Ally McCoist shares new Everton relegation verdict after ‘surprise’ he saw against Brighton
Ally McCoist believes it is far too early to suggest Everton could be thrown into another Premier League relegation battle.
The Toffees opened their 2024/25 campaign with a 3-0 defeat to Brighton on Saturday 17 August, having gone down to 10 men after Ashley Young saw red.
While Sean Dyche’s men evaded relegation last season, eventually finishing 14 points above the dropzone, the risk of being exiled to the Championship has already been mooted.
Speaking live via talkSPORT on Monday (19 August, 6:40am) – asked already whether the Toffees will be part of another relegation battle – McCoist said: “I think it’s just slightly early to say that. Watching the game, I think Brighton scored their first against the run of play, and Danny Welbeck’s finish was first-class.
“I wouldn’t be hitting the panic buttons just yet, but it was a little bit of an eye-opener for me. I think, particularly at home in their final season at the old stadium, they’ll have enough to have a settled season. But, that was a surprise.”
Everton in another Premier League relegation battle?
Dyche and Kevin Thelwell have worked tirelessly to improve the squad ahead of the 2024/25 campaign, with a plethora of new faces being added during the summer transfer window.
While the Toffees will be disappointed to open the new season with a 3-0 loss in front of the home crowd at Goodison Park, it is not the end of the world after just one game.
The summer transfer window remains open for another 11 days, which could leave time for Dyche’s side to make new acquisitions, but the squad has more than enough talent to finish higher in the league table.
The Toffees’ defence was exemplary last season, only conceding more goals than Manchester City, Arsenal and Liverpool, but goals were the main concern for Dyche.
Iliman Ndiaye and Jesper Lindstrom have gone some way to address those issues but Dominic Calvert-Lewin will need to kick into a new gear if he is to stay on Merseyside this summer.
He only notched seven goals last season, having hit a purple patch towards the end of the campaign, and has been heavily linked with an exit. There could still be some movement at Goodison Park before the transfer deadline.
In other Everton news, Mike Dean reacted to a controversial moment in the Toffees’ defeat to Brighton.
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