Everton FC season review: Goodison board must help David Moyes go fourth and conquer

The question now, though, is where Everton go from here.

Saturday's defeat to Chelsea is still too fresh to be fully digested, but among the heartbreak, the disappointment and the overwhelming pride, there was a nagging sense of despondency.

Despite eliminating two of the big four en route to Wembley and taking an early lead on the day, there was a certain inevitability to the eventual outcome.

Yes, Everton would no doubt have had a better chance with injured trio Phil Jagielka, Mikel Arteta and Yakubu on the pitch.

But breaking into the top four and the silverware that would follow such an achievement remains some way out of reach.

Being 'best of the rest' - which Everton clearly are - is not something a club with such proud traditions should ever be content with, but supporters are savvy enough to know that it will do for now.

Progress, though, must continue to be made. And Moyes can only do so much.

The Goodison manager declared shortly after the Cup final that he remains keen to prove that money alone cannot simply buy success, with Everton the flagbearers for the relative have-nots.

But the Scot revealed his true emotions when airing his frustration that interim Chelsea manager Guus Hiddink could drop into English football and win a major trophy, something Moyes has yet to manage in more than seven years at Goodison.

Being named LMA Manager of the Year for the third time shows he retains the respect of his peers, but that doesn't satisfy a fan-base that has now gone more than 14 years since seeing their team win silverware.

Further financial investment is required, and as Bill Kenwright pointed out last week, such benefactors are not forthcoming in these credit crunch times even though Portsmouth and Sunderland appear to have bucked that particular trend recently.

It makes this summer all the more critical, especially with Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City poised to splash their considerable cash.

Certainly, the board cannot afford to make the same mistakes as last year when the delay in release of funds meant Moyes missed out on a number of potential targets and was left rushing around as the transfer deadline approached.

Jagielka, Arteta and Yakubu will be like the proverbial new signings on their return, but others of that calibre are required to address the shortcomings that were so brutally exposed by Chelsea at Wembley.

Of course, the board eventually provided Moyes with a club record signing for the fourth year in a row with the £15million arrival of Marouane Fellaini.

But the messages emanating from Goodison is that while the club will back their manager as much as they can, it is unlikely to facilitate any similar big-money buys.

May Everton have to cash in one of their many saleable assets? It seems unthinkable, but every player has a price.

Moyes rightly believes Everton should now be considered an attractive proposition for top-class players. The problem, though, is actually paying for them.

A striker is a priority, along with a powerful midfield presence to complement Fellaini and Mikel Arteta, while Tony Hibbert's unfortunate Wembley woes have strengthened the case for Lars Jacobsen's Goodison sojourn to be extended.

Michael Owen is perhaps the most intriguing name being assessed, although his fitness concerns could count against him given the chronic injury problems that hampered Everton's efforts.

The travails of pre-season dragged on in to the new campaign, where home defeats to Blackburn Rovers and Portsmouth only heightened the anxiety surrounding the club.

Seasons don't often turn on the strength of a single tackle, but it's hard to ignore the knock-on effect Phil Neville's crunching challenge on Cristiano Ronaldo in October had on Everton's fortunes.

Moments later, with United rattled and the previously subdued home crowd on their feet, Neville crossed for Fellaini to head in an equaliser that earned a draw against the champions. Everton then lost only three of their next 25 games.

The upturn in form coincided with Moyes ending speculation over his future by penning a lucrative new five-year contract, and Fellaini finding his feet in English football.

He may not have yet found a pair of scissors - his luxuriant Afro has attracted a cult following - but the Belgian cut down on his bookings to start realising his potential, particularly in front of goal.

Leighton Baines made the most of an opportunity over Christmas to finally make the left-back slot his own, Jagielka was again outstanding at centre-back while Steven Pienaar filled the creative breach left by the injured Arteta to impressive effect.

Youngsters Jack Rodwell - so unlucky to miss out at Wembley - and Dan Gosling both began delivering on their promise, although Victor Anichebe stagnated and James Vaughan desperately needs an injury-free campaign.

While the FA Cup run brought famous victories over Liverpool and Manchester United, along with a magnificent performance in seeing off Aston Villa, the other knockout competitions were less forthcoming.

Carling Cup defeat at the opening hurdle at Blackburn Rovers was bad enough, but the real sickener was the UEFA Cup first round exit against Standard Liege.

An extended run in the UEFA Europa League will be one of several priorities for an increasingly expectant support.

But whether the top four remains out of reach may ultimately be decided in the boardroom and not the field of play.

Player Of the Season: STEVEN PIENAAR

PHIL JAGIELKA would surely have won the accolade had he not suffered the heartbreak of his cruciate ligament damage in April. However, Steven Piennar's outstanding form during the run-in - he won eight of his 10 man-of-the-match awards in Everton's final 15 games - pushed him ahead of the centre-back and fellow left-flanker Leighton Baines.

Goal Of the Season: DAN GOSLING v LIVERPOOL

GOALS aren't always about technical fortitude or individual brilliance, and for the sheer drama and resonance of his strike then the award must go to Dan Gosling for his late FA Cup winner against Liverpool, even if his team-mates point out it may possibly have taken a deflection. Or two.

Game Of the Season: MAN UTD 0 EVERTON 0 (EVERTON) WIN 4-2 ON PENS

THE Goodison league clash with Aston Villa would have been fantastic had Everton and not the Midlanders snatched a last-minute winner, and while the FA Cup win over Liverpool was dramatic, it could not out-strip the semi-final victory over Manchester United at Wembley.

Disappointment Of the Season: VICTOR ANICHEBE

WITH the small squad responding so well to the challenge, there have been few genuine disappointments. The likes of Nuno Valente and Andy van der Meyde didn't play enough to be considered. But even before his season-ending injury in February, Victor Anichebe had struggled to progress from his previous campaign of promise.