How David Moyes has not been snapped up by one of England’s elite is becoming more and more of a mystery with every passing week. His credentials are impeccable, his players love working with him and he has extracted the maximum from his squad year after year without breaking the bank. Yet a "top four club" is yet to pick up the phone – and so, Everton continue to reap the benefits of stability, hard work and the short-sightedness elsewhere. Is it really so fanciful to think that the Toffees themselves might spring a surprise and break into the top four?
Across town, Liverpool finally earned their first Premier League win of the season at Norwich, giving boss Brendan Rodgers a rare moment to smile about. But the Reds’ struggles – they still sit firmly in the bottom half – have only served to highlight Everton’s progress. While Liverpool’s proud history seems to create unrealistic, unreachable expectations, the blue half of Merseyside thrives on flying under the radar. However, their cover may well have been blown given an eye-catching start to the season which sees Moyes’ men sitting proudly in second place at the time of writing.
A 1-0 victory against Manchester United on the opening weekend of the campaign was no fluke – rather, it set the tone. Rampant away wins at Aston Villa and Swansea were fitting follow-ups, and there was much to admire as the Toffees brushed aside newly-promoted Southampton in their latest Premier League outing.
Moyes now has a group brimming with both quality and confidence. Defensively, Phil Jagielka and Sylvain Distin are among the league’s best and Leighton Baines has started the season in the kind of form that will keep England’s first choice left-back Ashley Cole looking over his shoulder. Tim Howard remains one of the most underrated goalkeepers in the Premier League and has already made key contributions.
The final third has been the bigger stumbling block historically for Everton, but the growth in Marouane Fellaini’s game has been a huge bonus while Steven Pienaar has quickly settled back into his role after a disappointing spell at Tottenham Hotspur. New face Kevin Mirallas looks like more shrewd business while the experience that Phil Neville brings to the table – and the respect he generates from his team-mates – cannot be understated, even as the years catch up with him. Best of all, Nikica Jelavic may be the most talented and prolific striker of the Moyes era.
Stability has clearly been a factor. Chairman Bill Kenwright has stood firm while the Premier League has ushered in a swarm of foreign owners, and his steady presence has kept life calm and allowed Moyes to focus solely on results on the pitch. If stable is the word for Everton, turbulent fits for Liverpool. The Tom Hicks and George Gillett era left a bitter taste and the club are still on the road to recovery under Fenway Sports Group’s leadership. The managerial hotseat has passed from Rafael Benitez to Roy Hodgson to Kenny Dalglish and now to Rodgers since the summer of 2010. All the while, Moyes has been plotting the route ahead for Everton.
Reds talisman Steven Gerrard recently admitted that it would take "a miracle" for Liverpool to win the title before he retires from the game. That, in itself, was a telling statement. All the turmoil, failed transfer dealings and managerial changes at Anfield have taken their toll, making it scarcely believable that Liverpool, under Benitez, provided the most sustained title challenge to Manchester United as recently as 2009 and secured their highest ever Premier League points total (86) in the process.
Setting realistic expectations is never easy this early in the season, but current form suggests Everton can stay in the top five mix. With Liverpool’s woes well documented and Newcastle yet to fully hit their stride, there is a spot up for grabs among the big boys. Upcoming games against Wigan and QPR have the potential to strengthen Everton’s position ahead of the first Merseyside derby of the season on 28th October.
Just don’t expect Moyes to willingly shed the underdog tag any time soon.
"I don’t think Manchester United or City will be too worried about Everton right now", the Toffees boss suggested. But this is the best Everton team of the Moyes era and, while he might want to play down their prospects, few sides have begun the season in better form.