Everton have endured a long and arduous season thus far, and it is only set to grow even more unsettled with the announcement of their ongoing appeal still pending.
It is a decision that has the whole club at a standstill, with the repercussions set to be far-reaching in both the short and long term.
But, all Sean Dyche can do is focus on the present, and their upcoming game offers a huge opportunity to claim their first Premier League win of 2024 and drag Crystal Palace into a relegation battle as well.
To claim a result against the Eagles will not be easy, despite the array of injuries they have suffered, and the hosts will have to rally if they are to brush aside Monday’s opponents.
Fortunately, there remains a hugely positive mentality flowing around Goodison Park between the players, with Ben Godfrey’s praise for Ashley Young emphasising that.
Although Young has not been the most in-favour star at Everton this season, his recent performances have offered a glimpse as to why Dyche rushed to snap him up on a free transfer in the summer.
Similarly, Godfrey has been forced to endure the bulk of the campaign on the sidelines, before a string of injuries handed him his chance in the starting side.
And despite being a fine physical specimen himself, earning praise for his domineering performances since signing in 2020, the 26-year-old was left stunned by the professionalism and athleticism of Young.
Godfrey noted: ‘I didn’t know him before he came here but from pre-season it became clear we’ve got a similar sense of humour and then, obviously, in terms of football, he’s so knowledgeable and he’s a top guy.
‘He has had his hands on just about every trophy going. You can pick up good habits being around him and learn so much from his experience in the game – I know because I have. We have a great dressing room and he is someone else who I can trust and someone who has given me a lot of sound advice this season.
‘For me, the biggest thing I’ve taken from him is his emphasis on standards. Standards every day in training are so important. When you have a player who has done what Youngy has done through his career, you see how high the standard they set is and how consistently they hit them. I’ve tried to replicate that over the past year.
‘Me and Seamus were having this conversation… When Youngy plays, it’s ridiculous to think that he’s 38 years old. It’s madness. He has the knowledge of a 38 year old – you can see that when he plays because he always knows where to be – but then he makes everything look so easy. Physically, he still looks like he could go for years. In the nicest way possible, he’s a freak!’
Although his start to the campaign was somewhat shaky, filling in at full-back as Seamus Coleman battled for fitness, one Dyche tweak has allowed Young to recapture his form.
Moving him away from defence, where he could so often be unreliable, the 38-year-old has offered a fine defensive option on the right wing, whilst wasting no time in digging out cross after cross for Dominic Calvert-Lewin to attack.
