who impressed at right-back during pre-season—gives the squad remarkable tactical flexibility.

Attack

This is where I believe we are most lacking (not in the wide areas), though there is cause for optimism.

Iliman Ndiaye, the creative spark in the final third, is more than capable of unpicking low blocks with dribbling and vision. His unpredictability is exciting for fans, though at times, frustrating for us (and, presumably, his teammates). His commitment to the club is also under question. Hopefully he puts his head down and becomes more consistent. If he does, we have one of the most exciting players in the PL. If not, he moves out and we move on.

Tyler Dibling and Tyrique George, in my opinion, both had impressive pre-seasons. They are both dynamic threats that offer youthful fearlessness and direct running against opposing full-backs. My fear is, Moyes will beat it out of them. I really hope this season, the man in charge takes the shackles off and allows them both to express themselves, fully aware that not everything they try will come off and they will make the wrong decision from time to time. Confidence with these types of players is everything. They need to be encouraged to take chances, not chastised for making mistakes.

I will lump in Thierno Barry & Beto together, as I believe they are essentially the same player (as does Moyes going on his usage patterns). Both provide powerful central focal points for direct attacks and high pressing, but, they are both severely limited in terms of technical ability. Barry seems light weight, being pushed off the ball way too easily. His body language and sour pus suggests he does not want to be at the club. Beto never seems to have a foul given against him, as if his size and strength somehow negates the foul play rules of football. At times he is akin to Bambi on ice. Both possess extremely poor first touches (moreso Beto) and we are going to continue to struggle to find goals up top while either of these players start (or come on) for us. We really do need a different option up front, I was hoping to see more of Braiden Graham in pre-season but he was never really given a proper chance.

Kinnear’s plain talking and very welcome interview (where he clarified his “happily dissatisfied” comment), mentioned last season’s failure to qualify for Europe following our disastrous run-in, will surely put the pressure on Moyes to be more adventurous and place more trust in his creative players. This can only benefit the team and fan entertainment over the course of the season. Hopefully, injuries aside (we seem cursed in this area), we can push up the table into the European places, embed some of the players into a system and way of playing that is effective and entertaining, while developing the squad for our next manager to inherit and refine even more (discretionary author optimism here 🤣)

Best wishes for the season ahead Evertonians. Whatever happens, we need to stick together and support the team. We are the best fans in the world. It’s hard to believe it’s now 40 years since we won the league with what was, when you look back on it, a very limited squad!