Up front, we need to start changing those damned xG stats into actual real goals; we were the biggest underperformers in the Premier League in 2023/24 by this measure! And we need another scorer, as Beto is yet to convince and Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s goal return is still not good enough.

It is going to be a strange feeling going to Goodison for our last ever campaign at the Old Lady. We need to give the stadium the send-off it deserves. Last season, we lost our first four home games, and that put pressure on the team and boss from day one.

Starting off the season with a flush of home wins will boost everyone and allow fans to relax and enjoy our final flourish at an arena that holds so many special memories for all of us Blues! When we left Anfield to move to Goodison Park at the end of the 1891/82 season, we were the League winners.

Obviously, we are not going to win the Premier League, but is a top-seven place and European qualification beyond us? And with this being the last hurrah at our ancestral home, we should make the League Cup, a trophy we have never won, a realistic goal this campaign? It is our last season at Goodison Park; it’s going to be emotional. Sit back and enjoy the ride!

Luke Davies – Am I excited? I am still unsure

As the new season comes, Evertonians should be excited by the signings of several players; Jesper Lindstrom, Iliman Ndiaye, Jake O’Brien and Tim Iroegbunam all bolster Sean Dyche’s squad. The addition of Ndiaye may be the number 10 that the Toffees needed – although Abdoulaye Doucoure did a good job, there were always question marks about his ability.

Pre-season started with a few poor performances, but you should not read into that too much, as the boss will have been looking at the player’s fitness rather than the scoreline. I would expect to avoid the relegation battle this term; Southampton, Leicester and Ipswich may find the step up tough, and I expect the likes of Brentford and Brighton to drop down the table; Everton can take advantage.

Although there have been some utterances surrounding points deductions, fingers crossed we stay clear of that this year. Sean Dyche and his players coped excellently last term when many others may have seen it as an unassailable mountain to climb.

Am I excited? I am still unsure. The league has become relatively predictable; Arsenal and Manchester City will try for the title, Liverpool, Spurs and Manchester United for the top four, and that leaves the rest of us jostling for position. But we can dare to dream of a magical season.

We must emphasise the cup competitions. The League Cup draw against Doncaster Rovers is simple and should be an easy win for the Blues. The League Cup or FA Cup could be our way of remembering Goodison’s last dance.

It is tough to know what to expect, but I feel between 10th and 14th would be a fair prediction. The overriding theme of the season will become Goodison Park, especially after Christmas when the total left falls below 10 matches. The Grand Old Lady was the scene of memories for young and old – for the 50-year-olds they had Howard Kendall’s sides, for the 70-year-olds they had Harry Catterick’s.

As for the younger fans (like myself), I do not have the memories of Kevin Ratcliffe carrying silverware around L4, but it is still a special place for many reasons. The players, as ever, must give their all for the fans and give Goodison a send-off – another Derby victory would go down a treat also!

Alex McMonnies – It’s been an impressive time so far

And so the final season at Goodison Park is nearly upon us. I think the reality might have finally started to set in for a lot of people who attended Saturday’s friendly match with Roma, possibly those taking relatives to the famous old ground for the final time, as my family and I did with my granddad.

My first visit to Goodison was at the end of 2008, and it’s been my home ever since, but for a lot of people, their relationship with the stadium will have lasted for a much longer amount of time. Every single one of us will find it tough to say goodbye come May.

But in the meantime, Everton are gearing up for another season, stubbornly staying one of the 20 members of the Premier League, and I feel like there is a trepidatious sense of optimism among the fanbase going into this campaign. That will have been helped along by the fact that our transfer business thus far is a lot better than many people would have thought possible given director of football Kevin Thelwell’s words of caution back in May.

Jake O’Brien looks a talented, sturdy centre-back who can be relied upon to fill in if either James Tarkowski or Jarrad Branthwaite are unavailable, provided the latter is still an Everton player by the end of the window, and Tim Iroegbunam seems to have surprised everyone by how competent he’s looked in midfield throughout pre-season. On top of this, Iliman N’Diaye and Jesper Lindstrom look to be able to provide the sort of spark that Everton’s attack badly missed last season.

It’s been an impressive window so far, but there is still time left for important players to leave, namely the aforementioned Branthwaite and Dominic Calvert-Lewin, as well as possibly one or two more arrivals in key areas. Once we hit the final day of August, we should have an even clearer idea of how this season could pan out.

For now though, I feel more than sure that Sean Dyche will be able to keep us away from any sort of serious relegation battle and bring about some more mid-table stability, allowing us supporters to focus our energy on giving Goodison Park the sort of send-off that it deserves.

That all starts on Saturday with the visit of Brighton, under the guidance of the youngest manager in Premier League history, who will be taking charge of his first-ever top-flight match. Let’s show Fabien Hurzeler what Everton and Goodison Park are all about and roar the Blues onto an opening day win. Up the Toffees!

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