- Everton’s squad is abundant with Premier League experience.
- Pickford, Tarkowski, and Keane are all veterans of the division.
- Moyes faces criticism for his unwillingness to use young players.
Everton are a Premier League ever-present, and have the players in their squad who somewhat match the club’s status.
The likes of Jordan Pickford and James Tarkowski have battled through a multitude of seasons in the top flight, with the pair amassing over 300 Premier League appearances each.
But the Toffees also boast exciting young talent such as Tyler Dibling and Adam Aznou, yet the pair have struggled to feature in the 2025-26 campaign.
David Moyes has faced criticism for not fielding young players when there have been multiple opportunities to do so, and a stat has revealed his reliance on experience in the previous season.
David Moyes used an abundance of ‘experienced’ players
Everton’s boss faced difficulties with his squad this season, with the Scotsman being forced to navigate injuries, suspensions, and AFCON absences.
Yet even when he had a full squad, the 63-year-old was still reluctant to use a variety of options on his bench.
Gradient Sports assessed player minutes across the Premier League season, and reported that 29% of all player minutes in the Toffees’ squad were gained by 29 to 34-year-olds, ranking them second in the league for this metric.
The graph also detailed that the Blues ranked 13th in handing minutes to players aged 18-23, and fourth for those aged over 34.
What do the stats say about David Moyes’ squad selections?
With Jordan Pickford falling firmly into the 29-34 category, and due to the injury of Jarrad Branthwaite, which meant James Tarkowski and Michael Keane started the majority of games for the Toffees, the stats are skewed towards this category.
However, the low 18-23 ranking is overall disappointing, when the Scotsman could have given more opportunities to the budding talent in his squad.
The Premier League is the toughest division in world football, and young players cannot be rushed into action.
But if some are to just sit on the bench and only gain experience through simply viewing the action, then what is the point in them being included in a matchday squad?
Moyes must assess who he wants to recruit and who he wants to sell in the upcoming window, but he must also be ruthless with his youth, so as to ensure their development is not stunted by wasted matches on a substitutes bench.
