Things can change very quickly in football, one season you’re escaping the clutches of relegation, the next you could be title winners, remember Leicester 2015? A rare example of course but it shows the premier league can be an extremely volatile place with extreme fluctuations.

Anything can happen, that’s why I’m very apprehensive about the upcoming season as TFG continue to be all to quiet and yet still no solutions to long standing problems in the squad which will catch up as senior players begin to age, 10 days to the season opener and still we wait. Having said that, I do see TFG’ being a stability first and foremost then enterprise and aspirations second approach and I’m afraid that’s the way it has to be.

Patience is needed, I suppose you could say it’s a “transition period” which is why Moyes is still manager (stability) with remaining in the premier league being paramount everything else is redundant at this time as we have to bed in a new stadium and the owners getting their feet under the table.

So I guess being happily dissatisfied is something we’ll have to get used to.

I like Palace, and liked seeing them winning their trophies, but they did spend £43 million on Jørgen Strand Larsen, which was madness. They do have an excellent scouting system though and are a highly regarded hub for emerging South London talent. Palace, Brentford and Brighton will all keep on chugging along, its Bournemouth minus Iraola and Fulham minus Silva whom I think will struggle. What they all have that Everton don’t is a scouting network beyond these shores. So far, we haven’t exactly unearthed up and coming gems in Europe, Africa or South America, rather, it’s cast-offs from PL clubs. Decent ones, maybe, but an AI search could’ve found them.

It's a good article Kieran.

When we were very poor (and even before that when we were wasting money on a steady stream of old, average players), the well-run mid-table clubs - Bournemouth, Palace, Brighton and Brentford - all offered a good blueprint of how we could get better. They have all done a good job of finding Champions League quality players - which is the name of the game.

Since we're still not richer than them (at the moment), what they have done well is still worth learning from. All making heavy use of data analytics, low cost markets etc etc to build up strong squads. It's not even innovative any more though. It's just a basic minimum of any decent club.

However, unlike us, they have all probably maxed out on their revenue position. That means they all peak at around 6th place - as Bournemouth did last season. Or they might win a cup, as per Palace, but have a rotten season in the league. However, sooner or later they will all fall away as per the likes of apparently well-run Leicester - to be replaced by, say, well-run Sunderland.

Within a couple of seasons our revenue will have moved more in line with, say, Newcastle and Villa. The well-run mid table clubs should all be looking up at us as rich club beginning to rub shoulders again with the media darlings.

We will still need to do all the basics right - analytics, low cost markets etc - but we won't (as last summer and this summer) need spread a little budget across 8 new players just to address glaring weaknesses and gaps. We'll be able to spend bigger on fewer, more talented players - at the same time as hoovering up high quality young players for development.

We don't peak at 6th with that sort of financial backing. We peak at 1st place when, as say Leverkusen in Germany, they assemble a great squad and it coincides with an inspired coach. And, say, Spurs too - who really should have won the title under Pochettino but bottled the opportunity. But below our peak, we should still be regulars in Europe and regular contenders / qualifiers for the Champions League too - and be in the mix each season for Domestic and European cups. If we do these things right, within 3 to 5 years our floor will start to be the ceiling for these well run clubs we've been looking up to.

We'll be in a different league.

What the Hell was I watching tonight ?
Thierno Barry looks so fit and tenacious and a serious
upgrade, on the player we saw last Season.. may it continue !

Tyrique George, I feel, looks like
The player that we were crying out for, in the making.

The only Downside being Mykolenko. A player who will never improve.. he’s certainly no Lucas Digne!
Hats off to a team effort and a fantastic prestation.

Tyrique is going to be a bargain.

Already much prefer him to Grealish lumbering around the place and slowing everything down.

Very well written, Kieran.

As Robert@4 said, we have yet to find our way back above D'Artagnan and the Three Musketeers, so we need to keep working (and learning) stealthily to catch up and eventually get ahead of them when they hit their respective perceived ceilings.

(Always hate Moyes' "best of the rest" ambition: that is NOT ambition at all! Especially with our club motto)

While Brentford, Brighton & Palace seem to be losing steam a little bit, Bournemouth keeps pushing as their American Owner Bill Foley is famously known across the pond as pushing his clubs' front office executives to go "all in" every season (his Vegas Goldenknights are annual contenders in the NHL).

When Newcastle has been liquidating their assets as if a loan shark was putting a gun on their head, Villa is becoming the Gordon Gecko of Premier League: They bite Saudi's hands off by getting a combined sum of £115+ MM for Jhon Duran & Moussa Diaby. And we haven't started talking about their rip off of Chelsea on the Morgan Rogers Deal (£117 MM)!

Yes, that would have all gone for naught if they are unable to replenish the talent base adequately, but Unai Emery's track record cannot be under-estimated on that front and it should be a model that our Front Office should rip-off and duplicate.

Dupont, Villa are the current standard bearers when it comes to progress. Whould have mentioned them in the article but they are a cut above our nearest rivals, especially with the transfer fees you mentioned and the CL.

The next step for them is not getting ripped off on incoming transfers. They are becoming more attractive as a club to players but they will need to develop a way to not overpay for the quality they need to maintain CL football.

I do think Dupont that we are getting better at picking up quality on the cheap.

Bobby, yep I think George is a better option to Grealish. Simply give him game time with the other decent players we have.

Villa are a nice example of what we can realistically expect in a shortish space of time.

They have done some good things and spent pretty heavily too - but it is nothing especially innovative. They are ahead of the well run little clubs on spending power due to their revenue.

They have a coach who is a really good fit for the club despite his struggles at Arsenal too.

If you combine this with serious underperformance by Spurs, Chelsea and the RS last season then it’s another Champions League run.

It was good to see a better performance yesterday albeit against a poor and depleted Newcastle and there were some green shoots and obviously some dead weed in the form of both full backs.

It is worrying that Myko is having a very poor preseason and Aznou seems not ready to take up the baton.

Johnson is now injured and Wan Bissaka and Spence are set to join Villa and Inter Milan respectively, so our options are shortening.

Come on Everton take some action.

Robert @8, yep, you do still need teams under performing over several seasons, and financial years, to get ahead.it helps to close the gap both financially and status wise. Perhaps Palace will benefit from the usual flux that is the PL.

More importantly, if the same number if European spots are available at the end of the season, it may keep things interesting for a number of club, for a variety of reasons.

Great article, Kieran. The Palace comparison is telling, but there are positives with TFG too.

Unlike Moshiri's reckless gambling, TFG have brought stability—clearing debt, avoiding PSR breaches, and making sensible signings. The progress has been slow but methodical, exactly what we needed.

Palace, Brighton and Villa all built from solid foundations. TFG are finally giving us those—the stadium is done, finances are stabilising, and the squad is improving.

But Finch Farm remains a sore point. Palace bought their freehold for £2.3m in 2013 while we sold ours. They've since invested £50m. We're still renting. It's a lingering symbol of Moshiri-era short-termism that TFG haven't yet addressed.

Patience is hard, but for the first time in years, we look like a properly run club. That's a positive worth holding onto

Sadly, I think a lot of fans are fed up with being told to be patient.

The realism of our position is we've no choice. The 'top' clubs are streets ahead of us, whilst we're seeking stability and more consistency.

Our away form was (barring the end of the season) very encouraging and I hope we can continue that this season.

Hill Dickenson has proven problematic for us to adjust to as 'home', but hopefully familiarity will begin to kick in this year and help see results there improve.

I would love to get Munoz in. He is a consistent performer who is defensively sound and very progressive and threatening going forward.

As much as I like Jack, I'm probably in the camp of letting George and Dibbling have their head and look to the future rather than spend mega bucks on his fee and wages. He's past his best and seems to enjoy his nights out a bit too much.

We have a decent squad when all are fit, we just need Moyesy to be a bit bolder. A tough ask I know.

I hope we're looking long and hard at who can replace him.

Pre season optimism still resonates within me and I'm looking at Europe with hope.

Let's all hope that Barry's pre season resurgence is his new normal, that Jimmy Garner is soon back to form and fitness, that Jarrad can stay injury free and that Norgard is the player he was at Brentford. Oh, and a large slice of good fortune.

COYB.

Jerome #11

We must have been renting Finch Farm for around 20 years or more.

It was a sell and lease back arrangement that was typical of the way Kenwright - who never put a single penny into Everton - ran the club. The deal pre-dated the hapless Moshiri.

For what it's worth - my top 10 thoughts after the Lille game today.

1. main point is that Ndiaye didn't play like he was distracted by a possible move. He looked sharp and worked hard. I have generally assumed he will leave but maybe not.

2. there was a frustrating habit of ignoring an easy ball or an easy run and overcomplicating things. I think almost everyone was guilty of that. We were also guilty of sitting off after a decent, high(ish) tempo start and handing the initiative to a decent Lille side.

3. Mykolenko is very short of confidence and knows he is playing in front of a crowd that doesn't rate him. He's struggling. Didn't stop him from trying to defend very stoutly but he doesn't want the ball. Aznou is the complete opposite - a lightweight defender but lots of confidence on the ball. Hopefully the coaching team can help Aznou bulk up and use his body better and, if so, we could have a really good player.

4. Dibling gave an encouraging performance in the opening half hour or so. He was looking to take players on and made space for two strikes on goal - one of which really deserved a goal but drew a flying save. However, he seems caught in two minds every time he got the ball and delays passes and movements. He has plenty of talent but needs to be much more decisive in his movements and use of the ball. As a strange sort of negative, though - his whole demeanour looks casual even when he's pressing aggressively. Some players are just like that, I guess.

5. Rohl is a good athlete, tactically and positionally intelligent and can certainly fill in at RB - but he's not especially good on the ball. He isn't a solution in that position - and seems more like a utility player than anything else. Patterson, when he came on, was awful. Stating the obvious we need a specialist RB.

6. Branthwaite had a good practice battle with old veteran Giroud and kind of coasted through the game until being subbed. He looked a class act without really extending himself physically. Tarkowski looks much, much better alongside Branthwaite.

7. Hackney, Armstrong and Dewsbury-Hall all looked neat and tidy in midfield and each of them had some really good moments. As did Alcaraz when he came on, too. We're decent in that area without being spectacular. In fairness though, world class Bouaddi didn't look spectacular when he came on either - but he did look very much in control and appeared to be playing within himself. We've got a good midfield with that lot and Garner.

8. George and Johnson will cause teams problems with direct running and pace. George seems to have much more technical ability than Johnson - but Johnson is going to be a goal threat. I really like George and I think Johnson will give us end product (could have had a brace today even in just a 20 minute spell).

9. Barry is improving as a footballer but lightweight for his size. He had some neat moments including a lovely disguised ball to Armstrong which found him completely free in the centre of the box near the penalty spot - but unfortunately he seemed to assume he was offside, almost didn't both taking a shot. When he did finally take the shot on he sent it high and wide when it just needed passing into either corner. Beto is a poor footballer but puts himself about better. If you could take all their best attributes together you'd end up with a decent player.

10. Travers pulled off a couple of really top class saves and did okay generally.

A decent preparation match before the season opener. COYB.

Robert (14) On the whole I thought we looked in better shape than we have done in recent pre-seasons. It was especially pleasing to see Ndiaye fully committed. Assuming none of the big Premier League clubs make a late bid for him, I wonder where he goes from here. Does he continue to reject the offer of a new contract or does he settle now for what we can afford? It is clear we remain heavily dependent on him in attack.

The 4-1-4-1 formation with a sort of half-press gave the team a welcome fluidity in the first half with Armstrong and Dewsbury-Hall making well-timed runs into the half spaces inside the two wide players. Hackney looked assured in front of the back line.

I agree with you about Dibling. He clearly has some great skills on the ball but his apparent hesitancy not only creates pressure for himself but must leave team mates uncertain about his next move. Most definitely if he is to make the attacking right flank position his own he will need a right back partner with the boldness and craft to link up with him and create space for him to operate in. In that regard, and in the absence of Garner, Röhl appears to be the only option fit and available within the current personnel. I can fully understand why the club is determined not to spend a substantial sum on just any old right back and as each day passes it seems ever more likely that we will embark on another season without a specialist in that position.

Branthwaite will obviously need to be nursed through the coming months. He looked comfortable but wasn’t required to make any long sprints yesterday. Would he be able to get through a full Premier League without doing so? Will Moyes include him in his starting eleven against Palace or use him from the bench? Changing the back line during matches is never ideal but any manager would want his best centre back on the pitch for as long as possible. In any event full games on Saturday-Wednesday-Saturday are out of the question for Jarrad at least for the time being.

Johnson should certainly increase our goal threat. His career record suggests a strike rate of around one goal in four games, so nine over a full league season. The first priority though will be to facilitate his return to full match fitness and confidence.

The latest sighting of Aznou confirmed both his not inconsiderable attacking attributes and his defensive flaws. He looks for the moment much better suited to a wing back role. Mykolenko has many critics but he it was who played the clever through pass for Dewsbury-Hall to win the penalty. In the short to medium term he will remain first choice. It will be interesting to see how fans react if, as I suspect he might, Moyes gives Aznou an opportunity at Preston.

That's a really good point about Mykolenko, John. I'd forgotten it was his ball to Dewsbury-Hall that won the penalty. He probably does get overlooked by me and others for that side of his game. It does look like he'll be our primary LB for the season.

Ideally a player like Aznou would be out on loan for a season - to build up maturity and the defensive side of his game. That's what other Premier League clubs (not just the richest 8 either) tend to do. Unfortunately, we've got such a small squad we can't really afford to release him otherwise who plays LB if Mykolenko gets injured?!

With 2 weeks to go, it still looks very likely we'll be bringing in a few players - but without any Ndiaye money it will probably have to be lower cost options and loans.

In terms of RB, after Johnston's injury - attention may turn to Wan-Bissaka as a sub-£20m option despite the high wages. Unless they can get Norton-Cuffey cheap or Lewis on loan (or one of the very many foreign options).

In terms of CF, it looks like Delap - but Chelsea want a sale and we (and most other clubs in for him) want a loan. I still think he's overwhelmingly our most likely striker signing.

Otherwise, the chances of Grealish seem pretty low if Ndiaye really is staying. But an additional CB looks a possibility.

Bobby#13

That's right Bobby. The company that bought it of Everton went bust and Liverpool City Council bought it out of bankruptcy, giving Everton the option of buying it back at a reported £17 million.This option has never been taken up every five year by Everton since. The option is available currently as 2026 is the 5th year.

Robert #16

Who plays LB if Mykolenko gets injured?

Branthwaite, probably.