David Moyes is unlikely to head to the second test event at Everton’s new stadium but is already thinking about his first trip to the landmark stadium. Everton’s Under-21s will play in front of 25,000 Blues later this month as the club takes another step towards earning the safety approvals needed to make the ground their permanent home in the summer.
Moyes remains keen to avoid a trip to the stunning venue until his side has guaranteed its Premier League status for another season. A win over his former club West Ham United on Saturday would not make Everton mathematically safe - though at 16 points the gap to the bottom three has now become a chasm.
The summer is increasingly starting to take some of his focus though, and alongside the overhaul of the playing squad, his mind has turned to how he can get the players to adapt to the transition from Goodison to the banks of the Mersey.
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One of the benefits of securing safety early this season will be that it may give Moyes and his squad the space to focus on wider issues than matchdays, including looking to familiarise themselves with what will be their new home in advance.
Any headstart on the psychology of the summer move would be welcome with Moyes keen to head to the new stadium in a positive fashion. So while March - with just one more senior game scheduled - will be a quieter month, one of Moyes’ ambitions for the coming weeks is to map out how to give his players the best chance of not being overwhelmed by the historic move.
Moyes happy if Seamus makes Republic of Ireland return
March is quiet because of the international break that follows the West Ham fixture on Saturday afternoon. How many players Moyes will have to work with during that period remains to be seen, with international squads being announced throughout the week.
One big question mark will be over Seamus Coleman. The club captain has not played since the Boxing Day draw at Manchester City and only returned to the Everton matchday squad on Saturday after his latest injury.
Yet while Moyes is yet to benefit on the pitch from Coleman’s vast experience, he would not stand in the way of him heading out on international duty should the Republic of Ireland call him up. Quite the opposite, in fact.
Moyes wants his players to continue to develop and sees international duty as a way for them to continue to learn.
He said: “I want all my players to become international players, and I want them to play for their countries. I think it's something they should be really proud of… We need to keep improving. I need my players to get better. I need them to become better as we go along. And I think they are. It's not so much Seamus, but I think that if he gets called up for Ireland, Seamus, then I’ll be thrilled for him. If he doesn't, then I'll be happy to have him because we can try and get some bounce games to give him some game practice, probably in the international break.”
Jesper Lindstrom could get first Denmark minutes since 2023
One player pushing for a call-up is Jake O’Brien, who played in front of Republic of Ireland assistant coach John O’Shea at Molineux. Another already on the list is Jesper Lindstrom. He recorded his first assist of the season when his pass found goalscorer Jack Harrison at Wolverhampton Wanderers. It comes with the winger continuing to grow in confidence after being handed a sustained run in the starting XI under Moyes.
The 25-year-old still has plenty to do if he wants to achieve his ambition of making his loan move from Napoli permanent, but his relationship with O’Brien down the Everton right has been integral to the eight match unbeaten run that has taken the club to the cusp of survival. Lindstrom has been rewarded with a call-up to the Denmark national squad for the upcoming international break, when his country has its UEFA Nations League quarter-final against Portugal. He has only made a matchday squad once in the last 16 months, when he did not come off the bench as Denmark beat Sweden in August.
Harrison Armstrong survives managerial change to earn trust on loan
Meanwhile, Harrison Armstrong is due to get more experience within the England youth setup over the coming weeks. It comes with the teenager riding the crest of a wave after earning man of the match for his performance in Derby County’s win over Blackburn Rovers at the weekend. He then followed that up with another big display on Tuesday night, when he played a full 90 minutes to help his side overcome Coventry City 2-0 and move within one point of safety in the Championship having looked out of touch just two games ago.
The midfielder added the Blackburn accolade to his man of the match award from the Everton win over Peterborough United in January. He has settled in well on loan and his weekend showing earned the plaudits from manager John Eustace - who greeted him with a big embrace when he took the youngster off. After that game, he said of Armstrong’s latest steps forward: “Harrison was outstanding for his second start in the Championship at age 18. I thought it was a real mature performance against two very good midfielders against him in there and a good number 10. I was very proud of his effort. We spoke in the week on a few things that we need to improve on with him. He's certainly taken that on board and we're very fortunate we have him here.”
Eustace replaced the manager who signed Harrison, Paul Warne, just days after he committed to his first loan move. Yet Armstrong has quickly been able to impress the Rams’ new manager and earn his trust.
Battle brewing to lead the line at Everton Stadium
Back at Finch Farm, anticipation within the academy is growing ahead of the U21s’ turn to make a Bramley-Moore debut on March 23. Ray Robert will always have the honour of being the first Everton player to score at the stadium following his late penalty for the U18s in their defeat to Wigan Athletic.
That means there is still the honour of being the first to score from open play and the likes of Martin Sherif, Coby Ebere and Omari Benjamin are all in line to have a shot at that target. Sherif has been impressive since dropping back to the U21s after a stint on the first team bench. Another player who could receive a chance is teenage forward Braiden Graham, who hit the woodwork for the U18s at the new stadium but is increasingly getting minutes for Paul Tait’s side.
None of the attacking starlets were able to get on the scoresheet on Monday night however, when it took an own goal from West Bromwich Albion keeper Ben Cisse from an Aled Thomas corner to give Everton a narrow win. Manager Tait later credited midfielder Jack Patterson with an “absolutely brilliant” performance in the win.
Meanwhile, the U18s drew 2-2 at Wolves on Tuesday, with Demi Akarakiri's and Kean Wren among the goals.
Your chance to WEAR a piece of Goodison Park
Supporters are being given the chance to own a slice of Goodison Park, with club timing partner Christopher Ward releasing a special edition watch that has pieces of the turnstiles built into them.
The backplate is forged from a Goodison turnstile and features an engraved aerial view of the stadium. Orders will be delivered with a strap made an Everton shirt and the first 100 orders will come with a strap made from a match-worn Everton shirt from a game this season, produced by local strap-maker Zulu Alpha.
The hands of the watch pay tribute to the Littlewoods clock and the inside track of the dial features etchings inspired by Archibald Leitch’s stadium architecture.
The watches are limited to 1,892 timepieces.
Mike France, CEO and co-founder of Christopher Ward, said: "My father first took me to Goodison Park as a three-year-old. Since then, like for so many Evertonians, the Grand Old Lady has become an essential part of my life.
“It’s somewhere I have experienced the highest highs and - as all Evertonians will also attest - occasionally the lowest of lows. When we decided to mark this historic moment, we knew we needed a watch that captured the unique spirit of this historic ground. It needed to be very special. The Goodison is that watch.” More details are available HERE.
