Everton’s season has been defined by a dual ambition: to secure a European place and to end a trophy drought that will soon reach 32 years. Yet the club’s new owners, The Friedkin Group (TFG), have abruptly shifted focus, announcing a willingness to sell the club and pulling the plug on the transfer budget. Despite the financial uncertainty, manager David Moyes remains under the same expectations to deliver results with the squad he has.
The upcoming Carabao Cup fourth‑round clash against Newcastle United at Goodison Park on Thursday is a critical moment for Moyes. With 7,732 supporters in attendance after Everton allocated 15 % of the ground to the opposition, the match offers a chance to progress in a competition the club has never won and to lift morale after back‑to‑back defeats to Chelsea and Arsenal. The game is the first of two consecutive meetings with Newcastle, the second being a Premier League fixture at St James’ Park on Monday. For the Toffees, a win could spark confidence and bring them closer to the European qualification spot they are targeting.
Everton’s attacking options have been severely limited by the summer’s transfer turmoil. The club sold Harrison Armstrong to Nottingham Forest for £35 m, a move that sparked protests from fans who had hoped he would stay. The departure left the squad without a proven striker, leaving Thierno Barry as the lone forward. Barry, who started his second season in England with four goals in his first two games, has struggled to maintain form, missing 12 key chances this season. The lack of a reliable goal‑scorer has been compounded by under‑utilisation of wide players Brennan Johnson and Jack Grealish, and the sparing deployment of young talents Hayden Hackney, Tyrique George and Tyler Dibling. Even the goalkeeper position has raised concerns, with Jordan Pickford’s recent performances described as “uncharacteristic” by club captain James Tarkowski, who urged the team to “pick up results” before the cup tie.
Moyes, who is 63 and whose contract runs until the end of the current campaign, has been vocal about the need for owner support. He recently received a tribute from the Football Writers’ Association North, where he reflected on his 1,200‑game managerial career and expressed a desire for more British coaches to work abroad. He also lamented the lack of trophies compared to long‑serving peers such as Sir Alex Ferguson, Arsène Wenger and José Mourinho. Moyes’s only major silverware came with West Ham United in 2023, when they won the Europa Conference League and ended a 43‑year trophy drought. He hopes to replicate that success with Everton, but the club’s financial instability and the owners’ intention to sell make long‑term planning difficult.
In the transfer market, Everton made a £25 m profit in the last window and are the lowest net spenders in the Premier League over the past five years. However, the club’s new owners appear unwilling to invest further, especially in January. Moyes has acknowledged the challenge, noting that “there’s only one person who tends to get called out at the end of it.” The club’s future now hinges on whether the owners will back Moyes with the resources needed to build a squad capable of competing for Europe, or whether the club will be sold in a tough market, leaving the manager to navigate a precarious situation. The outcome of the Newcastle tie could be pivotal, offering a chance to galvanise the team and potentially influence the owners’ decision on the club’s future.