FA Cup defeat acts as reminder of Everton’s static position | OneFootball

Everton’s FA Cup third-round defeat at the hands of Sunderland spotlighted the situation the Toffees are currently in.

Although the Blues managed to push their opponents to a penalty shootout, the Black Cats were deserving of their win and would have felt aggrieved that they were forced into extra time after a controversial penalty decision handed David Moyes’ side an equaliser.

But this defeat highlighted another club that is further ahead in their development when compared to Everton.

In the past five years, Aston Villa, Newcastle United, Crystal Palace, Bournemouth, Brighton and Hove Albion, Nottingham Forest, and West Ham United have all achieved more relative success than Everton.

Although Forest and the Hammers currently find themselves languishing at the foot of the table, the pair have scaled highs the Blues have failed to reach in recent seasons.

Granted, the Toffees were missing a batch of key players from their starting XI, but Sunderland were superior in quality during their visit to the Hill Dickinson Stadium and simply ran rings around their opponents.

Regis Le Bris has coached his side excellently since moving to Wearside in 2024, but the fact remains that eight players who played in the Black Cats’ FA Cup victory were playing in the Championship last season, yet they all outmatched their Everton counterparts.

Out of all of the aforementioned clubs, they have shown astute recruitment, clear styles of play, and ambition in their quest to move forward and better themselves, and the Toffees have just had to watch these clubs overtake them.

Financial restrictions have halted any attempt for Everton to develop, and that should be noted for their recent failures; however, now is the chance for Moyes’ side to demonstrate ambition and invest correctly.

Previous seasons have been frustrating as other clubs have challenged for trophies and competed in Europe, while the Toffees have been treading water at the bottom of the Premier League.

The defeat against Sunderland was a reminder that Everton still have far to go in their rebuilding process, and although patience is required, now is the time for visible progress as finances will start to turn around.

But, should Moyes fail to show a team with an identity and ambition, things could sour quickly for the Scotsman...