Everton Women's team eyes solid season amid financial constraints and new signings

Guardian writers’ predicted position: 10th (NB: this is not necessarily Tom Garry’s prediction but the average of our writers’ tips)

Last season’s position: 8th

Prospects

With a new manager in charge, the new season brings some fresh optimism for Everton. But nobody associated with the club will be getting carried away. Last season concluded with a respectable eighth-place finish and anything similar again would be considered a solid campaign for a team operating on a relatively small budget. The latest set of financial accounts showed Everton’s wage bill to be five times smaller than Chelsea’s, illustrating the financial gulf between the Merseysiders and those challenging at the top of the Women’s Super League.

There have been positive elements to Everton’s transfer business this summer, not least the arrivals of Jutta Rantala, Noémie Mouchon and Hannah Cain from relegated Leicester City, as well as turning the Slovenia midfielder Zara Kramzar’s loan move from Roma into a permanent deal. Last season’s loan move for Hannah Blundell from Manchester United has also been converted into a permanent transfer, which was revealed in unusual circumstances, with the 32-year-old emerging from a make-shift ‘coffin’ during an amusing walkout at May’s World Sevens Football event in London.

Scott Phelan’s team have a fairly kind start to the season given they begin with back-to-back matches against newly-promoted sides in Crystal Palace and Charlton Athletic. Their second home league fixture is against the other promoted side, Birmingham City. In between there are meetings with the sides that finished 10th and 11th last season, in West Ham and neighbours Liverpool. Everton do not face any of last season’s top three teams until November. They will, therefore, be keen to make a fast start and get plenty of points onboard before a tougher-looking run of games either side of the winter break.

Off-field picture

Everton’s women’s team was sold to the men’s parent company, Roundhouse Capital Holdings, last year in a move that was understood to be largely aimed at helping ensure the men’s team’s compliance with the Premier League’s profitability and sustainability rules (PSR). The women’s team train at the Finch Farm complex in Halewood, which they share with the men. It is one of the better-equipped facilities enjoyed by a WSL side.

The manager

Phelan was formally appointed in June after a four-month spell in interim charge, taking over from the sacked Brian Sørensen. This is the 38-year-old former Everton youth midfielder’s first senior managerial job, after coaching within the club’s boys’ academy. Phelan deploys a calm, measured approach and has spoken of his “unbelievable pride” at being given this job.

Star signing

There is a lot of excitement at Everton about Australia forward Holly McNamara, signed from Melbourne City, where she won back-to-back Golden Boot awards in the A-League, on a free transfer. If the 23-year-old can replicate her goalscoring form in the northern hemisphere, Everton could well have a strong season and, with McNamara alongside Cain and Mouchon, the Merseyside club have a completely new-look attack. The England youth centre-back Hannah Silcock has also been snapped up from Liverpool, which looks like a very astute piece of business.

Stat attack

Despite having the third fewest shots last season, Everton had the third most from Opta-defined fastbreaks (counterattacks). They also scored the joint-most goals from them (four), but that can only carry them so far. Their attack in regular play needs work.

Set for a breakthrough

The England youth defender Naomi Layzell has arrived on loan from Manchester City and Everton and the Lionesses will be hoping it can be a good year for the fit-again 22-year-old. Layzell came to prominence with a goal against Barcelona in the Women’s Champions League two years ago but has since suffered injury misfortune. There is hope at Everton that Layzell can kick on this season and show why she is potentially a future regular for England’s senior side. She has previously been called up to train with Sarina Wiegman’s side.

What they say

“It’s been a tough pre-season in terms of the physical load and things like that, but that’s great preparation for the season. It’s just so important to get everyone on the same page early on. We want to do as well as we can in terms of getting results and being where we want to be in the table” – Everton goalkeeper Courtney Brosnan

Where are they playing their home games?

The women’s team moved to Goodison Park last summer and will continue to play all of their home games there. They made their debut at the Hill Dickinson Stadium last season in a one-off appearance, losing to Manchester United, and while there is no confirmation of when they will next play at the men’s ground, it is understood that is not off the table for the coming campaign.