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2004–05 Everton F.C. season

The 2004-05 Everton F.C. season was Everton's 13th season in the FA Premier League, and their 51st consecutive season in the top division of English football.

Season summary

Many pundits had tipped Everton for relegation that season: having escaped relegation from the Premier League by six points the previous season, Everton's task to stay in English football's top flight only seemed harder after the multimillion-pound transfer of teenage striker Wayne Rooney to Manchester United after setting the summer's European Championships alight. However, the season turned out to be Everton's most successful in Premier League history as they placed fourth in the league with 61pts. Everton kept pace with the likes of Chelsea (95pts) and Arsenal (83pts) at the Premier League summit for the first half of the season, finishing 2004 only a few points adrift of leaders Chelsea. Although Everton's title challenge eventually fizzled out following the sale of out-of-contract midfielder Thomas Gravesen to Spanish giants Real Madrid, they were able to see off competition from arch-rivals Liverpool (58pts) and fellow northwesterners Bolton Wanderers (58pts) to finish in fourth place, three points ahead of both teams. This secured the Toffees qualification to the 2005–06 Champions League, in which they would enter the tournament in the third qualifying round. In the summer, manager David Moyes splashed the cash on the likes of Netherlands and Inter Milan winger Andy van der Meyde in a bid to keep Everton in a position to make a serious challenge for European qualification the following season.

Despite their high league finish, Everton had the unwanted distinction of finishing with a negative goal difference, as a result of an embarrassing 7–0 humbling at Arsenal in the penultimate game of the season.

Final league table

Players

First-team squad

Squad at end of season

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

Left club during season

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

Reserve squad

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

Transfers

In

Marcus Bent - Ipswich Town, £450,000, 23 June
Tim Cahill - Millwall, undisclosed (estimated £2,000,000), 23 July
Eddy Bosnar - Sturm Graz, free, 4 August
James Beattie - Southampton, £6,000,000, 4 January
Mikel Arteta - Real Sociedad, five-month loan, 1 February
Bjarni Viðarsson - FH, undisclosed

Out

Joey Jones - Macclesfield Town, free, 18 May
Niclas Alexandersson - Gothenburg, free, 1 July
Paul Gerrard - Nottingham Forest, free, 2 July
Steve Simonsen - Stoke City, free, 8 July
David Unsworth - Portsmouth, free, 12 July
Tomasz Radzinski - Fulham, undisclosed, 23 July
Tobias Linderoth - Copenhagen, undisclosed, 30 July
Steven Schumacher - Bradford City, free, 30 July
Michael Symes - Bradford City, free, 30 July
Scot Gemmill - Leicester City, free, 5 August
Wayne Rooney - Manchester United, £20,000,000 (rising to £27,000,000 depending on appearances and achievements), 31 August
Kevin Campbell - West Bromwich Albion, free, 10 January
Thomas Gravesen - Real Madrid, £2,500,000, 14 January
Nick Chadwick - Plymouth Argyle, £250,000, 8 February
Peter Clarke - Blackpool