Everton 2024-25 Preview: Five Key Questions Ahead of the Season

What are the big questions on the agenda for Sean Dyche at Everton ahead of the 2024-25 Premier League season?

Everton had one heck of a ride in 2023-24. They were hit with not one, but two points deductions – an initial 10 in November, reduced to six on appeal, and then a further two in April; 777 Partners tried, and failed, to take over the club; they went on a Premier League club-record winless run and yet, when all was said and done, the Toffees were 15th, 14 points clear of the relegation zone. If not for those deductions, they would have finished 12th, level on points with Brighton.

Amid the chaos, Sean Dyche steadied the ship. But, ahead of their final campaign at Goodison Park, what are the key questions facing Everton?

Will the Metrics Pay Everton Back?

Dyche made his name at Burnley by keeping the Clarets up and stable in the Premier League, by hook or by crook, for the best part of six years between 2016 and 2022, even qualifying for Europe at one point. A solid defence, mixed with taking chances when they came at the other end would have been the typical point of view from a casual onlooker.

He certainly made the best of what he had at Turf Moor, and since he came in at Everton, the task has very much been that of a firefighter. And while the immediate goal for 2024-25 will again be to steer Everton away from the bottom three, there must also be a target of at the very least matching last season’s points tally of 48 (ignoring the deductions) – and avoiding any 13-match winless streaks in the process.

‘Dycheball’ was in full flow in a lot of aspects. Everton attempted 533 open-play crosses last season, an average of 14 per game and the third-highest total in the Premier League. The accuracy of those crosses left a fair bit to be desired, though – only 2.6 per game were successful. The Toffees were top of the league for long passes (2,388 – 62.8 per match), with 17.3% of their passes going long (the second-highest percentage in the division).

It may have been somewhat agricultural at times, but it was certainly effective in creating chances. Yet Everton’s attack, it is fair to say, misfired. Paraphrasing slightly, one of Dyche’s go-to comments to the media for much of last season was “the xG will eventually pay you back”. But it never really did.

Only relegated Sheffield United (35) scored fewer goals than Everton (40) in the Premier League last season. That is despite Dyche’s side accumulating 54.9 expected goals (xG) – no team came close to their 14.9 xG underperformance.

Everton registered the league’s worst shot conversion rate (7.89%) and the division’s second-worst big chance – defined as an opportunity from which a player would reasonably be expected to score – conversion rate (28.33%), putting away just 27 of their 90.

Much of Everton’s chance creation came from high pressure. They averaged the sixth-highest starting distance from their own goal for attacks (42.5 metres) and forced 9.6 high turnovers per game, with 1.6 of those per match resulting in a shot. However, they only scored four goals from 366 high turnovers in total.

If the metrics do balance out a bit more in Everton’s favour this season, they should be fine, and could even thrive as they look to give the Grand Old Lady a memorable send-off.

How Will the New Signings Fit In?

There has been plenty of pressure on director of football Kevin Thelwell to wheel and deal while keeping Everton on the right side of the Premier League’s financial regulations, and that has meant selling players.

Lewis Dobbin and Ben Godfrey left before 30 June, in the previous accounting year, for a reported combined fee of £20million. The Toffees then cashed in on Amadou Onana, who for all of his quality, had been unable to cement himself as a guaranteed starter in Dyche’s midfield.

In terms of incomings, though, Everton have been busier than their fans may have expected, given the financial constraints the club faces – albeit there is still work to do.

Dyche will be hoping he can rekindle the best form of both Iliman Ndiaye and Jesper Lindstrøm – a duo that impressed in 2022-23 yet subsequently failed to rediscover those levels after big moves to Marseille and Napoli respectively last season.

In Ndiaye, Everton have signed a fantastic ball carrier who can play anywhere behind the striker, but is at his best just off a main frontman. The 24-year-old only scored three Ligue 1 goals for his boyhood club Marseille, yet he was sensational for Sheffield United in their promotion push from the Championship in 2022-23.

The Senegal international was the only player in the second tier that season to score 10+ goals (14), provide 10+ assists (10), create 10+ big chances (10) and complete 100+ dribbles (111). Five of his assists and four of his goals came after a carry – it is the type of threat Everton have sorely lacked in recent years.

Loanee Lindstrøm, meanwhile, provides another versatile option for Dyche to call on. While he flopped at Napoli, the attacking midfielder recorded 11 goal involvements in all competitions for Eintracht Frankfurt in 2022-23 (nine goals, two assists).

Jake O’Brien was hugely impressive at Lyon, and Everton pipped a host of clubs to the defender’s signature. On paper, he provides excellent competition for James Tarkowski and Jarrad Branthwaite (more on him to come). Ranked against his fellow Lyon defenders in Ligue 1 last term, the Republic of Ireland centre-back ranked first for blocks (18), first for clearances (96) and second for aerial duels won (44).

Jack Harrison has returned on another loan from Leeds United, while Tim Iroegbunam has impressed in pre-season since joining from Aston Villa. The main question for Dyche is how he gets the best out of his newcomers, while Everton still aim to add to their midfield and attacking ranks.

What Does That Mean for Doucouré?

The use of players like Ndiaye, Lindstrøm, Iroegbunam and even Harrison, who has been deployed centrally at times, could well depend on if Dyche wishes to phase out Abdoulaye Doucouré, who has been a crucial player for the former Burnley boss.

Since Dyche’s first match in charge in February 2023, Everton have failed to win a league game that Doucouré has missed (nine in total – three draws, six defeats). They have averaged 1.1 goals per game with Doucouré in the team in that time, and 0.6 when he is not in the side, while conceding 1.9 per match in his absence compared to 1.1 when he plays. Their points per game drops from 1.4 to 0.3 if he is not playing.

But perhaps these new signings can finally mean Dyche isn’t overly reliant on Doucouré, or is able to drop the former Watford man back into a deeper role in midfield. There is also a financial element to consider – Doucouré is into the last year of his deal and turns 32 in January. If an offer came in, he may well be moved on.

Will Jarrad Branthwaite’s rise continue?

If there was one standout bright spot from 2023-24 for Everton, then Branthwaite was it.

Coming off the back of an excellent loan spell at PSV, Branthwaite picked up from where he left off and swiftly established himself as one of the Premier League’s most promising youngsters.

Indeed, earlier this summer, it looked as though Manchester United thought they may be able to capitalise on apparent financial strife at Everton and strike a cut-price deal, but they have had two offers for the centre-back rebuffed.

While Branthwaite’s long-term future seems destined to be away from the club, Everton will be hoping that, should he stay beyond 30 August, the 22-year-old – who was unfortunate to miss out on a call-up to England’s Euro 2024 squad – continues to go from strength to strength.

Together with Tarkowski and the excellent Jordan Pickford, who – excluding penalties and own goals – prevented 5.7 goals last season according to Opta’s expected goals on target (xGOT) model, Branthwaite formed a terrific defence that was the sixth-best in the Premier League when it comes to xG against.

In fact, only Arsenal (29), Manchester City (34) and Liverpool (41) conceded fewer top-flight goals than Dyche’s men (51), as that defensive solidity the Everton manager is renowned for came to the fore.

Branthwaite ranked sixth out of Premier League defenders for aerial duels won (95 – 50 fewer than league-leader Tarkowski), fourth for interceptions (50), eighth for clearances (157) and tied fifth for headed clearances (82). He has missed pre-season due to a groin issue, but with O’Brien pushing him, there is no reason not to expect another stellar season.

What Will Happen With Dominic Calvert-Lewin?

The biggest uncertainty heading into the campaign in terms of Everton’s squad is the future of Dominic Calvert-Lewin.

A move to Newcastle United was on the cards at the end of June, but a deal was ultimately not found. Therefore, Everton’s number nine remains at the club with less than a year left on his contract; a new one has been tabled, but there has been no sign of a resolution.

It could soon be stick or twist time for the Toffees – can they risk losing Calvert-Lewin for free next year, or do they cash in for an offer that may fall below their valuation in the final weeks of the window?

As it is for now, he’s likely to lead Everton’s line when they face Brighton on Saturday, and if the Toffees are to start putting away more chances, they will need to see more composure from their striker, who was the Premier League’s highest xG underperformer last term.

Calvert-Lewin scored seven goals, including two penalties, from 12.93 xG, with his 5.93 underperformance slightly worse than Darwin Núñez (-5.39) and Brennan Johnson (-5.28).

However, his all-round profile suits Dyche’s preferred approach down to the ground. Only teammate Tarkowski won more aerial duels in the Premier League in 2023-24 than Calvert-Lewin (141), who was second in the competition for aerial duels competed (289), behind Luton Town’s Carlton Morris.

That aerial prowess is crucial for a centre-forward in a Dyche side and was on show as Calvert-Lewin ran Liverpool’s defence ragged in Everton’s 2-0 Merseyside derby victory in April – a result that simultaneously teed up the Toffees’ survival and scuppered their rivals’ title hopes.

With Beto struggling to adapt to the rigours of the Premier League, Calvert-Lewin remains a pivotal figure and will not be easy to replace should he leave.

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