Guardian writers' predicted position: 8th (NB: this is not necessarily Andy Hunter's prediction, but the average of our writers' tips)

Last season's position: 6th

Odds to win the league (via Oddschecker): 250-1

Unwelcome change sparked outrage this summer at Goodison Park. The man who held Everton together for 11 years, transforming the club from relegation contenders to European hopefuls with modest financial support but without silverware to polish his reign, was gone, allowed to reach the end of his contract before joining Manchester United for free. But David Moyes was not the main source of angst. That would be Everton's new badge, stripped of tradition for the digital age, worthy of a grovelling club apology for the lack of consultation and prompting many to boycott the merchandise that carries it.

Typical Everton in so many respects. Encouraging, in others, for Roberto Martínez.

Given the extent of Moyes's influence and achievement at Everton, and his replacement by a manager who presided over Wigan Athletic's relegation to the Championship after eight seasons in the top flight, trepidation would be understandable ahead of the new campaign. The jury remains out on whether a bold, historic FA Cup triumph or relegation is the true mark of Martínez's managerial prowess, and rightly so. But the deep-rooted fear that Everton's development would turn to dust the moment Moyes departed – a moment that left the club's hierarchy incredulous when it inevitably arrived – has not materialised either. Anger and resentment were reserved for a bloody awful badge, not the manner of Moyes's departure or the choice of his replacement.

A squad that finished sixth in the Premier League last season, produced some outstanding football before Christmas and could have qualified for Europe but for the lack of one in-form striker remains intact. The only notable departure so far has been Phil Neville, retired and now on Moyes's coaching staff at Old Trafford, and it falls on his replacement as captain, Phil Jagielka, to fill the void of the model professional.

Leighton Baines and Marouane Fellaini remain at the club, at the time of writing, while a young generation of supporters were left perplexed when Martínez signed four players in the space of three days last month. Such transfer extravagance hasn't happened at Everton in their lifetime. They have been accustomed to summers spent with noses pressed against the shop window while everyone else buys; a little like Manchester United fans now.

The Everton manager's first three signings were all Wigan alumni – Arouna Koné for £5m, Antolín Alcaraz on a free and Joel Robles for under £1m – and contradicted Martínez's outlook at his Goodison unveiling. "It is a big mistake for a club the size of Everton to look back at their manager's old team [for signings]," he said on 5 June. "There is a world market and we don't need to look back at Wigan." It was therefore an important coup for Everton and Martínez to land Gerard Deulofeu on a season-long loan from Barcelona. The 19-year-old forward is highly regarded by the Spanish champions, having scored 18 goals for their 'B' team last season, and had offers from several leading European clubs. Martínez is preaching patience with Deulofeu but, if nothing else, his arrival demonstrates an appreciation at Barcelona for the Everton manager's style of play.

Despite the Wigan misgivings, the additions of Koné, Alcaraz, if he can stay fit, and particularly Robles appear astute. Everton's attack needed attention after Nikica Jelavic struggled badly last season, scoring eight goals in 43 appearances in contrast to 11 goals in 13 starts when he arrived from Rangers. That said, and with Hamburg interested in the Croatia international, the striker merits a chance of redemption under the new manager and is making an encouraging start, with three goals in pre-season so far. Robles enjoyed a fine loan spell at Wigan from Atlético Madrid last season, ousting Ali Al-Habsi from the Cup-winning team, and provides better competition for Tim Howard after an inconsistent last campaign from the United States goalkeeper.

Of course, this being Everton and Moyes possessing inside knowledge of all the players' contracts and personalities, the threat of losing key players lingers. Everton have rejected offers up to £12m from United for Baines and are unlikely to entertain selling the England international without a significant hike from the Premier League champions. Baines would represent a bigger loss than Fellaini, who has a £23.5m release clause that expires shortly and has attracted interest from United and Arsenal. His potential departure could provide funds for Martínez to return to Wigan for James McCarthy; no bad thing for a manager seeking to impose new ideas while being under greater scrutiny than he has faced before.

Concern surrounds Martínez's ability to maintain a key foundation of Moyes's Everton, a resilient and supremely well-organised defence. His four seasons as Wigan manager yielded a win ratio of 25% and goal differences of -42, -21, -20 and finally -26. With that background, and while it is understandable the manager wanted his back-room team to follow him from Wigan to Goodison, it does not bode well that David Weir and Andy Holden have left since the end of last season. Weir's exit was fair enough, given the offer of a first shot of management at Sheffield United, but to also lose the popular Holden seems an unnecessary risk.

Martínez's ambitious nature is reflected in an approach that will be welcomed by supporters who never saw Everton win in 46 league visits to Liverpool, United, Chelsea or Arsenal under Moyes. Next season's transition could be painful at times, certainly unpredictable, but a fresh start appeared inevitable when Martinez's Wigan ransacked Goodison in the FA Cup quarter-final last season and Everton have the squad to embrace it.

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