Everton are gearing up for a final season at Goodison Park and will want to call time on their 132-year stay at the storied ground on a high note.
The Merseysiders head into the 2024/25 season brimming with confidence following a terrific end to the previous campaign.
Everton closed the season as one of the most in-form teams in the English top flight, winning five of their final nine games (D2, L2).
The Toffees also finished 14 points clear of relegation despite being one of the early favourites to drop to the Championship.
Everton failed to win any of their first five matches of the season, leading to fan unrest.
To make matters worse, they looked poor against newly-promoted sides, drawing Sheffield United and losing to Luton Town in those early fixtures.
When results started to pick up, it all came crashing back down to earth as the Premier League slammed Everton with the first of two different point deductions for breaching financial rules.
The Toffees were deducted eight points, further plunging the club into uncertainty.
In the background, the club’s never-ending takeover saga had started brewing, with majority owner Farhad Moshiri putting up his shares for sale.
However, Everton boss Sean Dyche steered the ship away from the relegation zone, finishing 14 points clear of Luton in 18th.
Dyche built this team into a formidable force as the season went on.
He set the team up in a slightly new 4-4-1-1 structure, making his side incredibly difficult to penetrate, as evidenced by their defensive record.
Only three teams conceded fewer goals than Everton last term, and they were all top four.
As Everton head into 2024/25, they will be looking to repeat or even improve their late-season form. Here’s our Everton season preview for the coming campaign.
Match-going fans can purchase Everton tickets from seatsnet.com to cheer their team to victory from the best seats in the house.
Everton fixtures
Everton’s disastrous start to life last term left the Toffees trailing rivals early on, and they need to avoid a repeat next season.
Everton begin their 2024/25 campaign by welcoming Brighton & Hove Albion to Merseyside on August 17.
The Seagulls are a different proposition under new manager Fabian Hurzeler, but it is an opportunity to take advantage of this settling period to one-up Brighton.
Next up for the Toffees, Tottenham Hotspur, AFC Bournemouth, Aston Villa, Leicester City, Crystal Palace, and Newcastle United.
The first Merseyside derby is on December 7, with the reverse fixture slated for April 2.
Everton will take on the champions, Manchester City, on December 26 at Goodison Park before travelling to the Etihad Stadium on April 19.
The final game at Goodison Park comes against Southampton on May 18 as the Toffees prepare to move into their new Bramley-Moore Dock Stadium.
If Everton can navigate their early fixtures better this time, they will pick up more points that could help them break into the top half of the Premier League table for the first time since 2020/21.
Everton would have finished just behind Palace in tenth place without the eight-point deduction last term. They will be eyeing a place in the upper echelon of the table next season.
Transfer dealings
Everton have quickly shot out of the blocks in the transfer market, sealing a deal to bring former Sheffield United forward Iliman Ndiaye back to England following his disappointing spell in France with boyhood club Marseille.
The 24-year-old Senegal international is expected to provide a spark in attack. Dominic Calvert-Lewin struggled to deliver the goods consistently last season.
Calvert-Lewin bagged seven goals but missed 16 big chances in 32 appearances. Ndiaye will help shoulder a bit of the goal-scoring burden.
The Rouen-born star must be eager to rediscover his 2022/23 form. He had notched 14 goals and 10 assists to help the Blades climb into the Premier League from the Championship.
Everton are also close to signing Napoli winger Jesper Lindstrom on loan for a season with an option to buy him permanently.
The Toffees still need more reinforcement on the flanks and are reportedly after Leeds United’s Wilfried Gnonto.
Everton sold Lewis Dobbin to Aston Villa and signed Tim Iroegbunam from the Villains in a deal that the Premier League could investigate.
Meanwhile, the Merseysiders must also secure replacements for Amadou Onana (Villa) and Ben Godfrey (Atalanta), who have been sold.
Everton want to take Chelsea star Lesley Ugochukwu on loan to replace Onana while they remain in the market for a centre-back.
There is also the right-back issue to sort out. Club stalwart Seamus Coleman turns 36 soon, while back-up Nathan Patterson has struggled with injuries. The club must sign a Coleman deputy or successor.
Everton’s potential starting line-up
Goalkeeper Jordan Pickford has been a mainstay between the sticks for Everton since 2017 and will keep his place next season.
Ideally, a new right-back should join James Tarkowski and Jarrad Branthwaite in defence alongside Vitaliy Mykolenko.
The Ukrainian left-back has fully recovered from the injury that made him miss the latter part of last season and will join up with his teammates soon.
His return should usher Ashley Young back to the bench.
In midfield, Ugochukwu, who netted and won the man of the match award in Chelsea’s first pre-season clash, can partner Idrissa Gueye.
Chief creator and trusted Dyche soldier Dwight McNeil retains his spot on the left wing, and the club needs another new addition on the right to complement James Garner.
Ndiaye or Abdoulaye Doucoure can play in the hole behind the striker, which will likely be Calvert-Lewin, except the club pawns him off and signs an upgrade.
4-4-1-1: Pickford; Coleman, Tarkowski, Branthwaite, Mykolenko; McNeil, Doucoure, Gueye, Garner; Ndiaye; Calvert-Lewin.
What to expect
Everton fans can head into the 2024/25 season with optimism. While challenging the established elite might be a bridge too far, a push for the upper mid-table is a realistic target.
The core of the team boasts Premier League experience, and Dyche has instilled a winning mentality.
The early-season struggles of the previous campaign serve as a cautionary tale, but a strong start this time could propel them towards a finish around 10th place.
This might not sound like a trophy haul, but in the context of recent seasons, it would represent significant progress.
The final season at Goodison Park promises to be an emotional one.
Fans will be eager to witness a team that honours the club’s rich history while laying the groundwork for a successful future at the new stadium.
Expect a passionate Goodison faithful to roar their team on, hoping to give this legendary ground a fitting send-off.
Predicted finish: 12th
