Everton have had a steady start to the season – how would you summarise things so far?
Evertonians felt generally satisfied before the defeat to Spurs. We started the season fairly well, but 1 win in our
last 7 has brought a few dissenting voices to the fore.
There is a general understanding that with such a large overhaul of players in the summer, it will take time to settle and for us to become more consistent. For me, its been an average, but not unsurprising start to the season
David Moyes unsurprisingly is not a popular man on Wearside. How are fans enjoying his second spell in charge of the club?
David Moyes was always going to be able to unite a fractured and tired fan base, despite some still holding some hatred towards him after how he conducted himself after he left for Manchester United in 2013.
He’s certainly turned any doubters round and there is an overall feeling that him and Everton just work. He’s done well since he came back. You always feel he has the club’s best interests at heart. After years of trauma and negativity, it felt right that he was the man to take us into our new home.
Jordan Pickford will play his first club match at the Stadium of Light since leaving Sunderland for Everton. How would you describe his tenure at the club?
Jordan Pickford and Evertonians is simply a love story that has strengthened over time. His passion, character and ability have made him the most likeable goalkeeper we’ve had since the great Neville Southall.
He’s recently signed a new deal to keep him at the club until June 2029, which further cements his strong relationship with him and the fans. The fact he’s got his own song is testament to how highly regarded he is and the love we have for him.
The loan signing of Jack Grealish was a real statement this summer and he looks to be enjoying his football again. Are you starting to see signs of the Jack Grealish of old?
There was never any doubt in my mind that Jack Grealish would be a success when his signing was confirmed. He’d been starved of regular football at Manchester City, so any recent judgement of him was always going to be skewed.
He’s shown exactly how good he is, even in games we’ve lost. He appears to have fallen in love with the football club as we have with him and there’s hope his stay with us will go beyond this season. Because he’s enjoying his football, it comes out in how well he has played. He’s certainly showing the Grealish of old. Long may it continue.
In terms of permanent deals, Tyler Dibling, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, Thierno Barry and Carlos Alcaraz all joined the club. How have they got on so far?
The easiest way to look at it, is who has made the biggest impact, and that is Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall. He’s been a regular starter, a key component of the three players who play behind the striker and someone the manager clearly trusts. It’s proved to be much more difficult for the the other three.
The lack of game time for Alcaraz has come as somewhat of a surprise, especially given how well he did during his loan spell last season. When he has come off the bench, he’s tended to make a bit of a difference as well, so it’s a bit of a puzzle.
Both Dibling and Barry are yet to impress, but there has to be caveats as to why. It’s clear that the manager wants to give Dibling time to settle and learn from those around him, but given the size of his transfer fee, fans automatically expect him to feature more and more from him. We’ve seen glimpses of what he is capable of, but it’s early days yet and judgement of him wouldn’t be warranted.
Thierno Barry is the one new permanent signing that fans have been most vocal about. Decent money was paid for him, so like with Dibling, instant success is expected. Both him and Beto have been given numerous opportunities to cement the starting striker position for themselves, with neither eager to do so. He’s a young lad and patience is needed. He certainly looked brighter when he came off the bench against Spurs. Once he gets his first goal, we hope the floodgates open for him.
Aside from new signings, who are the danger men Sunderland should be wary of?
Simple – Iliman Ndiaye. For me, he could play for any side in Europe and wouldn’t look out of place.
He’s got quick feet, a great turn of pace, an eye for goal and is an all round nightmare for full backs. His last two performances have probably brought him to the attention of fans of other clubs more than previously, but we’ve known from the day we signed him, how much quality he possesses. He’s an absolute joy to watch.
If you were Regis Le Bris, which weak spots would you be targeting to expose in the Everton team?
Our full back positions are a concern and certainly an area of weakness that we’ve seen a few teams exploit this season.
With a centre half in Jake O’Brien playing right back and a very defensive minded Vitalii Mykolenko at left back, there’s a lack of quality behind our wingers.
Ask any Evertonian about us still not replacing Seamus Coleman and you’ll open a huge can or worms.
How do you think Moyes will set up tactically at the Stadium of Light?
It will be the usual 4-2-3-1 I would imagine. He very rarely moves away from that and his starting XI will be quite predictable (striker aside).
Are any players missing and who do you think he’ll select?
Pickford, Mykolenko, O’Brien, Keane, Tarkowski, Gana, Garner, Grealish, Dewsbury-Hall, Ndiaye, Beto.
The only main player missing is Branthwaite, who we likely won’t see until the new year. He’s a big miss and certainly brings much more pace and solidity to the back four.
Sunderland’s last victory against Everton was the famous 3-0 where we survived relegation and Roberto Martinez’s tenure in charge was over. What is your score prediction for this time around?
Form would suggest it’s going to be a difficult night for us.
We’ve been unlucky in our last two games and deserved something out of both of them. I’m going for 2-2.
