Everton appear to be on the verge of another relegation battle this season if their early form is anything to go by.
Yet, despite the bleak outlook, it’s worth remembering that they managed to secure safety well before the final whistle of the 2023/24 season, despite a similarly dismal start.
There is, therefore, some room for optimism amid the current chaos, and somewhat surprisingly, it’s Graeme Souness who has emerged as a voice of calm and reason on this occasion.
Souness’ Verdict on Everton’s Survival Chances
Speaking to talkSPORT, the former Liverpool captain weighed in on Everton’s prospects for survival after what has been a woeful beginning to the new campaign.
With three consecutive losses in the Premier League and the club rooted to the bottom of the table, many are already predicting the worst. However, Souness has urged fans and pundits alike to maintain perspective.
He told Simon Jordan: “They are in trouble and I feel for Sean Dyche. He is having to motivate a team that got their goals and they were sitting in a place they want to be, and then the roof collapsed on them.
“He is fighting fires all over the place, trying to keep the players’ heads up. Some of those players in the dressing room maybe don’t have the strongest characters and will use the other things that are going on at that football club as an excuse not to perform. But you know, they will be all right.
“Last year if you hadn’t taken the points off, they would have been sitting pretty. Everton are a fabulous football club in a mad footballing city like Liverpool, so I wish them well. I hope and I believe they will turn it around and will be fine.”
Souness’s comments came in the wake of Simon Jordan’s own predictions regarding the future of Sean Dyche, with many questioning whether the Everton manager’s job is already under threat.
Echoes of Last Season
Everton’s start to this Premier League season has an uncanny resemblance to the way they kicked off the last one. The fears of relegation are understandable, but it’s worth considering how similar patterns have played out before.
Despite a dreadful opening stretch of five matches in the league last year, the Toffees ended up finishing 14 points clear of the relegation zone, and that was after enduring an eight-point deduction.
Their opening-day defeat to Chelsea in 2023 mirrored their recent loss to Brighton and Hove Albion, where they arguably looked the better side early on but failed to convert their chances. This profligacy ultimately led to their downfall.
Then came a trip to Tottenham Hotspur, always a tough fixture, where they suffered a 4-0 defeat—an exact replica of the result they endured at Villa Park in the second game of last season.
Next, Everton faced Wolverhampton Wanderers and AFC Bournemouth at home. Despite dominating both games, they again failed to secure a victory.
The parallels with last season are clear. While the results so far have been poor, the underlying performances suggest there is cause for hope.
Sometimes, all it takes is one win to restore confidence and propel a struggling side up the table. As Souness suggests, Everton might just turn it around and avoid the drop once more.