Everton owner Farhad Moshiri has apologised to fans after the Premier League club only narrowly avoided relegation in the penultimate game of the season.
A dramatic 3-2 victory against Crystal Palace extended Everton’s top-flight stay to 69 years.
But that uplifting end to the season for Frank Lampard’s team could not obscure the problems that almost sent Everton crashing into the second tier for the first time since 1954.
The season started with the controversial appointment of former Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez, who was sacked after just 200 days having won only five league matches.