2004-05 deja-vu - Can Moyes inspire another fine finish?

[Getty Images] Deadline day may have left Everton fans feeling disillusioned, but the side is four games into the season and remains unbeaten, nine goals scored, including two in added time to secure a point. After what was a chaotic close to the transfer window, even by the Toffees' own standards, the performance against Manchester United ironically saw the summer signings playing a key role in the fight. Jack Grealish and Hayden Hackney came on from the bench to turn the game on its head, Tyrique George scored to equalise before the visitors went back in front, and it was Ainsley Maitland-Niles with a stunning strike to secure the draw in the final few seconds. The four players showed the resilience needed at Everton now, but there is a sense of deja vu that could give some hope. David Moyes' highest ever Premier League finish came in the 2004-05 season when Everton secured fourth place and there are some comparisons between that campaign to the one right now. The build up to it saw star man Wayne Rooney sold to Manchester United, in some ways not dissimilar to Iliman Ndiaye joining Manchester City this time. Last week, I asked Moyes how he reacts when he loses big-name players, and he referred back to this very same comparison. "I thought to myself the world is going to end here if I don't keep Wayne, but we did really well without him," Moyes told me. "We have to keep believing that if we are going to lose players we have to keep getting better." Another similarity is the 2004-05 season saw the Toffees' tiny squad have 21 registered players. Some 22 years on, the number is the same. This is the type of scenario where the manager comes into his own. Since the deadline passed, Moyes has been inside the training ground, Finch Farm, creating a togetherness among players and staff. He has been upbeat and made it clear that while he isn't happy with the end of the window, he does believe in the players that he has. He will partly enjoy the siege mentality and feel that, while many have written Everton off already, this is a chance to go under the radar and achieve something special that no one else will expect. After all, he has done it before and will use that experience to try to cause a shock more than two decades on from the club's best ever Premier League season. Listen to Total Sport Merseyside from 18:00 on weeknights and find details here of live Everton match commentaries on BBC Radio Merseyside Explore Everton content on BBC Sounds