When David Moyes was first in the Everton hot-seat, relegation worries would never regularly cross the minds of the Toffees supporters watching on.
Indeed, away from the 2003/04 campaign that saw the Merseysiders finish in a lowly 17th spot in the Premier League, the Scotsman regularly guided Everton to high finishes in the tricky division, with his highest finish as manager seeing the Blues end up in a mighty fourth position at the close of the 2004/05 season.
david moyes-1
Everton are looking up at the top-flight table once more after Sean Dyche had the side anxiously near the relegation positions, with one star in his current ranks baring similarities to Belgian midfield ace Marouane Fellaini who used to be a regular hero under Moyes.
Fellaini's top performances at Everton
Purchased during the peak of the Scotsman's first spell at the club - with European football almost expected to be clinched - Fellaini's name is certainly synonymous with some of the better times of Everton's recent past.
The lofty 6 foot 4 midfielder was equal parts combative and stylish in the middle of the park for the Toffees, with his debut season at the club seeing him pick up nine strikes and five assists in all competitions, away from completing his dirty work centrally.
In total, the 87-time Belgium international would bow out from his time at Goodison Park with a stellar goal and assist haul of 56 from 177 appearances, cementing himself as a modern great lining up for the blue half of Merseyside.
Whilst this determined and skilful performer is far from reaching the same status in the here and now, his ability to conjure up a moment of magic from the midfield positions is similar to that of Fellaini's, with Moyes wanting to use this as a weapon to pick up more victories as the campaign chugs along.
Marouane-Fellaini
Moyes already has the new Fellaini at Everton
The ex-West Ham United manager is in a strange position in the Everton hot-seat currently, with his team in the midst of an eight-match unbeaten streak in the Premier League, yet certain players find their futures simultaneously up in the air.
Abdoulaye Doucoure looks to be edging closer and closer to the exit door with his contract up this approaching June at Goodison, but that doesn't mean his performance levels have slipped since Moyes took on the reins.
If anything - much like Beto and others around him - Doucoure has looked even sharper under the new regime.
He posted a goal and an assist against Manchester United at the back end of February helping his side to a share of the spoils in the 2-2 draw, alongside also finding the back of the net against Leicester City towards the start of the month to clinch a comprehensive 4-0 victory.
Much in the way Fellaini way, Doucoure has been a regular goalscoring threat throughout his time at Everton, with the 32-year-old determined to continue to put in top displays from now until the end of the campaign in a bid to try and remain at the club beyond the summer.
Doucoure's numbers by season in the PL
Season
24/25
23/24
22/23
21/22
20/21
19/20
18/19
17/18
16/17
Sourced by Transfermarkt
Minus his debut campaign on English soil, Doucoure has always regularly provided the goods in terms of goals and assists, with ex-Liverpool icon Jamie Carragher even once lauding the former Watford man as "unbelievable".
Everton midfielder Abdoulaye Doucoure
Not just a contributor in the final third, like Fellaini Doucoure can get stuck in physically too, using his powerful frame to bully opponents.
He has made 4.7 ball recoveries per league game this season, with the Malian midfielder hopeful his game can be advanced even more at Goodison under Moyes' watchful eye, even if the end of his time with the club is near.
Wayne Rooney playing for Everton Related
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Everton fans will be excited about the potential of this youngster.