James Garner spoke following Everton's 1-0 defeat at Tottenham Hotspur in their final game of the season
James Garner believes it’s obvious where Everton need to improve but insists it’s still been “a progressive season” for them despite their dramatic downturn in form during the run-in.
The Blues’ 1-0 defeat at Tottenham Hotspur – a result that ensured Roberto De Zerbi’s side avoided relegation at London rivals West Ham United’s expense – meant that David Moyes’ men failed to taste victory in their final seven matches. Despite being three points off a Champions League place following their 3-0 success against Chelsea in March, Everton ultimately finished 13th for the second straight year with just one more point than they picked up in 2024/25.
Garner said: “I’m disappointed. We’ve not won in seven, so that’s even more disappointing, to finish the season off without a win in seven is very disappointing.
“Personally I’ve had a half decent season but it’s not just me, there’s a team as well and there are 11 different people on the pitch and subs that can come on so I’ll help in whatever way I can but ultimately I need my team-mates there to help me to pick up points.”
Asked if he could put his finger on why Everton’s results tailed off so badly, the 25-year-old said: “No. If I could have then I would have tried to fix it.
“These type of runs happen, but we need to change or find out what it was because that can’t happen going into the new season.”
OPINION
Garner believes that despite not being embroiled in another relegation battle, he has a clear indication over where Everton can do better as a whole, regardless of the steps he feels they have taken. He said: “It’s definitely been a progressive season, a better season that we’ve had over the last four or five years. Six or seven games ago, we were talking about maybe having a European run.
“I think if the games had gone differently and a couple of games we were even leading but we’ve lost points, so it could have been a lot different season if we’d had picked up points over these last seven games.
“There’s definitely been an improvement and definitely something we can be positive about going into next season.
“I think what’s let us down, perhaps over the course of the season because it’s easy to look at the last seven games because it’s been the most recent, is that we’ve let far too many goals in. It’s literally the obvious but we need to keep the ball out of the back of the net.
“This season we’ve done much better scoring goals, but we need to keep more clean sheets and be a lot more solid going into the new season.”
Garner was named Everton’s Player of the Season and Players’ Player of the Season and was rewarded for his form with a new, improved contract in January. The Birkenhead-born player believes he has now set standards he needs to maintain.
He said: “Me personally, I think that I’ve had my best season that I’ve had as a professional. It’s definitely given me a level to stay at going into next season.
“If I drop below where I’ve performed at this season then it will be noticeable, so I need to stay at this level and if not, go higher.”
Despite his form earning Garner a first England call-up, a brace of caps in March and a man-of-the-match award on his international debut against Uruguay, he missed out on a place in the Three Lions’ World Cup squad. Blues boss David Moyes said he was disappointed for his player but not surprised given the team’s end of season slump and asked whether he thought Everton’s form in the run-in had cost him a place on the plane, Garner said: “Maybe yeah. The manager chose his players and he might not have had his team even before he made his announcement.
“I don’t know whether it did play a part, but it is what it is.
“He [Thomas Tuchel] called me. It was pretty basic to be honest.
“He said: ‘It’s not the news that you’re after.’ Look, there’s a lot of top players that have missed out, I’m not the only one and I wish the boys all the best for the summer.”