With the summer transfer window now behind us, Everton can buckle down and focus on at least the first half of the 2025/26 season through till the festive period. In the four games they played before the international break, the Blues recorded two wins and a loss in the Premier League, and moved into the Third Round of the Carabao Cup without breaking too much of a sweat.
The more optimistic of the fanbase might actually be ruing that we only have six points and sit in fifth place in the table given
that the only reverse was a narrow loss on opening day away at Leeds United, but to be fair even they wouldn’t have expected that the Toffees would beat Brighton & Hove Albion in the Toffees’ first game at Hill Dickinson Stadium. In fact, were it not for a couple of lucky bounces early in that game, Everton could have seen themselves down a couple of goals and given how poorly they played at Elland Road, the atmosphere could well have turned toxic very quickly.
Instead the Blues then rolled off three wins on the trot and enter September with renewed hope and the opportunity to turn a decent start into a strong foundation for the rest of the season. They welcome a struggling Aston Villa side that is surprisingly sitting in 19th place with just one point and no doubt worrying about theur Europa League campaign ahead of them.
Following that, the Blues are on the road first for the Merseyside Derby at league leaders and defending champions Liverpool, and then at Wolverhampton Wanderers in the Carabao Cup after having come away from there a couple of weeks ago with a close win. They then play two more home games, against David Moyes’ former side West Ham United and then against unbeaten Crystal Palace before going into the next international break. Anything between six to nine points in those games and advancement in the Cup should be considered successful.
During the international break, the RBM crew put their heads together to discuss what they thought would be the best and worst case scenarios for the remainder of the season to play out. Chime in in the comments section below with your thoughts as well.
Worst case scenario for the rest of the season?
Pat: We miss out on Europe or a trophy. Not to get ahead of ourselves, but this team is far too good to be in the midst of another relegation scrap.
Geoff: Worst case scenario is that we won’t be able to cope with injuries or suspensions at right back, central midfield and striker. Also can we cope with the AFCON loss of Ndiaye and Gueye and will they return fatigued as Gueye did a few years ago?
Also, upping the chance creation by the injection of quality has to be matched by the taking of those chances, I’m not convinced we have the quality or depth in the centre forward position.
John: A load of injuries, Grealish going off the boil and us slipping down the league table. I also think that early exits from the cups will be potentially detrimental to our season. Granted, cup runs mean more games, but progression to the latter stages breeds confidence within the team and hope within the stands.
Brian: The large turnover coupled with a few players taking some time to bed in leads to a relegation scrap once again playing uninspired football. Moyes is sacked in the winter and Everton limps along to safety thanks to some abysmal play by Wolves and West Ham.
Peter: I am a glass half full so I don’t see that scenario because we have too much liquid in the glass! My long term worry would be keeping these players when they show how good they are in this league for Everton.
Kevin: The loss of key players. Everton is reliant on the brilliance of Grealish in attack, but a bigger concern is that no defensive-oriented midfielder was signed, which makes keeping Idrissa Gueye healthy of paramount importance. If he goes down, then the defence has lost the man who sweeps up danger in front of it. But the defence itself is also stretched, with number three centre half O’Brien fixed to start at right back. There’s no genuine cover for that position, which leaves the centre of defence vulnerable to injuries, by extension. If an injury crisis occurs before January, this could derail what should be a promising campaign.
Calvin: Everyone’s talked about injuries, so instead I’ll go with some tactical concerns. Remember how awful we looked against Leeds when they pressed us high? Have we really worked that out yet? If the plan is to hoof it long to Beto/Barry rushing back towards our goal to head down to a nearby player, then we’re toast.
We might know very soon when play Liverpool in the Derby at Anfield in just another week.
Best case scenario for the rest of the season?
Pat: We get Europe or a trophy! However, a top-10 finish might be more realistic (maybe). Moyes’ first full season since his return and a whole heap of new players could lead to some frustrations throughout the year as they work out the kinks. Nil Satis Nisi Optimum!
Geoff: Best case scenario is that we stay injury-free in key positions and strikers take and create their own chances. Also, the players who may not play too much immediately (Dibling, Rohl and Aznou) will put pressure on those holding the positions. If we continue the impressive progress we can finish top half definitely and, if we get the good luck that normally deserts us, we can finish top 6 or 7.
John: A finish in the European spots and/or a cup triumph. Newcastle shocked Liverpool last year, while Crystal Palace stunned Manchester City. Why not us this season?
Brian: Everton’s signings bed in quite well. In particular regular service and creativity from Grealish, Ndiyae, Charli, and KDH leads to a plethora of goals for both themselves and Beto.
The right back situation is a manageable and Everton makes it into Europe along with a deep cup run and Everton recreate the Golden Moyes era.
Peter: A lot of teams have improved but I saw that The Athletic had three of our signings in their top 30 when they ranked all 150+ signings of the summer. My hope is that we continue to show the creativity that our team now possesses and Moyes repeats what he did when he arrived the first time; fending off relegation in season one and Europe in season two.
Kevin: The reverse of the above situation. All the key men avoid significant time on the treatment table, Everton’s attack continues to look fluid and dangerous, and the defence resembles the effective unit we watched last season. The new signings who’ve yet to feature are seamlessly integrated, providing strong depth options, Hill Dickinson becomes a genuine fortress which opposition teams do not look forward to visiting, and the team continues to pick up good results on the road.
The Blues make an unlikely late season push for European qualification, ending the campaign on a fantastic note.
Calvin: Best case for the long-term good of course would be qualifying for Europe. The additional revenue and exposure that would bring along with allowing us to reach for a higher tier of player are all obvious positives.
However, for me the best case scenario would be winning one of the two Cups this season. The drought since ‘95 has become a well-worn punchline akin to Spurs levels of football banter, and even they finally banished that monkey off their backs. Remember during those relegation battles how Blues flooded the streets around Goodison, blue smoke and fervent chants filling the air? Now can you imagine that at the docks, having lifted a trophy? Oh my goodness.
