into a top-six position but in the play-offs failed to recover from a first leg defeat at the hands of Watford, being beaten on aggregate in the semi-final. Johnson scored 15 goals in the Championship that season. In 2005, Johnson was voted into Palace's Centenary XI, the only player at the club at the time to be selected, and, together with Nigel Martyn, the only members of the XI then playing on a professional basis. Everton After Crystal Palace's failure to return to top-flight football, speculation about Johnson's future at the club began with a transfer to a Premier League club seeming highly likely. However, when an initial bid from Everton of £7.25 million was rejected, it looked more likely that the club would be able to keep Johnson for a further year after all. Nevertheless, the departure of manager Iain Dowie only increased the likelihood of Johnson's departure, and on 24 May 2006 Palace accepted an £8.5m million offer from Wigan Athletic for Johnson. This bid was matched by fellow Lancashire club Bolton Wanderers a day later, which was also accepted. With Johnson having indicated a preference for a move to Merseyside, Everton, prompted by the two other bids, improved their offer to £8.6 million the following day. On 30 May 2006, he passed his medical and completed the move to Goodison Park, signing a five-year contract. Johnson's move set new club transfer records, both as Everton's most expensive purchase and Palace's most expensive sale. Johnson scored his first goal for Everton on his debut on 19 August 2006, in a 2–1 win over Watford. He continued a good start to his Everton career by scoring against Tottenham Hotspur away to end a 21-year victory drought there and then scoring twice in the 3–0 derby victory against Liverpool. Johnson was Everton's top scorer in the 2006–07 FA Premier League with 11 goals (and one in the FA Cup). However, Johnson was allegedly affected by allegations of simulation, going 13 matches without scoring a goal at one stage. After a league match with Chelsea on 17 December 2006, Chelsea manager José Mourinho branded Johnson "untrustworthy" following a challenge with Chelsea goalkeeper Henrique Hilário. Everton issued a statement threatening legal action and calling on Mourinho to apologise, which he did two days later. Mourinho was not the first to air such sentiments about Johnson; former Sheffield United manager Neil Warnock also