I find myself likening Everton to where Sunderland were in the mid-2010s. A period of hanging on to Premier League status can only be sustainable for so long before it becomes your turn to drop. In Sunderland’s case, they plummeted. Everton need to take heed to that warning. The Toffees should never be having to find themselves in this situation. They are one of English football institutions, a well-respected giant of the game that should be competing for European competition each and every season. Mismanagement has seen them decline into a relegation battler, and it’s hard not to believe that there isn’t another one coming in 2023-24. Sean Dyche came into Goodison Park at the end of January and did what was needed, just. It’s a good thing we are rid of the old ’40 points needed for survival’ era because a record of five wins and six draws from eighteen games would not have cut it in the past. There is certainly nothing that is seriously wrong with Dyche as a manager, his near 10-year spell at Burnley is testament to that. There is only so much the 52-year-old can realistically do at Everton though when working with limited tools. Jordan Pickford will have a big part to play if Everton are to secure survival again. I get very bored of people using any individual mistakes as ammo in the England debate. He has established himself as the Three Lions number one through his dependability and being part of poor Everton campaigns aren’t going to dislodge that status. The 29-year-old is a class goalkeeper. Backup Andy Lonergan will turn 40 this coming October. Understudy João Virgínia has returned from a loan at Dutch side SC Cambuur. With Yerry Mina released, Dyche looks set to turn to his old Clarets pair of James Tarkowski and Michael Keane as main centre-back starters. Both have been considered solid topflight defenders for a good number of years. Both Ben Godfrey and Mason Holgate have the versatility to be deployed at centre-back or full-back. The latter could reportedly be set for a departure before the end of the summer window. Is there an opportunity for Jarrad Branthwaite to grow his influence on the team this season? The 21-year-old Cumbrian had a good time out on loan at PSV Eindhoven in 2022-23. Ukrainian left-back Vitalii Mykolenko was a regular until injury ruled him out of the last three games of the season. He was able to feature for Ukraine during the June international break but has not yet returned during pre-season fixtures. It is a similar situation with stalwart right-back Seamus Coleman who has been out of action since early May. Circumstances such as these make the arrival of Ashley Young handy. The former Aston Villa man turned 38 in July and has moulded himself into a versatile full-back during the latter stages of his career. Young is far from a spectacular signing this summer, but a handy one at this stage. 21-year-old Scot Nathan Patterson is available to play on either side as well, primarily right-back. As Idrissa Gueye holds the fort alongside final day hero Abdoulaye Doucouré in midfield, it is up to others to provide a more generally expressive role further ahead. 21-year-old Belgian Amadou Onana took up a number of roles in the team last season. James Garner featured heavily in the final month of Everton’s survival push before jetting off with the England U21s to win this summer’s European Championship. The flashes of attacking quality from Nigeria international Alex Iwobi will be needed again if Everton are to pull off another season in the top flight. The trio of Jean-Philippe Gbamin, André Gomes and Dele have returned from loans at Trabzonspor, Lille OSC and Beşiktaş respectively. Dele’s recent interview on ‘The Overlap’ was hard to stomach, but a brave and admirable thing to do. A much-needed reminder to many of us of the human being inside every footballer and that not everything is as it seems on the outside. I would love nothing more than for this to be the start of his career being reignited, whether that be at Everton or potentially somewhere else. Dele’s immense talent has never been in doubt. Alongside Ashley Young, the other new arrival at Everton so far is Arnaut Danjuma. The 26-year-old forward went on loan to Tottenham Hotspur last winter in a deal that ultimately did not work out as hoped. If the Villarreal loanee can prove a hit lower down the table with the Toffees though, it could be a difference maker for this season. His class 2020-21 Championship season with AFC Bournemouth suggests that there is a very good footballer in there. Jamaica international Demarai Gray hasn’t featured for Everton since returning from the CONCACAF Gold Cup and is a player whose future at Goodison Park is up in the air. The output of winger Dwight McNeil is likely to play a big part again in Everton’s survival hopes, though he reportedly hobbled off during a pre-season win at Stoke City. Dominic Calvert-Lewin needs a ‘Do Not Touch’ sign placed around his neck. Everton’s season could rest almost entirely on having the 26-year-old available for a prolonged period of the campaign. At the time of writing though, he remains on the road to recovery after a setback to a previous injury spell. A sustainable recovery programme is required as the striker really needs to be sharp rather than just ‘fit to play.’ It would have been incredibly handy if Neal Maupay’s transfer from Brighton and Hove Albion had proved a hit, but that hasn’t happened up to now. Everton are stuck in a precarious position that is entirely their own doing. The last two seasons have had uncomfortably tense endings, and the challenge ultimately for Sean Dyche will be making sure that at least three sides finish below them next May. Exactly how easy will that be to do though when the Toffees were one of the lowest scorers in the division last season, and some of their most capable firepower have doubts over either their fitness or their future? Dyche’s 2023 turnaround wasn’t a spectacular one, it was a satisfactory one with 21 points from 18 matches proving enough. There’s no Leicester, Leeds and Southampton to perform worse this season however and no guarantee that all three promoted sides will struggle to pick up points. The trap door could be lurking…

The role model for lower league clubs everywhere are continuing in their typically smart fashion by covering all bases. Ten years ago, Luton Town were preparing for what would prove a title-winning season in the newly renamed Skrill Premier. John Still was the manager, Andre Gray would score 30 league goals before a major move up the pyramid to Brentford, and a teenager called Pelly Ruddock Mpanzu would rock up on loan from West Ham United in late November. That title win meant a return to the Football League, five years after being slapped with a mammoth 30-point deduction which left the Hatters rooted to the bottom of the fourth tier. Since 2012-13, Luton’s league position has improved every single season. Four years in League Two followed that non-league title win and just a single year would be needed in League One before promotion to the Championship. Nathan Jones left, came back, and then left again, but the upward momentum would continue with young coach Rob Edwards being the man to deliver last May’s historic penalty shootout victory at Wembley. The greatest story across the last decade of English football should be an example to every lower league club about what can be possible. Luton’s recruitment methods shares similarities with those seen at Brighton and Hove Albion and Brentford, teams who have climbed into the topflight against the odds and both recorded top-half finishes in 2022-23. It is the Hatters’ long term aspiration to mirror those achievements, a target that should be seen as realistic down the line. For this season, survival will be the obvious desire, and the club are well aware of how heavily the odds are stacked against them. It is a lot more than just their Kenilworth Road home that is tiny in size when compared to their seasonal competitors. There are few clubs better suited to facing these tough circumstances though, and few managers more deserving of the chance than Rob Edwards. The 40-year-old has had his own incredible rise. It was only a little over 12 months ago that Edwards had guided Forest Green Rovers to an impressive League Two title win in this first season at the New Lawn. He began 2022-23 at the helm of recently relegated Watford, given far too little time to make an impact before being dismissed. The last laugh would come his way though as he led the Hornet’s bitter rivals into the Premier League instead. Edwards is hot property in the management game and someone who like his club won’t take a massive reputation hit from a potential relegation back down to the Championship. James Shea, Matt Macey and new signing Thomas Kaminski are the current senior goalkeepers on the books. Kaminski as the latest arrival looks the candidate to take the gloves at current, having played a good amount for Blackburn Rovers last season. Matt Macey was on loan at League One Portsmouth by the end of 2022-23. Mads Andersen gets a huge opportunity as he jumps up two leagues from Barnsley. It’s never been in doubt that the Danish centre-back’s ability level is well above League One. Now comes the chance to show that it is above Championship level as well. The 25-year-old is a superb presence in the centre of a back three. Tom Lockyer has returned to match action since collapsing in the play-off final. The semi-final hero will be an influential figure in a central defensive unit that also includes Reece Burke, right-sided defender Gabriel Osho, and the left-sided pair of Dan Potts and Amari’i Bell. Whilst Bell can be pushed out to wing-back, it’s Alfie Doughty who was the established name on the left by the end of last season with Bell instead playing more infield as part of the back three. New competition on that side though will come from Ryan Giles, signed permanently from Wolverhampton Wanderers. The 23-year-old has impressed in numerous previous EFL loans and has long been known as an excellent attacking wing-back, at his best when allowed to fly down the left channel and operate almost as a winger in crossing positions. He didn’t get a taste of Premier League football whilst at Wolves but will now. 22-year-old right-wing-back Issa Kaboré, on loan from Manchester City, has been more seasoned with topflight experience by having two prior loan spells In Ligue 1. Luton Town fans are delighted to see Marvelous Nakamba return on a permanent deal from Aston Villa. The Zimbabwean became a key figure holding the fort in central midfield after arriving on a loan deal last January. Allan Campbell and play-off final hero Jordan Clark featured heavily in the middle last season. Luke Berry was more bit-part. Pelly Ruddock Mpanzu’s topflight debut will be eagerly anticipating as he completes his journey from non-league to Premier League at just one club. Luke Freeman came back from injury to briefly feature as third place was secured. 22-year-old Louie Watson was very much brought in as one for the Hatters’ future and has just a handful of Luton appearances up to now. Tahith Chong and Chiedozie Ogbene are very much signings who fit the Luton Town mould. Chong only made the permanent move to Birmingham City last summer after an initial loan. The 23-year-old Dutchman is a lively attacking presence both out wide and in attacking midfield with a quality left foot. Luton know all about his ability following a stellar display at Kenilworth Road back in 2021. Republic of Ireland international Ogbene has looked a player destined for Premier League football after having a growing influence with Rotherham United. He is a flying winger on either flank who could in turn be dropped back into a wing-back role. Carlton Morris should be a popular pick with FPL players this season. The 27-year-old striker excelled in his first year at Luton Town following a move from Barnsley, 20 league goals was bettered only by Middlesbrough’s Chuba Akpom and Coventry City’s Viktor Gyökeres, and he will be seen as Luton’s main goal hope in this current team. Elijah Adebayo demonstrated the qualities of a top class centre-forward whilst at previous club Walsall and now gets his chance in the big time. Cauley Woodrow has operated more as a reserve last season to the aforementioned pair. There is admittedly a fair drop off from this trio down to the rest of the frontline. Joe Taylor only came in from Peteborough United last January and has a handful of substitute appearances. Admiral Muskwe spent the first half of 2022-23 at Fleetwood Town. Aribim Pepple and John McAtee both went to Grimsby Town after becoming Hatters last summer. McAtee had his status as a League Two star impacted by injury, whilst Pepple failed to make his mark at the Mariners. Winger Dion Pereira was likewise a fourth tier loanee. The odds are massively stacked against Luton Town. They are well aware of that. The Hatters have reached this point through smart, sustainable recruitment though and aren’t going to change their ways just because the competition has got harder. The very limited topflight experience in signings and the current squad will raise concerns from neutrals, but Luton are not the kind of club who bring in players blindly. Those brought in are done so because of the long-term value they are almost guaranteed to bring. Rob Edwards' team are in a nice position where general expectation is very low. If they can pull of survival, it’s a magnificent achievement. If they fall short, it’s no shame as they are such huge underdogs at the level. Business though has been done with the aim of making them at the very least competitive in the Premier League, knowing that if they do drop down, this side will be a standout in the Championship and in with a very strong chance of an immediate return. Take in the riches that the elite level offers, do what you can, and continue to gradually build towards becoming an established top tier outfit down the line. The final word though needs to go to Luton Town fans, who I hope enjoy every single minute of this Premier League season regardless of what happens. 10 years ago, it was Dartford, Hyde and Tamworth. This year, it will be Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester City…

The old ‘difficult second season’ cliché comes into play now. They should still have enough though. People could and people did create entire quiz categories out of Nottingham Forest’s 2022-23 signings. As excessive as the number of incomings was, it did ultimately work. Forest’s status as play-off winners last year made them the division’s underdogs, and survival in 16th was therefore a major achievement. The desire now is for the Midlands club now is to become a re-established regular in the topflight, which is ultimately a transition away from relegation candidates and into a solid mid-table position. That may take a well yet, but it’s far from unrealistic. Forest deserve a lot of credit for their decision to persist with Steve Cooper. Many clubs would have hit the panic button when faced with the difficult start they had, but the Welshman’s coaching quality and his influence in getting the City Ground back into the bigtime was instead rewarded with a new contract and a reassurance of support from owner Evangelos Marinakis. Cooper would repay the club’s faith with eight wins and 10 draws from October onwards. Eight of Nottingham Forest’s total nine wins last season came in front of that raucous crowd by the Trent. 10th in the Premier League home table in 2022-23. Bottom of the away table with just eight points. There’s no UEFA Pro Licence needed to see the area of 2023-24 that requires the most work. There is also currently work to do in the goalkeeper department. Dean Henderson and Keylor Navas were only on loan last season. Welshman Wayne Hennessey is certainly well-seasoned with Premier League football, but there was a reason Forest got in Navas to replace the injured Henderson. Ethan Horvath went out to Luton Town last year and won promotion up to this level through the play-offs. Championship clubs are reportedly circling around the American. In a big defensive unit, the challenge is finding the standouts. Joe Worrall and Moussa Niakhaté were both part of the back three which finished last season. The latter though has picked up a pre-season injury though. Brazilian Felipe has been out of action since being forced off against Arsenal on the 20th May. Willy Boly came in to fill his place not too long after returning from injury himself. Scott McKenna has returned to the pitch this pre-season. Jonathan Panzo was out on loan at Coventry City last season. Loïc Mbe Soh is back from a loan at EA Guingamp. Ola Aina is a new arrival from Torino. The Nigerian wing-back last played in the Premier League with Fulham in 2020-21 and can cover on either flank. Harry Toffolo and Omar Richards can operate on the left-hand-side. Neco Williams, Serge Aurier operate primarily on the right, as does Mohamed Dräger who is back from a loan spell away. French defender Giulian Biancone has been out of action for a very long time with a knee injury but is seemingly close to a return. Orel Mangala, Ryan Yates, Remo Freuler and Danilo were among those in midfield who had a part to play in Premier League survival. Cheikhou Kouyaté had to come back from a period out and the Senegal international can be dropped back into defence if needed. Jonjo Shelvey and Harry Arter featured in a reserve game during pre-season. Shelvey has been injured since late April, Arter looks like someone whose future could well be elsewhere. It could well be a similar situation with Lewis O’Brien who recently ended a short-term loan at D.C. United. Attacking midfielder Gustavo Scarpa featured against Leeds United in pre-season. Forest will look to the attacking duo of Brennan Johnson and Morgan Gibbs-White to have big influence again. Academy product Brennan Johnson had a positive first season in the Premier League, and Cooper will hope he can shake off an ankle injury to make it to the season opener against Arsenal. Gibbs-White played a major role in support of the main striker, and was part of the England U21 team who won the recent European Championship in Georgia and Romania. Anthony Elanga has been bought from Manchester United, and is one I am keen to see at the City Ground. It ultimately felt like frontline competition was holding back his progression at Old Trafford, and the 21-year-old Swedish forward will aim to become a star in Nottingham. The aforementioned Brennan Johnson and Morgan Gibbs-White can be pushed out wide, Alex Mighten got his minutes last season out on loan. Nigerian striker Taiwo Awoniyi was top scorer for Forest last season with 10 in the Premier League. Emmanuel Dennis has been bit-part so far following a move from Watford. New Zealand international Chris Wood is a new arrival from Newcastle United. He has previously been a decent source of goals at Burnley, but that is going back a few years now. Hwang Ui-jo is yet to make his competitive debut for the East Midlands club, having been loaned out to first Olympiakos and then FC Seoul last season. Nottingham Forest knew that their target was survival last season and achieved it. With the current state of the squad, keeping above that red line is going to have be the target again in 2023-24. A successful second survival push will require last season’s key figures to standout again, and holes in the squad still need to be filled at the time of writing, goalkeeper especially. Steve Cooper’s side built last year’s success on a good home record at the City Ground. It may not be enough to just retain that though for the new campaign. Eight points from 19 games on the road was a poor amount that they got away with when a newly-promoted side. They might not be so fortunate this year. Even a 50% improvement in their away points return could make all the difference…