Everton’s Festive Fix: One Upgrade, Barry’s Breakthrough and Branthwaite’s Return
Everton’s season has a far sunnier glow than the last one. Parked in 10th as the decorations go up, the Toffees are only five points off the top four — a position most at Hill Dickinson Stadium would have happily accepted in August. With the January window peeking over the horizon, David Moyes has a tidy, targeted wish list to turn promise into a proper European push.
Thierno Barry: time to turn promise into product
Thierno Barry was always going to need a settling-in spell. The young Frenchman has been trusted with minutes and has sprinkled in glimpses of real quality, but now comes the hard yards: consistency and goals. We’ve seen at Villarreal that he can be a dominant presence and a finisher; if he marries those traits to the Premier League tempo over the next few months, Everton’s attack instantly looks nastier.
If you’re tracking the festive fixtures as eagerly as the transfer chatter, our best betting sites rundown is worth a look — just remember, momentum can swing quicker than a Boxing Day derby.
Ownership ambition: keep the pedal down
The Friedkin Group have set an ambitious tone since taking the reins, and that needs to carry into January. Moyes has tempered expectations, suggesting it won’t be a shopping spree, but the stance is sensible: if the right player appears at the right price, Everton will move. A plan-led window beats a panic-led one every day of the week.
The right-back reboot
Right-back used to be a non-issue, but Father Time and injuries have nibbled away at Seamus Coleman’s minutes, while Nathan Patterson hasn’t accelerated as hoped. Jake O’Brien has put in a shift out of position, yet the lack of thrust down that flank is obvious. A natural, up-and-down full-back — quick, aggressive, and brave on the overlap — is the biggest single upgrade this squad can make in January.
Branthwaite’s return changes the picture
Perhaps the most intriguing part of Everton’s decent form is that it’s come largely without Jarrad Branthwaite. Last season he was the rock and the metronome: dominant in duels, composed in possession, and able to break lines with either a stride or a pass. His left foot also balances the back line. Get him back in the side and fully up to speed, and Everton’s ceiling lifts in a hurry.
In a perfect world, Moyes might fancy four or five fresh faces; in the real one, it’ll be about quality over quantity. Nail the right-back, coax Barry into a purple patch, keep the owners’ ambition burning, and welcome Branthwaite back — do that, and this festive goodwill could morph into a genuine tilt at Europe by spring.
