Everton - Premier League season preview
Last season's finish: 8th
Lawro's prediction: 7th
Lawro's verdict
The key for Everton is to hold on to their big players like Arteta and Rodwell (right). If they can do that then it will be another season of pushing for Europe.
Quite how much further David Moyes can take Everton is another issue, as is his long-term future and achieving his goals and targets.
But Everton will have another good season and over-performing has become the routine and the norm for Moyes.
Gaffer: David Moyes
The canny Scot kept his nerve despite Everton’s poor start last term and might have made the top six if the injuries had cleared earlier.
He will know that every season now is seen as a possible audition to fill Fergie’s shoes at Old Trafford but it is hard to see a breakthrough into the Champions League slots with what he has available to him
Key Man: Mikel Arteta
Everton badly missed the Spaniard at the start of last term and were so much better when he returned from injury.
Uncapped by his own country and now qualified to play for England, although that would cause a hell of a stink. The left-sider has class and intelligence and makes a huge difference to Moyes’ options.
Ins and outs
In
Joao Silva - Desportivo Das Aves (Undisclosed)
Magaye Gueye - Strasbourg (Undisclosed)
Jermaine Beckford - Leeds (Free)
Jan Mucha - Legia Warsaw (Free)
Out
John Ruddy - Norwich (Undisclosed)
Dan Gosling - Newcastle (Free)
Lukas Jutkiewicz - Coventry City (Undisclosed)
Fan's eye view
Click here to read the fan's eye view with Phil Pellow from Santis Fanzine
Did you Know?
Everton scored a higher percentage of goals (35%) in the final 15 minutes of matches than any other side in 2009-10.
Tim Cahill scored more headed goals (7) than any other player in the top flight.
Big interview: Tim Howard
Tim Howard has warned that Everton can gatecrash the Top Four.
The Goodison keeper believes that David Moyes’s men would have qualified for the Champions League last season but for a catalogue of injuries that undermined them before Christmas.
Everton humbled champions Chelsea and runners-up Manchester United in the final weeks of the campaign when Moyes finally got back his best players.
And Howard insists that the Blues can challenge Chelsea, United, Arsenal, Spurs, Manchester City, Aston Villa and Liverpool this time.
The American international said: “Everton are such a big club that we should always have the ambition of qualifying for the Champions League.
“The form we showed in the second half of last season means we really feel we can give it a shot this time. We’re not fearful of any team.
“You know the top teams will give you a real battle, but we’ve been in and around the top eight for a few years now.
“I think other teams now see Everton as a real threat.
“Whenever we’ve gone toe-to-toe with any of the other big teams we have always looked forward to the challenge.
“We have more than held our own when we’ve played the best.”
Howard added: “I would be selling Everton short if I didn’t say that we are aiming for the top four.
“We showed last season how good we really are, but it was mainly in the second half of the season.
“I think it was only the injuries we had at the start that kept us out of the Champions League places.”
Howard, 31, won the FA Cup and League Cup during four years at Old Trafford before moving to Goodison in a £3million deal in 2007.
Sir Alex Ferguson has since admitted that it was a mistake to allow the New Jersey-born keeper to leave.
Howard said: “It’s vital that we have a great start, but every Premier League team will say that.
“I remember when I was playing for Manchester United, the golden rule if you wanted to win the title was to hit the ground running.
“That’s something we need to do at Everton.
“We had a great run after the turn of the year when we beat Manchester City twice, beat Manchester United, Chelsea and drew at Arsenal.
“That run showed what we are capable of, but this year we have to show that form in August, September and October.
“We gave ourselves a mountain to climb last season and we just couldn’t manage it.
“But if we get a good start this year then we will take some stopping.”
Former Everton striker Tony Cottee agrees with Howard’s assessment that a top-four finish is not beyond the Toffees.
Cottee said: “Everton had catastrophic injuries at the beginning of last season and that’s what really cost the club.
“They did well to finish eighth considering the injuries they had, but they need to keep their best players and bring in a few more to add to the squad.
“If they can do that I honestly believe a Champions League spot is not beyond them – if they start well and make the right signings.
“Chelsea and United will be challenging for the title, and you would expect Arsenal to be up there, whie City with their new signings are going to be a real force this season.
“So it will be difficult for any team to finish in the top four.
“Spurs will be competing again, as well Villa and Liverpool, but Everton can join them if things go their way more than they did last season.”
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