Everton begin their 2026/27 Premier League campaign at home against Crystal Palace on Saturday. The Blues have had an indifferent pre-season in terms of results, but they did beat Newcastle United and draw with Lille in their last two games. Off the pitch, Hayden Hackney, Merlin Rohl, Brennan Johnson, Tyrique George and Christian Norgaard have all arrived. However, David Moyes believes there is still a lot more work to be done in the transfer market.
Mixed Feelings Ahead of Kick-Off
Paul McParlan noted that most Everton fans are still recovering from the catastrophic loss of form towards the end of last season, which cost them a European place. With 135 minutes of the campaign remaining, they were in 7th place, yet somehow contrived to finish 13th after losing their final two games. He said it hurts, but it's over, and it's time to move on.
For fans expecting a series of big-name arrivals this summer, that was never going to happen. McParlan referenced David Moyes' recent comments that “we’re far off from where we want to be,” which have enabled serial Everton doom-mongers to flood supporters with social media posts writing off prospects before the new season has even started.
McParlan said he is cautiously optimistic about this season. He noted the club has kept the core of its squad and made some useful acquisitions. Christian Norgaard will bring a welcome element of experience and leadership, and Hayden Hackney could prove to be an inspired signing. Tyrique George is definitely a talent and will pose problems for defenders with his pace and trickery. Brennan Johnson will bring much-needed pace to play and has an eye for goal.
Young Talent and Key Concerns
Younger players such as Tyler Dibling, Harrison Armstrong, Merlin Rohl and Adam Aznou look ready to challenge for a regular start. McParlan said David Moyes has an array of options on the bench if he chooses to use them, adding that the days of having to rely on Jack Harrison and Neal Maupay are gone.
Thierno Barry had problems adjusting to the Premier League last season, but he is still only 23 and will have learnt from that experience. He has looked the part in pre-season and this could be a breakthrough campaign for him. Having a fully fit Jarrad Branthwaite makes such a difference to Everton. Losing him through injury for the last five games effectively derailed the push for Europe. If he can avoid any setbacks this time, then prospects seem much brighter.
There are still some issues to be resolved. McParlan said the team needs a right back and perhaps another striking option. The return of Jack Grealish would be a boost and some arrivals before deadline day would help. For him, qualifying for Europe is essential, along with having a long run in the League and FA Cups. Home form has to improve, and they have to win a Derby match.
Right-Back Problem and Squad Depth
James Kellett said that as the novelty of Hill Dickinson Stadium starts to wear off, eyes are cast on Everton to see if they can produce a team worthy of their world-class arena. While last season ended poorly, seeing European hopes dwindle into mid-table mediocrity, there were signs this squad can push into the higher regions of the Premier League. A talking point that continues to rage is the right-back conundrum, and the sheer fact that a new one has not been signed is nothing short of a failure. It is a position that has been a topic of conversation for successive transfer windows, and the Toffees appear no closer than they were a few years ago in securing a befitting successor to club hero Seamus Coleman.
So the Blues will likely enter their opening matches without a natural right-back again, and the longer David Moyes goes without a right-back, the longer the team will go without having the foundations to become a competitive threat. However, outside of this failure, there is reason to have some excitement ahead of the season-opener against Crystal Palace. Pre-season performances from prodigies such as Tyler Dibling, Adam Aznou and Tyrique George emphasise the potential this current squad has, and many Evertonians hope their manager makes the most of the young talent at his disposal. Most importantly, Jarrad Branthwaite managed to complete a full preseason, which has offered him the perfect opportunity to become the leading man in Everton’s defence.
His injury in last season's gut-wrenching Merseyside Derby defeat sent the Toffees’ season spiralling, so their hopes this campaign rest on him returning to peak fitness. The dire results of last April and May have made it hard for some Evertonians to believe ahead of the 2026-27 Premier League season. But this is a club that has added quality to its ranks, and should they continue to recruit new bodies, they may just raise a few eyebrows and shrug off the ghosts of last season.
Optimism Tempered by Lingering Doubts
Mark McParlan noted that some of the looming dark clouds have been calmed by how good the team has looked at the end of pre-season, delivering an extremely convincing 3-1 win against Newcastle and being much the better team against a Lille outfit who’ve just finished third in Ligue 1. Squad depth looks quite solid. He listed four centre-backs, eight central midfielders including James Garner, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, Christian Norgaard, Hayden Hackney, Tim Iroegbunam, Charly Alcaraz, Merlin Rohl and Harrison Armstrong, and four wingers after Brennan Johnson and Tyrique George were added to Iliman Ndiaye and Tyler Dibling. He added that Angus Kinnear has implied the club is still pursuing Jack Grealish.
But full-back remains the obvious problem. Vitalii Mykolenko has had a worryingly poor pre-season and still hasn’t shown that he’s particularly better than he was in 2022. Apparently, the club disagreed, instead rewarding him with a new three-year deal in June. The Jake O’Brien at right-back experiment must finally be laid to rest, with the whole situation descending into a farce even involving the Prime Minister. He questioned whether they are just going to fall into the same trap with Rohl in that spot instead. Across the course of a demanding Premier League season, out-of-position players are usually found out and targeted.
Once again, the fortunes of the season could rest on the fitness or otherwise of Jarrad Branthwaite. He is a revelation in defence and allows the team to play on the front foot, both by playing a higher line and by striding out of defence with the ball himself. Mark McParlan said if the club lands a quality full-back (and Jack Grealish?), it’s then over to David Moyes to deliver as manager. The mission remains the same: at the very least improve on last season, ideally qualify for European football, or alternatively, reach a cup final. He is worried that uncertainty over Moyes’ future with 10 months left on his contract will make him a more cautious manager, even less likely to treat the cups seriously. He is going into the first match and the season with optimism, but still fearing the team could be in for another nothing season. The lingering doubt in his mind is that the starting XI hasn’t actually improved at all yet, compared to last season, and that Moyes won’t properly rotate the squad to its full potential.
Either way, he said, let’s start as we mean to go on, with three points at home against Crystal Palace and a strong performance, and get the fanbase right behind the manager and team from the off.
