Our Everton jury have returned to have their say after David Moyes' side hit the self-destruct button against Bournemouth at Hill Dickinson Stadium
James Tarkowski and James Garner following Everton's defeat to Bournemouth
James Tarkowski and James Garner following Everton's defeat to Bournemouth(Image: (Peter Byrne/PA Wire))
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Ten-man Everton imploded as their poor home form continued against Bournemouth. The Blues once again shot themselves in the foot at Hill Dickinson Stadium as the Cherries came from behind to claim a 2-1 victory.
Iliman Ndiaye’s first-half penalty had Evertonians pondering an unexpected run at European football as victory would have lifted their side into sixth place. But within the space of eight second-half minutes, the game was turned on its head.
First goals from Rayan and Amine Adli put the Cheeries in control before Jake O’Brien was shown a straight red card for a professional foul.
And with Wednesday night’s game in mind, our Everton jury have returned to have their say...
Paul McParlan
Jake O'Brien is sent off during Everton's defeat to Bournemouth
Jake O'Brien is sent off during Everton's defeat to Bournemouth(Image: (Lee Parker - CameraSport via Getty Images))
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The new stadium is a fantastic asset for the club and generates income streams way beyond what was possible at Goodison Park. It allows the club to compete for better players and access lucrative sponsorship deals.
The arena has already attracted some top-quality sports events, which bring more finance into the accounts. The Hill Dickinson Stadium is a game changer on every level and has generated the funds to back David Moyes. This is a welcome development after the years of penny pinching and operating in the bargain basement.
However, has the fan experience changed for the better? That is open for debate. Going to home matches is an expensive experience on every level, with top dollar charged for lukewarm burgers and limp, stringy chips.
Not being able to sit with your old friends from Goodison Park has diluted the atmosphere at home. Seeing numerous empty seats which could have been sold to genuine fans doesn’t help, nor does climbing endless flights of stairs to reach your seat.
If you are winning, you can accept this, but every failure to deliver at home only serves to reinforce this growing sense of negativity. The difficulties of relying on an antiquated Victorian train system with one solitary platform to get home don’t help.
Standing exposed to the rain last night at Sandhills for over 25 minutes, waiting to be crammed onto a four-carriage train, adds to the mood of despondency after another home defeat.
We still have a good chance of claiming a European place, but we won’t unless we can start winning at home. It is a chance for the Hill Dickinson Stadium to create its own piece of history. If Everton make it into Europe, then Tuesday night’s debacle will become a distant memory.
Mark McParlan
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - FEBRUARY 10: Head Coach David Moyes of Everton during the Premier League match between Everton and Bournemouth at Goodison Park on February 10, 2026 in Liverpool, England. (Photo by Robin Jones - AFC Bournemouth/AFC Bournemouth via Getty Images)
David Moyes reacts during the Premier League match between Everton and Bournemouth at Hill Dickinson Stadium on February 10, 2026(Image: Robin Jones - AFC Bournemouth/AFC Bournemouth via Getty Images)
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Mind you, we can’t cast stones – empty seats at Bramley-Moore are becoming a frequent and multiplying sight. It’s not always massive blocks, but there quite clearly are groups of two, three, or four seats empty somewhere on every row across the whole stadium.
Clearly, a £70 resale price (with no age discounts) is just madness. For God’s sake, why not make it £40 or £50? We are having this problem now for every single midweek game.
I suppose it’s worth pointing out that we only won five home matches last season, at Goodison, compared to four so far at Hill Dickinson. David Moyes’ just isn’t a style suited to front-foot, home football.
Look, overall we weren’t terrible and if Thierno Barry scores one of his two chances, I have no doubt that at 2-0 we win that game fairly comfortably. But absolutely nobody is looking forward to our next match, another midweek at Bramley-Moore, against a resurgent Manchester United.
James Kellett
Everton’s dismal home record continued with a 2-1 loss against AFC Bournemouth at Hill Dickinson Stadium. The defeat against the Cherries meant the loss of another opportunity to cement the Blues' push for a European spot and spotlighted a reminder that this current squad is far from the finished article.
Granted, this was a game of fine margins, with missed chances and a red card allowing the visitors to go on and secure three points, but the Blues were gifted a lead through a penalty, and even then, they could not cash in on their luck.
For most of the match, Everton did not seem to have much control over a Bournemouth side that was set up to frustrate the home side, and their game plan worked beautifully with dangerous counter-attacks and pinpoint set pieces.
Should David Moyes’ men manage to secure qualification for a European competition next season, it can be expected that the Blues will square up to sides that will set up similarly to Bournemouth, and this has the potential danger of knocking the confidence out of the Toffees, just as we saw in the 2017-18 season.
Jake O'Brien, James Tarkowski and Jordan Pickford after Everton conceded against Bournemouth(Image: Alex Dodd/Shutterstock)
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At this moment in time, European football would bring more headaches than it’s worth, and a mid-table finish would offer the flexibility of another summer to build squad depth.
Supporters will remember how the last two European campaigns in 2014-15 and 2017-18 only harmed Everton in the league and other cup competitions, and achieving European qualification this year could lead to the same outcome, with the Blues clearly needing to improve their squad.
While a tour around Europe would bring a short-term feel-good factor, another year to focus on the league and domestic cups could be a lot more beneficial for Everton.