An opportunity to get into good habits and build some momentum or just a glorified fitness exercise, that’s always been the dilemma over how to judge pre-season fixtures. But having been sent to Coventry, Everton’s latest friendly made for painful viewing.
In truth, Sean Dyche’s side never got going and were ruthlessly exposed at both ends of the field by Mark Robins’ upwardly-mobile side who after a couple of near-misses when knocking at the Premier League door and giving eventual FA Cup winners Manchester United the fright of their lives in their Wembley semi-final, look like they could have another positive season ahead of them in the Championship.
Beleaguered Blues might think they’ve been to hell and back in recent years with the lowest equivalent points total in the club’s history in 2022/23 bringing them within what captain Seamus Coleman described as “a kick” away from a first relegation in 72 years being followed by two separate points deductions last season. Then there’s Farhad Moshiri’s thwarted attempts to offload the club with the Friedkin Group the fourth potential buyer in two years not completing a takeover as reports cited the skeletons in the closet left by the wantaway majority shareholder’s dalliance with 777 Partners but Coventry City’s plight puts their problems into perspective.
When the Sky Blues were relegated from the Premier League in 2001 after 34 consecutive seasons, only Everton, Liverpool and Arsenal had enjoyed a longer continuous runs in the English top flight but despite moving from Highfield Road to their current home now known as the Coventry Building Society Arena in 2005, they have been as low as League Two and twice been forced to move away from their city to play in first Northampton Town’s Sixfields Stadium and then Birmingham City’s St Andrew’s. Although Coventry’s new stadium in 2005 seemed something of an extravagance, in contrast Everton, who are now preparing for their historic final season at Goodison Park after waiting for a generation, desperately need to make the move.
‘The Grand Old Lady’ has been their beloved base since it was constructed as the first purpose-built football ground in England in 1892 but is now in the Premier League’s bottom three when it comes to generating matchday revenue. With over 30,000 fans now on the Blues’ season ticket waiting list, from next year onwards there will be the opportunity to play in front of the biggest regular crowds in the club’s history when they relocate to their 52,888 capacity stadium on the banks of the Mersey.
After the recent turmoil of course, it’s imperative that Everton make that two-mile switch from Walton to Vauxhall intact as a top flight club. The takeover collapse earlier this month has ensured it’s back to the drawing board – again – in terms of the long-term vision but after keeping the Blues up on the final day the previous season, Dyche overcame all the off-the-field obstacles thrown his way last term to overcome the odds and put out a side that would have finished level on points with 11th placed Brighton & Hove Albion through on-pitch performance.
The 2024/25 season provides the opportunity to build on that progress and ensure Everton enter this crucial chapter in their history in decent shape. Although still hampered by PSR restrictions, director of football Kevin Thelwell has embarked on some encouraging and methodical reshaping of the squad so far this summer.
Three of the recruits, the returning Jack Harrison, back for a second season on loan from Leeds United plus Tim Iroegbunam and Iliman Ndiaye, brought in from Aston Villa and Olympique Lyonnais respectively, all started in the West Midlands but it was too soon for O’Brien, and it seems, another loan man Jesper Lindstrom from Napoli. Given Mason Holgate’s struggles, the Blues could have done with their latest arrival at the back but while they also without the four regulars in last season’s back five, Jordan Pickford, Vitalii Mykolenko, James Tarkowski and Jarrad Branthwaite, there was still over 1200 Premier League games worth of experience in the defence in front of Joao Virginia with Harrison, Dwight McNeil, James Garner and Dominic Calvert-Lewin among the main men in the squad who featured.
Results in friendlies are not always a clear indicator of what lies ahead. Last summer, Everton went unbeaten across their half dozen warm-up fixtures only for it to take them six Premier League games to find their first competitive victory but with almost 3,000 travelling supporters making the 240-mile round trip from Merseyside for this disappointment, they’ll be expecting to see a considerable improvement against Preston North End at Deepdale on Saturday.
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