The atmosphere was terrific for Everton's 3-2 win over Tottenham Hotspur, we had the flags from the 1878s in the Park End, Retro Day was great fun, and we got our Goodison back.

That’s what I want and when David Moyes came back to the football club in the final season at the Grand Old Lady, that’s what I was hoping he could bring.

Of course, we want wins but going to Goodison Park for much of this season has been a chore, it’s been difficult turning up week in, week out, and not having that belief that we could get something out of the game. The feel-good factor has now returned.

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It’s a bit of a chicken and egg situation with the atmosphere saying that the fans need to be up for it but then the players need to show them something when the spectators are paying their hard-earned money to be entertained. I thought it worked both ways against Tottenham as the team entertained the supporters, who enjoyed the experience and backed them all the way.

Sean Dyche really did struggle to get the best out of Goodison Park with the way he set up his team, far too negatively. Everton fans demand a lot, but Moyes knows what those demands are and understands them.

We’re also realists about our overall situation right now as a club, but anyone coming to Goodison Park, we should still be expecting to take points against them.

Walking out of Goodison Park after the full-time whistle on Sunday, we felt a feeling we had not experienced in a while and I was really impressed with the performance. Picking up our first Premier League win of 2025 was hugely important, and I’ll take points over performances right now, but I was pleased with how Moyes set up the team.

It looked like the players had a bit more belief about how they were going to try and get the three points. I was a bit underwhelmed with the starting line-up for the Aston Villa game, but I understood why the new manager had to do that because they were the players who had played the most minutes and he needed to see with his own eyes where he can improve this squad when it comes to tweaking personnel or formations.

He’s had a few more sessions now, so I was hoping we’d see that against Tottenham Hotspur and the changes were made. What stuck out for me from quite early on, and it might have been because our opponents were slow in possession at the back, was that Dominic Calvert-Lewin had a lot of team-mates closer to him and he wasn’t as isolated as he often has been.

When he was pressing, the other players were in and around him, rather than there being huge gaps. The distances between the midfield and defence were a lot shorter and that had been a pet hate for me for a long time.

When Jack Harrison has been on the right, he’s often been working his gut off to try and sprint and force the opposition full-back to make a mistake, but he always seems to be 20-25 yards off and that’s a lot of hard work for him because his distances are all wrong. I think Moyes set it up right, making it easier to force the issue, which gave the players a bit of momentum because they were getting success with it.

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We were winning throw-ins and getting little blocks in which allowed us to creep up the pitch a bit more. Tottenham weren’t at the races and they’ve got a lot of injuries but we didn’t feel sorry for them and be a soft touch, like we’ve done far too many times when an opponent has faced us needed something to ignite their season.

I thought we were head and shoulders the better team for the majority of the game and played some great football. We created a lot of opportunities and while Calvert-Lewin scored a fantastic goal, he could have easily got a few more and Orel Mangala also hit the post.

It was just great to witness Everton players enjoying their football and having a bit of belief. I think the home crowd could sense that.

The lads were up for the battle, putting in big tackles when they were needed, but also mixing the play up. Jordan Pickford wasn’t going long with his kicks every time, while the others were also attempting to pick as pass.

It was also with intent and wasn’t football for football’s sake. Every time we went forward into the final third, we were trying to get a shot or a cross in and that’s the objective rather than checking back, starting again and not keeping the pressure on.

Fantastic goals for Calvert-Lewin and Ndiaye can just be the start for pair

Dominic Calvert-Lewin's finish for his goal was fantastic. He had three Tottenham players crowding around him but he produced a great touch and manipulated the ball quickly before he got pressed upon.

We don’t seem him in those kind of situations enough but he took it so well to give the goalkeeper the eyes. I think he had the bit between his teeth after that and could have got a few more on the day, but fingers crossed that’s the start for him now and he can kick on by having confidence in his ability to get more shots on target.

Dom will be really frustrated that he hasn’t got enough goals this season, he’ll know that. He’s probably been a bit hard done by with being in and around the Craig Dawson brace of own goals and the pressure wouldn’t have been on his shoulders if he’d got the final touch on them, but he went into the game with the statistics not looking good.

His all-round game against Spurs was spot-on. He was holding the ball up a lot stronger, was a bit more physical but also clever and cute at times.

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Iliman Ndiaye’s goal was brilliant. You just have to look at the crowd when he scored.

The kids around me were in disbelief about what they had just witnessed but they were made up. That’s the type of player he is though, he gets us off our feet.

A lot of the time he gets doubled up on by opponents because he’s the dangerman but that means someone else in our side is free. He needs to up his goal tally and assists but that was a clever ball by Idrissa Gueye to pick him out and give him space.

With Iliman’s low centre of gravity, he can go either way. It was a joyous moment and what a goal to see in Goodison Park’s final season.

Meanwhile, I was raiding the loft for Retro Day and with the baggy fashions, the ones I wore in the 1990s are still far too big for me! From when I was a kid, I’ve got the white third kit with the thin blue diamonds on it, and that was my favourite, but that one doesn’t fit me anymore.

I’ve also got an Everton 1989 tracksuit top like the one I wore as a child, that was actually sent to me as a present by a Celtic fan. My brother wore that for Sunday’s game and with the matching blue trousers, I thought he looked like Postman Pat.

Moyes change of tactics was refreshing

I thought Jake O’Brien did really well on his first Premier League start. We had one of the biggest right-backs in the world up against Son Heung-min, one of their most dangerous players.

I wondered how he was going to handle that challenge, but he was up for it, both defensively and on the ball. His passing and composure on the ball to get us moving forward was also good, and he never seemed to panic or rush.

Being assured on the ball set the tempo around him. When your first pass has got a good weight on it, that eases any nerves.

I couldn’t figure out the starting line-up when the teams dropped. Were we playing a back three or a back four?

I was trying to put my football manager head on and work out what Moyes was trying to achieve but the decision to bring in O’Brien brought back memories of when the manager was here first time around and Leighton Baines was on the bench with Joleon Lescott at left-back. It looked like a back four at one point and then a back five in defence with Jesper Lindstrom dropping back and Vitalii Mykolenko on the other side, we looked more compact, and it was refreshing to see something new.

I was disappointed at the end because that performance deserved a clean sheet, I thought the lads defended well and I was aiming for a perfect result but after Tottenham sneaked in their first goal, it got a bit nervy at the end. Then, in the dying seconds, Richarlison was left unmarked at the back post and you can’t do that.

The old habits crept back in towards the full-time whistle, but Moyes will be onto that. Perhaps it was fatigue but there were substitutes in those areas, and you can’t switch off.

There were some erratic moments near the end and Jordan Pickford will be disappointed with Tottenham’s first. If he’s going to come out, he needs to get the ball, otherwise he should stay in his goal.

But Moyes’ calmness and experience saw us through. If he can tinker a few more things, I think he’ll be able to add to that performance again going forwards.