David Moyes has anticipated an emotional goodbye to Goodison when Everton play their last home game of the season against Southampton this Sunday.
This weekend spells the Toffees’ final match at Goodison Park before their move to the brand new Bramley Moore Dock ahead of next season.
It is anticipated by many to be a day of celebration to say goodbye to a ground that has been the Blues’ home for 132 years.
The pressure of Moyes’ men finishing on a high increases ever-slightly however, after an indifferent run which has seen them take four points from their last 12 available.
A 3-1 comeback win at Fulham last time out was a reminder of Everton’s form in the months prior, with the new incentive of successive victories for the first time since early February burning strong.
That winning feeling is in contrast to opponents Southampton, who have not won any of their last 12 games, with relegation from the top-flight already being confirmed weeks ago.
The Toffees' record against the Saints flatters to deceive despite that, having lost four of the previous five fixtures against the South Coast side in all competitions.
August 2021 was the last time Everton beat Southampton at home in fact - a possible omen to end the baron run in their final Goodison matchup.
Goodbyes alongside end-of-season aspirations were the main points of discussion as Moyes answered the media ahead of Sunday’s game.
Preparing a Goodison goodbye
As already mentioned, Sunday's game spells one of importance for everyone connected with the blue half of Merseyside.
Ever since the announced completion of the new Bramley Moore Dock in 2024, counting down the games left at Goodison became a regular habit since the season's beginning.
After 132 years and 18 home matches this term, the final fixture is one that could arguably be shaped in Everton's history in the eyes of many.
Having a perfect goodbye has since become increasingly important, something that Moyes was keen to tone down for his players whilst highlighting the significance of Sunday.
"First and foremost, I'm getting prepared for a game that's very important for us to try to get three points and try to get us as high up the table as we can.
"We're seeing the end of Goodison now and I think all the Evertonians have been waiting for this moment in some ways because it’s been something everyone has been looking forward to.
"Goodison's been a brilliant for us. For everybody's who has been here. Great for getting results and a brilliant stadium to play in.
“It'll be a sad say, an emotional day for a lot of people, but I've got to keep the players focused on the game."
Coleman and contract talks
The season's end has also sparked debate about contracts, especially surrounding the future of club captain Seamus Coleman.
Coleman signed a fresh one-year extension back in the summer, leaving the chances of a new deal in the dark ahead of this one.
Since signing for the Toffees in January 2009, the right-back has been an ever-present, having made over 400 appearances for the club in that time.
Amidst the speculation however, the Everton boss confirmed that Coleman will still be a member of the squad next term.
"Seamus will stay next season, without doubt. Seamus will be part of the group," he said.
"His leadership, the message he has here amongst the dressing room and between the players is so strong, it'd be wrong of me to let him go. One way or the other, Seamus will be here next season.
"Seamus is actually a little bit more than being a player here. He's going into a position where he's helped the Club through some of the most difficult periods."
Moyes also remained calm when quizzed on the futures of other members in the team.
“I’m not particularly worried. We can only do things in our time and we’re trying to put things in place.
“We’ve been trying to keep the players aware of the situation behind the scenes. We’ll let some of them know before the end of this week and there’ll be others in different situations.”
Main focus to finish strong
With the main objective of survival already achieved, Everton's focus in their final two games possibly stem towards pride rather than positional targets.
The Toffees currently sit comfortably in 13th place on 42 points, but are mathematically unable to advance higher than that.
Despite those limitations, Everton would still be on course to end the season with three straight wins if last week's win at Fulham can be added to.
Winning is known to be a habit, something that Moyes wants his side to keep towards the end.
"There's a lot of talk about Goodison, which I completely understand, but at the same time, we've got ourselves 42 points at the moment. We need to try to win our last two games and get ourselves as high up as we possibly can.
“When we came in, the position we were in wasn’t good. I think we’ve made ourselves a lot stronger now and I want us to remain there.
“We’ve had a disappointing season so we want to finish it as high as we can. It’ll be much better saying we finished 13th rather than 17th, my aim is to try and do that if I can.”