Fortress Hill Dicky: Why year 2.0 on the Dock demands a shift in ambition
The wide-eyed wonder has evaporated. Long gone.
There was, understandably, a period of grace extended across last season. Moving away from Goodison Park—a ground steeped in over a century of history, noise, and memories—was never going to be seamless.
The initial months at Hill Dickinson were largely defined by the sheer scale of the place: taking in the waterfront views, navigating new concourses, and getting used to a superb modern arena. It was nice.
Now, standing on the precipice of Everton’s second season on the Mersey docklands, that honeymoon period is officially over.
The stadium itself is established. What remains unsettled is the footballing identity inside it.
The home and away contrast
If David Moyes 2.0 has proved anything, it is that he still knows how to set up a side to dig in on the road. Everton’s away record has been solid enough. They tend to be resilient, hard to beat, and capable of frustrating opponents and opposition crowds.
Yet that away form only really highlighted the obvious flaw holding the club back: an inability to take control of games at home.
Too often last season, visiting teams arrived at the Hill Dicky, weathered an initial ten-minute spell, and quickly settled in. Instead of feeling like an intimidating venue, the ground sometimes felt a bit too comfortable for the opposition. Midfielders were given time, and the tempo dropped.
Turning just three or four passive home draws into wins last year would have completely changed the picture of the season. If Everton are to move beyond mid-table safety, the Hill Dickinson cannot just be an impressive backdrop.
It has to become a genuinely difficult place to visit.
The Moyes debate: pragmatism vs progress
This brings us to the real issue behind the growing fan frustration: the tactical direction under Moyes.
In his first spell at the club, Moyes built his reputation on battling and overachieving with limited resources. But the context has changed, and so have expectations.
Supporters watching a side backed by new ownership and playing in a 52,000-plus capacity stadium want to see a team that takes the game to opponents.
Right now, the discontent isn’t just about dropped points; it’s about a lack of initiative and inventiveness. The complaints are consistent across matchdays:
A habit of retreating into a shell once a game levels out.
A heavy reliance on rigid structure rather than quick, creative passing.
An apparent hesitation to take the handbrake off, even against beatable teams at home.
Moyes has brought stability back to the club, but stability without ambition quickly gets tedious.
Playing cautious, conservative football in a modern arena feels out of step with where the club is trying to go. If the crowd is going to lift the team, the team has to give them something to react to.
Safety-first football won’t keep the fanbase patient for much longer.
One game to set the tone
Time to get this right is short. With the summer schedule mostly spent on the road, Everton have just one final home match before the real work begins: the friendly against Lille on August 15.
That gives Moyes 90 minutes to show that things can change—to push the defensive line up, press higher, and get the Evertonians involved early. Lille is a friendly – nothing startling will change in that atmosphere – but an obvious change in intent would be good.
By the time Crystal Palace arrive for the league opener on August 22, the talking points end.
If Moyes wants to win over the doubters and build momentum in year two by the river, the approach has to change now. It is time to stop settling into a new home and start turning Hill Dickinson into the ground Evertonians want it to be.
Gary is editor for ReadEverton. He has many years experience of sports writing behind him after deciding (belatedly) that the world of accountancy wasn't for him. His work has been featured on (among many others) BBC Sport and The Metro. He has written on many sports, but considers himself an expert in football and F1. When not writing and editing he likes to go to the cinema and sip a lovely cold pint of Guinness (not always at the same time).
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