Football Season Guide

David Moyes got plenty out of a squad short on both quality and depth, but Jack Grealish’s season-ending injury and a seven-game winless run to close the campaign saw them stumble over the finish line and settle for 13th place. The arrivals of Hayden Hackney and Christian Norgaard have helped soften the blow of Idrissa Gueye’s departure, but Moyes was clear at the end of last season that more reinforcements were required – and they are still yet to arrive. On a positive note, Everton had only four representatives in the World Cup, meaning that their coach has had the opportunity to work with the majority of his (limited) squad during pre-season. Their main strength lies in a defence consisting of Jake O'Brien, James Tarkowski, Jarrad Branthwaite and Vitaliy Mykolenko. In fact, only five teams conceded fewer goals than Everton (50) last term. Up front could be an area of concern, with Beto and Thierno Barry both producing promising spells last season but neither able to sustain their form over the course of the campaign. Meanwhile, Everton need to improve their home form after winning just six of their 19 games in Hill Dickinson Stadium’s debut season.