Ambition will be tested to the max - but at least things are looking UP this time..

VERTON'S thin squad is set to be stretched to its limit over the coming weeks - but this should be seen as a period of opportunity and not just survival.

- Joe Thomas

Given how tight the Premier League table is, there are likely to be plenty of fixtures in the second half of the season that, clustered together, could be lauded as 'defining'

However Everton fare in the absence of so many key players, that will not change.

What will change is the goal being targeted, with the extent of the Blues' ambition for a year of transition still in the balance.

After three relegation battles and a season that, at the start of 2025, looked set to descend into a fourth, a campaign in which Everton are not looking over their shoulder should be deemed as one of progress.

With David Moyes' side 11 points clear of the bottom three heading towards the halfway stage, that should not be an issue.

A win at Turf Moor on today would take the Blues 16 points clear of second bottom Burnley, adding another layer of comfort to that prediction.

Whatever happens next, that Everton are coming from such a low base should not be forgotten - even amid the heady heights of rare wins at Manchester United and Bournemouth, two major achievements already celebrated this year.

There have already been periods in the season, particularly heading into the Fulham match, when pressure has built and while it is understandable that sections of the fanbase want to move forward at breakneck speed, the wider perspective is always worth bearing in mind.

There are likely to be tough runs of results to come and the table may not always look so friendly, but this is a club that still bears the scars of turmoil on and off the pitch and to truly consign those days to the past the decisions taken must be sensible and strategic. They will require patience.