Our Everton jury are back to have their say on Jack Grealish joining and the win over Wolves
Jack Grealish and David Moyes during the match between Leeds United and Everton at Elland Road on August 18, 2025
Jack Grealish and David Moyes during the match between Leeds United and Everton at Elland Road on August 18, 2025
(Image: Tony McArdle/Everton FC Official Photography Library/SmartFrame)
Everton made it three wins in seven days when they beat Wolverhampton Wanderers at Molineux on Saturday afternoon. Beto, Iliman Ndiaye and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall were all on target in the 3-2 victory.
And although he wasn’t on target, Jack Grealish once again impressed as he claimed two assists. The England international now has four assists from the three games he has played for the Blues.
And for the first time this season, our Everton jury have returned to have their say.
Paul McParlan - Reasons to be cheerful?
Even the most pessimistic Toffee might look forward to a new season with a soupcon of optimism.
New signings have arrived; some underperforming and overpaid players have left and there is the tantalising possibility that the season will be better than the last one. In recent campaigns, these bubbles of hope have been quickly burst by selling a star player, losing the opening home game and failing to win a match in August.
Cue last-minute panic buying, with Everton paying an inflated fee for someone who is clearly not suitable; Neal Maupay immediately springs to mind.
This time, it somehow feels different. The new stadium has added a vibrant dimension to the club, with fans now watching the team play in an arena which is arguably a world leader in football design and technology, standing proudly on the banks of the royal blue Mersey.
The team has made a positive start, unlike in previous years. Despite the defeat at Leeds United, which was always going to be a tough fixture at a ground where we have an appalling record, Everton have shown that they can start looking upwards rather than downwards.
The win away to Wolverhampton Wanderers on Saturday, on the back of two consecutive victories at home, has seen Everton heading into the international break on a high.
For once, the club seems to have completed most of the transfer business early. The arrival of Jack Grealish was a major coup and a real statement of intent which showed that David Moyes, along with the new owners, have a clear vision and strategy that will attract quality to the club.
Could you seriously have seen Jack Grealish sign to play in a Sean Dyche side in a club owned by Farhad Moshiri? And the dreaded PSR (Profit and Sustainability Rules) is not a concern anymore.
Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall looks a valuable addition to the team and Iliman Ndiaye continues to torment opposing defenders, which means we have a side that can entertain and score goals, a combination that has been lacking for so long.
It is so encouraging to see that we now have options on the bench, such as Charly Alcaraz, Dwight McNeil and the exciting young prospect Tyler Dibling, who can make a difference when they enter the pitch.
There are still a few areas that give concern; there always are with Everton. Without the injured Jarrad Branthwaite, the defence does not look as resilient as last term and the failure to recruit a right back could still come back to haunt us.
However, it has been a while since we have been able to feel this positive about an Everton team, so let’s enjoy it while we can.
Everton are in the top five, have progressed to the next round of the League Cup and have a highly experienced manager who knows what he is doing.
Reasons to be cheerful? At this stage the answer seems to be yes.
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James Kellett - He has the bottle to excel in times of hardship
Everton’s transfer window, on the whole, has been a positive one.
It has been characterised by additions that have offered excitement and hope and outgoings that were dearly needed.
Among the outgoings is young starlet Harrison Armstrong, and his loan move to Preston North End has left some questioning as to why he has made the shift to the Lancashire outfit.
His player of the match winning performance against Mansfield Town in the Carabao Cup proved to many his composure and skill in midfield, and for some was evidence enough that the 18-year-old should feature for David Moyes’ side.
Currently, Armstrong has the quality to be a squad player for the Toffees, and with time, he will be at the forefront of a starting Everton team, but to reiterate his age, the central midfielder is only 18.
His stint with Derby County was proof that he has the bottle to excel in times of hardship, as he was a standout player amid their relegation battle.
But the loan move to Preston will ensure his sharpness stays at a maximum and allow him to harness his skills instead of being utilised as a squad player.
Armstrong has a future with Everton, but at this point in his career, moves such as this are a necessity to sharpen the blade and keep him at his best.
In an ideal world, Moyes could have given him a starting role in both cup competitions and consistent minutes off the bench, but in reality, this season he would have found sparse minutes in a team that cannot guarantee a cup run and the luxury of substituting players based on ‘giving them minutes.’
At Preston, he will have room to grow and mature and arguably develop skills that he would not have if he had stayed with Everton.
Akin to the Toffees’ transfer business in the summer window, Harrison Armstrong is a work in progress, and the performances he has shown demonstrate that his potential is sky-high.
North End will likely become a lot of Evertonians’ second team for the current season, and their eyes will be fixed on the youth prodigy.