Everton supporters need to be “careful” when criticising David Moyes – as the club needs patience and stability at Hill Dickinson Stadium. That’s the verdict of former striker Tony Cottee, who scored 99 goals in 241 matches for the Blues between 1988-94.

Everton churned through eight managers in as many years under Farhad Moshiri, with the last of those, Sean Dyche, being sacked by new owners The Friedkin Group just 22 days after their takeover was complete after picking up just 17 points from the first half of the club’s final season at Goodison Park.

Despite the Blues being just one point above the relegation zone when Moyes, who steered them to nine top-eight finishes, including their highest ever Premier League position of fourth in 2004/05, returned, the Glaswegian gaffer ultimately guided them to 13th last term, avoiding the drop with five matches to spare and winning five away games in the process after just one success on the road over the previous year. However, such is the fickle nature of football in 2025: with predecessor Dyche becoming Nottingham Forest’s third manager of this season before the clocks went back, successive defeats, culminating with the 3-0...