I hear yea Kieran, I'd love to ban all international games until after this season is over. I can't stop smiling when watching Everton play nowadays. Even my RS friends are nervous, I can't wait for the Derby.

Best start-of-season feeling I've know for years. There finally seems to be hope on the horizon and yes, I know, it's the hope that kills you, but this has to be the best clutch of pre-season signings we've made since... erm, David Moyes was last at the helm?

Most certainly it has been our best August since 2021 under Rafa Benitez. Winning six points was tremendous. On top of that we have recruited two highly skilled performers from elite clubs plus one of the most talented teenagers with substantial Premier League experience.

There are caveats. The improvement in our attacking play was most evident at Molineux yet we found a way of making the closing stages more challenging than we might have expected. Similarly Brighton made life difficult for our defence, hitting the woodwork twice and denied by Pickford after Tarkowski’s dreadful back pass.

Inevitably there will be blips in our upward trajectory. Loss of form, injuries and suspensions will take their usual toll. We can expect to see some games, such as Leeds and late last season in the first half at Fulham and the second half against Ipswich, in which standards drop. Fortunately we have a manager experienced in getting a decent group of players quickly back on track.

What is most Frustrating for me, after a very fruitful Transfer Window, is, that Tarkoski starts to play like the old Keane and vice versa.

I can’t wait for Branthwaite to come back fighting fit and inject some calm and awareness, into the defence.

Once we have stability in defence, the rest will take care of itself and we should be in for a very exciting Ride.

Paul @4, I was going to reference the imbalance in the signings as defensively we are weak. I felt that it may have been a separate article.

I read in the BBC football website this morning that we had a net spend in this window of 108m. I think it's alot for us in one window at the moment, even with the new owners possibly injecting cash. We may have to rely on a fit Branthwaite until the January window at least.

The next issue is finding the money to make Grealish and Rohl permanent next summer as well as strengthening in other areas.

Weird feeling. I'm happy being a Blue again.

I’m delighted! 6 points from 9 and we’ve been a joy to watch in both wins (with a healthy slab of nail biting moments!) But I just can’t shift the Leeds game out of my mind…we were as bad in that as I’ve ever seen us.

I suspect this season is going to be one of highs and lows. I’m not expecting miracles when almost everyone at the club is new (albeit whether you consider Moyes to be new is up for debate).

But I can’t help feel that this squad is reminiscent of the best Moyes teams, where graft was supplemented by just enough class and creativity.

I’d settle for some exciting performances and nascent reasons for optimism about the future.

And as for the infernal right back issue, I’m backing Seamus to have a glorious final season and make us all forget we needed one!!!

Dave 7
IMHO the Leeds game was Badly managed.
Moyes waited far too long to introduce Grealish, who was chomping at the bit.
We gave them far too much respect.
They will be Bricking it, the next time around, and I would love to affront them in the Cup.

Kieran 5
I totally understand.
As long as we have dropped the «  Plucky ! » Tag, by the end of the Season, that will be a sure sign of progress for me.

I'm sorry Dave, but the Leeds game was perfectly managed, because Davie got exactly what he wanted. So stop looking at the show you are being served.

Loving the midfielders, passing. Movement and goals.

But Dave is right to mention Leeds, to me we were were set up badly, the shape and movement just wasn't there, OK we had to make do in defence, but it was just wrong.

Thankfully we turned things round v Brighton, but not without some nervy moments, having ridden our luck we settled into our game and played some lovely lively football, engaging, entertaining, easy on the eye, more of the same please...

Its early days in this season but this Everton team is aside from Leeds away, playing with style and manner. Long may it last..

Everton, after decades of mediocrity on and off the park, is a football club with purpose and belief.

Let's see what happens after the international break, but hopefully Everton will be playing
in the same rich vein of form.

Ahhh Michael, are you suggesting that was Moyes deliberately showing the deficiencies of the squad to force TFG’s hand in the transfer market? Wow!

Dyche now saying that, «  we » Made calls about the availability, of Jack Grealish and Dewesbury Hall, last year !
Oh really ! Where was the Dosh to buy them?

Yes Kieran Everton are at the right end of the table.Hopefully the Friedkin group can continue to bring about change in the Culture at Everton.I still think it is early days, but things appear to be heading in the right direction.Moyes with his success at West Ham, regarding the move from Upton Park to the London Stadium, should be the right fit to Manage the teams expectations as they move into Bramley Dock.Everton went through years of mismanagement so success will not be overnight, but it will come as the Club is properly managed at last.

An interesting comment about the new stadium which I have yet to visit. "There will always be queues for toilets and concession stands." Courtesy of a Spurs season-ticket holder friend who couldn't go I was (un)lucky enough to see Everton play away at Spurs a couple of seasons ago (0-5!) I then experienced the surreal atmosphere of Spurs v Man City when Spurs fans wanted City to win.

In both cases the memory I was left with was that even with 60,000 people in there were no queues for half-time beers or toilets. Long bars and plenty of staff and loads of under thev stands space.

I was looking forward to experiencing something similar at BMD so I hope these are early glitches which will be sorted by thge time I can get a ticket.