Everton did have a magnificent season last year and played much better Football than under David Moyes which was vindicated by them finishing above Manchester United. Can they repeat their success this season? The answer to that in my opinion is no - this is quite simply because the same opposition they were competing against last season is likely to be stronger and they are likely to be not. Everton may not get a better chance of finishing in the top four as they had last season especially when considering they were in a prime position to do so when they hammered Arsenal 3-0 with just a few games to go.
The truth of the matter is that even if Everton had finished top four they weren't certain to qualify as they would have faced a difficult draw so arguably entering into the Europa League at the group stage gives Everton a better chance of a European run, a cup run I believe manager Roberto Martinez should be looking to target domestically also. For all the accolades received by Everton in recent years their fans haven't had the joy of seeing their team lift a trophy and I see no reason why they could not win either domestic cup and if Fulham can almost go all the way in the Europa League why can't Everton?
Turning to the business that Everton have done in the transfer market they have done well to secure Gareth Barry but face a battle to hold on to Lukaku.
If they were to lose their top goalscorer from last season it would undoubtedly be a big blow and as ever, with a limited budget, its hard to see them getting a top quality replacement but its a problem that Roberto Martinez might need to try and solve because the backup is highly questionable. If they can loan Lukaku for another seaon then I genuinely believe that there would be no desperate need for them to sign anyone else though another midfielder and striker maybe on the radar depending on what is available.
Everton fans will be hoping for another impressive season from Ross Barkley who received many plaudits last time out and will be looking to do the same again whilst Tim Howard will be returning from a confidence boosting World Cup campaign with the USA.
There are a lot of positives and things to potentially look forward to this season but as hinted to earlier I don't think the Premier League should be their main priority, unless of course something strange happens and they struggle which I don't expect, instead they should gear their squad to targeting the three competitions they can realistically win and give the team the sight of glory that they crave. 2014-15 Prediction: 7th.
