Jarrad Branthwaite feels Everton were unfairly "written off" after their chaotic end to the transfer window.
Everton should not have been 'written off', claims Branthwaite
Everton have reason to be optimistic heading into the winter, but Jarrad Branthwaite feels David Moyes' men were prematurely "written off".
Everton have won their last three games in all competitions, beating Newcastle United twice – in the EFL Cup and the Premier League – and Coventry City.
It is the first time Everton have won three matches on the spin since August 2025.
That run of form has seen David Moyes' side move up to sixth in the Premier League and into the quarter-finals of the EFL Cup, in which they will face Fleetwood Town.
Everton's start to the season comes after a disappointing culmination to the transfer window for the Toffees, who were left short-handed after selling Iliman Ndiaye, Tim Iroegbunam, Nathan Patterson and Beto on deadline day, with only Jack Grealish and Ainsley Maitland-Niles coming in.
A deal for Folarin Balogun collapsed at the last minute, and amid fan frustrations, The Friedkin Group placed the club up for sale only 22 months after their takeover.
Grealish has been absent for the past four games due to illness and a breach of club discipline, but Branthwaite, who has been called up to Thomas Tuchel's latest England squad, thinks Everton's quality is underappreciated.
"I think as a group of players and staff it is where we want to be," the centre-back told the Liverpool Echo.
"The ambition at the start of the season was to keep an eye on the cups and for us, it is to give that a real good go.
"We were sort of written off at the end of the season with the number of players we had, [people saying] the squad wouldn’t be big enough to cope.
"But I think we have shown we can challenge at the top end of the table. I think for us as a group, it is our aim to keep that mentality going."
