- Everton have used just 22 players in the Premier League this season.
- Lack of rotation has led to visible fatigue, with the Blues conceding late goals.
- Summer arrivals Tyler Dibling and Merlin Rohl have struggled for minutes.
For years, Evertonians have been looking for stability, but as the Premier League season nears its conclusion, a new question has emerged:
Has consistency gone too far at Hill Dickinson?
Under the guiding hand of David Moyes, the Toffees have become defined by the consistency of their line-ups. Although this approach has done much to banish the spectre of relegation, the lack of rotation is beginning to raise eyebrows among the fans.
The stats: Premier League selection policy
According to Opta’s Aaron Barton, the data confirms what the fans are seeing every week
- Squad depth: Everton have used just 22 players in the Premier League this season – the fewest of any team.
- Lineup changes: Only Nottingham Forest (51) have made fewer changes to their starting XI than the Blues (54).
Classic Moyes: A proven blueprint?
In many ways, this is classic David Moyes: trust your core, keep things simple, don’t mess around too much. During the manager’s first stint at Everton, he frequently operated in this way. In his 2012/13 swan song, for example, where the side finished a respectable 6th, he again used the division’s fewest players (23)
In defence of his blueprint second time around, Moyes can point to a much better season at Everton by recent standards. After years of struggle under his predecessors and several seasons spent fighting relegation, Moyes has the Toffees firmly in the fight for European qualification. That is some turnaround for the club.
Stale or stable?
But a dip in form lately have thrown doubt over adherence to the blueprint. Performances have begun to look laboured, several players, such as Dwight McNeil, James Garner and Idrissa Gana Gueye appear tired, and uncharacteristically for Moyes’ his sides are conceding late goals.
The recent defeats were particularly heartbreaking:
- The Derby: Virgil van Dijk’s 100th-minute header snatched an undeserved 2-1 win for Liverpool in the first-ever Merseyside derby at Hill Dickinson.
- West Ham: Callum Wilson’s added-time strike at the London Stadium punished a team that looked physically spent.
While the manager’s loyalty to his trusted XI is nothing new, when that loyalty starts to look costly it inevitably raises concerns.
The forgotten men
And then there’s the bigger question: what exactly was the point of the summer transfer business?
Everton brought in several players last summer with the expectation they would contribute, add depth, and give Moyes options. Instead, many of them have barely featured.
Tyler Dibling: Despite being a high-profile, “big money” signing, the young arrival has seen limited action.
Merlin Rohl: Together with Dibling, the pair have managed just 708 Premier League minutes.
Adam Aznou: As of late April 2026, the former Bayern Munich youngster is yet to make his Premier League debut.
Were these signings not good enough? Or does Moyes simply not trust them?
A change for the run-in?
Rotation is often key in the Premier League, as sides adapt and refresh. Everton, by contrast, are starting to look a bit stale. While the blueprint has worked well for much of the season, it is now potentially raising more questions than answers.
If Moyes wants to secure a European spot in these final weeks, he might have to look beyond his favourites. If he doesn’t, the physical toll of a long season might see Everton’s European dreams slip away just when they were in reach.
