2003/04: The End at Everton

 What’s Next for Julien?

Everton’s 2003/04 season was nothing short of disastrous. After finishing seventh the previous year, David Moyes’ side spent the whole campaign fighting relegation, eventually ending up 17th in the Premier League – just one place above the drop zone. The team managed only 39 points with 9 wins, 12 draws, and 17 losses. They scored a mere 45 goals while conceding 57, making their defense one of the weakest in the league. The only shining light was a young Wayne Rooney, whose future at the club was in question as giants like Manchester United circled. In both the FA Cup and the League Cup, Everton made early exits, and the mood around Goodison Park was grim.

Faced with these struggles, the Everton board knew major changes were needed – new players, new energy. Julien, the French midfielder, no longer fitted into Moyes’ plans. Despite having one year left on his contract, Everton tried to sell him, but no club offered a sufficient fee. Several Premier League clubs were keen to take him on loan, but Everton had no intention of strengthening their direct rivals, and Julien himself refused to drop down to the Championship again.

With the transfer window winding down, a surprising development occurred: German Bundesliga side VfL Bochum made a formal loan offer. For Julien, this was an escape route – a fresh start in a new country and league, joining a steady Bundesliga mid-table club.

Bochum, for their part, had just completed a remarkable 2003/04 campaign in the Bundesliga. Defying expectations, they finished fifth with 56 points, playing attacking football and establishing themselves as one of the season’s surprise packages. The club offered Julien exactly what he needed: a chance to rebuild in a positive environment, away from the chaos that had engulfed Everton.

See you next with the 2004/05 Bundesliga season at Bochum.

A Promising Preseason and a Season to Forget

The Last Chance at Everton

Julien took full advantage of the summer to spend time with his family, recharging his batteries after a challenging previous year. They traveled to the south coast, explored the countryside, and for a little while football was a distant thought. But returning to Bellefield, he felt sharper, hungrier, and—thanks to consistent work in the gym—at his physical peak.

Preseason under David Moyes was tough but positive. Julien impressed in the early friendlies, fitting seamlessly with the first-team midfield group. Moyes took him aside before the season opener: “You’ve earned your place—if you keep this up, you’ll be part of my plans.”

Despite optimism and a hard-working spirit, Everton’s season quickly soured. The squad underperformed, injuries took their toll, and even the emerging brilliance of Wayne Rooney could not save the team from a disappointing campaign.

This was the worst finish in the Moyes era at Everton and the lowest points tally for the club under his management. After the promise of the previous seasons, supporters and players alike were left searching for answers as the club narrowly avoided relegation and regressed instead of building on earlier momentum.

Julien did everything to seize his opportunity, but the pressure and inconsistency around him made regular breakthroughs difficult. In a campaign full of struggle, he gained experience, resilience, and a clear view of what it takes to survive at the very top level.

He started the season motivated and in top physical condition. Moyes deployed him mainly as a central midfielder, but the team’s frequent tactical changes meant he sometimes played deeper or more advanced roles, depending on injuries and form.

• Early season: Julien appeared in 5 of the first 6 league matches—three times as a starter and twice as a substitute. He showed great energy and work rate, but lacked that final edge near the box to cement his place in the starting eleven.

• Autumn and winter: Julien was regularly named in match squads, but Moyes often brought him on in the second half when fresh legs were needed. Competing with players like Gravesen, Carsley, Li Tie, and later Kilbane, he couldn’t lock down a permanent starting role. 

• Late winter and spring: His game time fluctuated—sometimes left on the bench, sometimes not included in the squad. However, as Everton’s form worsened late in the season, he saw increased minutes, helping the team retain possession with his smart passing, even if it didn’t transform matches.

Julien's stats in 2003/04

Julien was most accurately described as a “reliable squad player”—someone Moyes could trust for graft and tactical discipline during tough spells. His training attitude and commitment were exemplary, but to be a leading man for a European-chasing Premier League side, more spark was needed. Observers noted that, while he was valuable, he still lacked the impact required to be a true difference-maker at the highest level.

See you next time with the summer of 2004!

Second Spell at Preston

 Spring 2002/03

With Everton flying high and Julien’s prospects diminishing, the January transfer window brought a familiar opportunity: a half-season loan back to Preston North End. The move promised regular minutes, but Julien quickly found his role changed—rather than Moyes’s box-to-box energy, the new manager preferred him as a sitting midfielder, focusing on retaining possession and covering defensively.

Julien became a consistent starter. He rarely missed a match, rarely earned headlines, did his job week in, week out, but never quite recaptured the spark of his first Championship year. He chalked up tidy passing stats, broke up attacks, and kept the team ticking, but few goals, few assists, little to catch the eye of European hopefuls.

Julien's Preston stats (2003 spring):

Club summary — 2002/03 spring

• Preston North End: Finished 12th in the Championship. The team showed consistency, but lacked the spark or momentum to push for promotion play-offs. Julien’s impact was steady, but not decisive—important, but not transformational.

• Everton: The Toffees continued their strong form in the Premier League, pushing for European qualification and picking up high-profile wins. Moyes’s project gathered steam, ambitions grew, and the standards for squad members—especially in midfield—kept rising.

As the season wound down, the gap between Julien’s reliable performances at Preston and the demands of a top-tier, Europe-chasing Everton squad became ever clearer. The future held options, but one thing was certain: to make his mark at the highest level, Julien would need to raise his game even further.

The Turning Point

 It’s All Down to This...

David Moyes made it clear: he was building his Everton around hard-working, intelligent players, and Julien was set to play a real role. Early signs suggested the gamble paid off—Julien started the 2002/03 Premier League season with a flourish.

Julien started the season well:

Everton vs Tottenham (2–2)

Julien assists the equaliser in a lively debut.

Sunderland vs Everton (0–1)

Julien scores the match-winning goal away from home.

And then this has happened:

Everton vs Birmingham City (1–1)

Julien is sent off early, leaving the team one man short.

Julien missed the next two games through suspension, watching as his teammates battled with Manchester City and Southampton.

On his return:

Everton vs Middlesbrough (2–1)

As a substitute, Julien provides a vital assist in a close win.

Aston Villa vs Everton (2–3)

Julien comes on late as Everton fall just short.

After the Villa match, Julien faced the ultimate nightmare. He earns a start at Old Trafford, but an early injury forced him off. The diagnosis: months on the sidelines as Everton lose 3–0.

While Julien had recovered, Everton were reborn—David Moyes’ men went on a stunning run of form:

19 Oct: vs Arsenal (2–1, home)

27 Oct: vs West Ham (1–0, away)

3 Nov: vs Leeds United (1–0, away)

9 Nov: vs Charlton (1–0, home)

17 Nov: vs Blackburn (1–0, away)

23 Nov: vs West Brom (1–0, home)

At the beginning of December he finally returns:

1 Dec – Newcastle vs Everton (2–1): Julien plays 45 minutes but Everton lose.

7 Dec – Everton vs Chelsea (1–3): Julien starts, but the team is outplayed.

From here, Julien’s season slips into a downward spiral. His confidence shaken, form patchy, and opportunities drying up just as Everton soar towards the top.

Julien Gauthier in the automn of 2002:

In the midst of Everton’s impressive run, as Julien found his minutes dwindling, an unexpected phone call came in to Goodison Park. Preston North End’s new manager Craig Brown—remembering Julien’s impact the previous season—reached out to Moyes: “David, I see Julien’s not playing as much these days… We’d be happy to have him back at Preston, even just for the spring. He grew a lot with us, and I truly believe he could be a key man again.”

Moyes didn’t give a straight answer. For now.

Let's see how the 2nd half of season 2002/03 goes next time!

SUMMER 2002

Reunion at Everton 

After a short break at home with his family, Julien arrived back in Liverpool for Everton’s first day of pre-season. As he stepped through the doors at Bellefield, he was greeted by a firm handshake and a “Good to see you again, Julien!”—David Moyes, now marshalling Everton, welcomed his former Preston player as an old acquaintance. That little nod of familiarity set the tone: while the squad was buzzing with anticipation, Julien wasn’t just another newcomer.

The opening weeks were demanding. Moyes’ sessions were as intense as ever: double training most days, tactical matches, gym circuits, all under the relentless Merseyside summer drizzle. But it was different this time. The standards, the pace, the competition—it all felt a notch higher than in the Championship. Sometimes, during traings and fitness tests, Julien could sense that some of his teammates had an extra gear he was reaching for. No one said it, but the difference was there.

There was an early trip to Austria for a week’s training camp. Early mornings brought mountain sprints, tactical sessions, and closed-door friendlies against strong European sides. Julien played well in spells, picking up an assist against Sturm Graz, but didn’t quite stand out in the way he’d hoped.

Meanwhile, the transfer window was buzzing with rumors. Sunderland and Charlton inquired about a loan, while two mid-table Ligue 1 clubs—Nantes and Sochaux—put in offers for a full transfer. Even a German scout from Mainz was spotted chatting with Julien’s agent (and father) after a friendly. Moyes called him in for a talk: “You know what I think you can bring, but Premier League football’s another beast. Show me you want it.”

As July rolled into August, nothing was decided—yet. Julien gave his all, but a sense of uncertainty lingered, hanging in the background of every dressing-room laugh and recovery jog. For now, the blue shirt was his—training hard, fighting for a place.

See you next with a career defining season

Julien's Season at Preston

Making His Mark

Thrown into the hustle and bustle of the Championship, Julien quickly discovered that Tuesday nights in places like Gillingham or Rotherham were a world away from academy life in Le Havre. It wasn’t always pretty—mud-splattered pitches, bone-crunching tackles, and the relentless pace of two games a week tested his resilience. But there was also a thrill to it all: packed stands, Preston fans roaring after a late equalizer, and the trust of a manager like David Moyes made every bruise worth it.

Julien started the season as a sub, but injuries and a couple of standout cup performances soon earned him a regular spot in the starting XI. By November, Deepdale’s new Frenchman was hard to ignore: four assists in five games, including a curling cross for Jon Macken against Wolves, made the fans dream. A first Championship goal came in December, a poacher’s finish in a tense draw at Derby.

Spring brought tougher times—Preston chased the playoffs, but a string of draws left them just short. Still, Julien’s numbers impressed. 35 league appearances, 2 goals, 8 assists, and a Player of the Month nomination in January. More importantly, he learned to fight for every inch and proved he could compete—physically and mentally—in one of Europe’s toughest leagues.

Off the field, there were ups and downs. Paperwork headaches, homesickness, dodgy northern weather—even an accidental own goal. Through it all, Julien never lost sight of the mission: show Everton and the rest of England what he’s made of.

With his Preston adventure behind him and Moyes now at the helm at Goodison, the big question remains: Will Julien be given a chance in royal blue, or does another loan or Championship campaign await? His contract runs until 2005—there’s time, but the next step is crucial.

Next up: The summer, transfer rumors, and Everton’s preseason under new management…