Best season yet for David Moyes' Everton

Everton are now firmly established back in their rightful position as one of the leading clubs in England, helmed by a determined manager backed by a sympathetic board with a team packed with hungry, young players eager to succeed.

It's no wonder the Everton model is being held up as an example by clubs that refuse to become embroiled in the multi-million spending sprees that threaten to destabilise the top-flight to a damaging degree.

However, Bill Kenwright and his board have not been averse to splashing the cash when the situation has demanded it, and for the third successive year the club's transfer record was smashed in August to sign Yakubu from Middlesbrough for £11.25million.

The Nigerian's subsequent impact of 21 goals in 39 games - making him the first Everton player to reach the 20-goal mark since Peter Beardsley in 1992 - demonstrated the old adage of speculating to accumulate.

Leighton Baines and Phil Jagielka were snapped up for a combined £10m, with the latter in particular impressive at the heart of a defence that provided the foundation for Everton's achievements - no team conceded less Premier League goals since New Year.

Mindful of the extra demands of European competition, Moyes's flurry of loan deals bolstered numbers throughout the campaign, the most successful of which, Steven Pienaar, earning himself a permanent stay at the club.

Even so, it could easily be argued Everton don't possess the fifth-best squad in the Premier League, particularly when compared to the players stockpiled by the free-spending likes of Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City during the past 12 months.

That they managed to far outstrip both clubs in the top flight was credit to Moyes's ability to maximise his resources and get every last ounce of effort and talent out of his men.

Such a philosophy works up to a point. The aim for Everton now must be to make that breakthrough into the top four, and that is going to take even more big spending and tough decisions. And with Moyes not yet committing to a new contract, there's a fear his long-term future at the club could depend on significant future backing.

The nagging suspicion is this Everton side have to be at their best in the majority of their games and should they slip from that level of intensity, either through lack of form or injuries, results invariably suffer.

Witness their end to the season when, debilitated by absentees and tired legs, Everton limped over the finishing line with nine points from the last nine games.

It put paid to any hopes of Champions League qualification, but the run of just two defeats in their previous 19 league games ensured being the 'best of the rest' was only fleetingly in doubt.

The gap to the top four, though, is a significant one. Eleven points separated Everton from the Champions League places; and in 10 games against the top four in all competitions, Moyes's men drew one and lost the rest.

Yakubu aside, Cahill's injury concerns - the Australian made just 18 league appearances - meant goalscoring was a problem. Andrew Johnson managed only six goals in 29 league games while, for all his bluster and promise, Victor Anichebe managed just one top-flight strike - and that was on the opening day. Next season will most likely make or break the youngster.

It meant Joleon Lescott was as notable for his 10 goals as his excellent defending as part of a backline that has helped earn both himself and now Jagielka international recognition.

The ongoing groin and stomach problems that so hampered Arteta since November meant the creative burden was successfully shouldered by Leon Osman and, most notably, Pienaar, backed up by resolute work from diligent skipper Phil Neville and evergreen Lee Carsley.

Carsley will be a huge miss should he decide to end his Goodison career, with a suitable replacement likely to prove costly in today's market. But at 34, Moyes knows the midfielder cannot go on forever.

Manuel Fernandes's late-season surge may have been enough to earn another loan deal while hindsight suggests it was a touch premature to sell James McFadden, although Birmingham City's offer was too good for the player and club to turn down.

The unlucky James Vaughan will make a difference next season, while it was telling highly-rated teenager Jack Rodwell appeared in the closing minutes of the campaign.

FA Cup defeat at home to Oldham Athletic was a rare low point as Everton at last started to deliver in knockout competitions under Moyes.

The Carling Cup run was memorable for two late goals; Yakubu's effort at West Ham United that earned a place in the last four and Lescott's unfortunate own goal in the semi-final first leg at Chelsea that gave Everton too steep a hill climb in the return.

The UEFA Cup, meanwhile, has been a joy for both fans and players and, in some ways, the manner in which Everton ultimately slipped out of the competition against Fiorentina illustrated they deserve to be rubbing shoulders with crack Continental teams.

Certainly, having beaten the Italians and tonight's finalists Zenit St Petersburg, Moyes is right to ponder what might have been.

But that was one of few regrets during a season in which new ground under the manager has been broken and the main target, a return to Europe, has been achieved.

Now Everton must decide whether to push the boat out and give Moyes the backing to build on his foundations and have a serious crack at silverware and the top four.

Otherwise, as skipper Neville indicated earlier this week, fifth place and decent cup runs may be the limit of their ambitions.

This summer could prove the most influential at Goodison in many years.

GOAL OF THE SEASON

LEON OSMAN v LARISSA

GOODISON regained a taste for European nights this season on the back of Everton's lengthy UEFA Cup run. From the heart-stopping drama with Metalist Kharkiv, the thumping of SK Brann and the ecstasy and agony against Fiorentina, those present have been spoiled by the fare on offer.

But no single moment was more memorable than Leon Osman's sublime goal against Larissa in October. It was a real team effort, showcasing the flair Everton have gained over the campaign, Tim Cahill, Leighton Baines and Steven Pienaar combining before Osman applied the finishing touch with a scorching right-footed drive that arced inside the post.

Cahill's overhead kick at Stamford Bridge at fortnight later pushed it close, but Osman's beauty takes the honours.

GAME OF THE SEASON

EVERTON 2 FIORENTINA 0

IT seems somewhat perverse in a season of such highs to pick a game that ended with such a crushing low.

But the UEFA Cup clash with Fiorentina at Goodison showcased exactly why Everton are considered a team to be feared both at home and abroad. Having let themselves down badly by losing 2-0 in Italy, David Moyes's side tore into their opponents from the first whistle, goals from Andrew Johnson and Mikel Arteta wiping out the first-leg deficit.

Only the heroics of Fiorentina goalkeeper Sebastian Frey took the game to penalties, where Everton's renowned ill fortune from the spot sent them crashing out. It was an undeserved finale to a magnificent performance.

DISAPPOINTMENT OF THE SEASON

ANDREW JOHNSON

HAVING began his Everton career in such spectacular style in the autumn of 2006, Andrew Johnson was struck down by second-season syndrome.

The striker toiled for form for long periods of a campaign in which he netted only 10 goals in 39 appearances, with just six strikes coming in the Premier League.

However, the arrival of Yakubu, the competition with Victor Anichebe, James Vaughan and, earlier in the season, James McFadden, not to mention some niggling injuries, restricted Johnson to starting barely half of Everton's league games.

David Moyes's preference for a 4-5-1 formation when Tim Cahill has been fit has also limited the impact of Johnson, who also suffered after missing two penalties against Metalist Kharkiv in September.

The forward knows an improvement is needed to rediscover his best and break back into the England squad next season.