I agree, the full back positions and lack of striker cover are obvious causes for concern, but we have versatile players.

And I too am looking forward to seeing more of Dibling, Alcaraz, etc. I just hope David uses his 5 subs regularly and rotates who plays 90 minutes each week.

Jam Tomorrow!

I will be positive Paul.
As long as David follows suit.

Paul, it's a good article and I had a similar go at raising the positivity in the article about Roma.

However, all of this requires fans to wait for completion of a rebuild from a truly disastrous state on and off the pitch.

What most fans really want, is winning football now.

That is why big talk from owners goes down well. That is why daft vanity signings like Dele Alli and James Rodriguez tend to go down well. It helps to create the illusion of a "big club".

Contrast that with the continued appointment of Moyes, sale of Ndiaye and a series of low cost signings in the "Coventry City" price bracket and we still have that "small club" look and feel (despite a magnificent new stadium).

But the reality is that the 7 low cost signings made all look astute (although I'll reserve judgement on Maitland-Niles as I haven't seen him play for ages). Had the Balogun deal completed as expected, it would have looked like a good window - giving us a chance to compete for a European place with (probably) Newcastle, Villa, Brentford, Brighton and Forest.

The failed Balogun deal - and the Burnley compensation - have probably set us back a season (although I suppose there remains a chance to resolve both things favourably in January).

So it is not so much that the future looks bleak, it's just that is remains emotionally exhausting to support Everton in the present.

Lee, the general consensus for the collapse last season was that Moyes hadn't rotated the players enough over the course of the seadon. The result was burn out, we ran out of steam. A smaller squad this season, but better rotation might stand to us. Would still like to see money spent in January.

Robert, like it or not, the 40m Burnley money has to be factored into how the summer window went. Kick in the pants alright.

Robert, you mention the vanity signings. It's amazing how the transfer window in it's entirety has changed my view on Grealish. If played in the right position, and to his strengths as a thirty year old, his value to the squad has multiplied in my view. A couple of ifs I know, but necessity and all that.

The positive outcome is :

That TFG will be forced to Manage,

Moyes will be forced to play the younger players

Kinnear will have to plan more what he does so that he does not misspeak,which is his tendency.

Augus you will not get away the same as behind the counter at KFC, even though many think you are a Bargain Bucket.

The Friedkins only came to the fore when faced with a crisis at Roma.Well they now have a crisis at Everton,which could be a good thing.

Watching PNE vs Blackburn, and on first watch, am surprised the Blackburn right back Ryan Alebiosu was not mentioned as an option this summer.

Tallish, pacey, comfortable on the ball (looks quite two footed), and likes to get forward. He's 24 and has recently made the Nigeria squad.

Internet research suggests that Brentford, West Ham, and Rangers were linked in the summer for around £8m.

Alebiosu was one of the many RBs linked to us too, Bobby. The links to us started in January.

More game time for more players means fewer annoyed and frustrated players. A tighter knit unit.

Lee, a huge chance for Alcaraz. I liked what I saw two seasons ago.

Robert #11

I missed his name being mentioned, but yes, he appears to have been linked in January and May at least. Looks decent.

Hard to see where they’re going to get a decent CF from in January. Happy to be proven wrong, but quality ones only become available in summer windows.

A way out?

If Spurs buy out Richie's contract, does that make him a free agent? In which case, could Everton make him an offer that met his financial needs? Presumably there'd be no transfer fee?

I think you can't sign a player as a free agent if they weren't a free agent when the previous window closed. Arsenal made sure to get rid of Aubameyang by terminating his contract on the final day of the window in 2022.

Here is a reason to be positive, a list of the squad 25 or under Branthwaite 24, O’Brien 25, Garner 25, Hackney 24, Armstrong 19, Rohl 24, George 20, Johnson 25, Alcaraz 23, Dibling 20, Barry 23. Whilst I’m still to be convinced by the last 3 this is a nucleus of a good young squad.
It’s a big if but IF we can find the funds to keep this group together and build on it over the next couple of windows we should have a squad competing for Europe.

And talking of being positive I think everyone getting behind the team tomorrow is pretty important as well. The fiasco of the window is nothing to do with those on the pitch, and little to do with Moyes, so lets give the team all our support tomorrow

Nice to hear a positive take on recent proceedings Paul - and I hope you’ll be posting some of your match reports during the season (they have been missed).

Welcome back, Paul. Wise words for us all. Since leaving Toffeeweb when it went mad, I don’t think I’ve heard from you.

I am also hoping for your measured match reports this season. Only get back for a game every few years and like the much-missed Danny and Ken’s reports, they make me feel like I’m there.

I find myself avoiding more and more media around football these days as most of it is just senseless noise but it seems to give a platform to the loudmouths to offload about any issue and get it blown up into a crisis to fit their own conspiracy theories or narrative. This guy Balogun sounds like he is trouble and either him or Monaco or more likely both were hiding something. Whilst it is criminal to let our only other ‘recognised’ striker leave before a replacement was tied down, would we ever have been happy with another season of Barry replacing Beto and Beto replacing Barry rinsed and repeated week in week out? The way the cards have fallen Moyes now is forced to try something different and we will see who will stand up and be counted. The Friedkin ownership is a battle for another day but for now we’ve just got to get behind what we have on the pitch and build up some positivity because toxicity and recrimination will kill us.

I think the highlighting of Arteta's last minute move to Arsenal way back in 2011 (I had to check the date!) is problematic here.

Why? Because here we are 15 years later in a worse position with regards to squad numbers. I think we can accept that the quality of the players we have now is better than it was back then, but the quality of every team in the premier league is much better too. We've got a lovely new stadium now - yes - but as last season showed it's yet to deliver any competitive advantage to us on the pitch.

So as one of many who felt we were badly run during Kenwright's rein, the only conclusion I can draw is we're being run by an even worse regime now.

It's impossible to remain positive when we're stuck with Moyes (again, I would have preferred him to have gone too, but that was before that dreadful transfer window) playing cagey football with a vastly depleted bench, just a single injury away from an existential crisis.

I agree wholeheartedly with Paul's sentiments in this article, it's extraordinary the hyperbole around football these days. If this is a crisis I dread to think what it was when we were bottom of the league. just get behind the team.

Paul 18,

What gave you the impression Balogun sounds like he is trouble?

John 21, second hand I know but I heard he was one of the most arrogant members of the US squad at the World Cup and then to walk away from signing leaving both his present and future clubs in a mess screams problem to me.

Thanks Paul

Well written Paul

Great to read a positive report based on the age old saying “We are where we are”

The weaknesses in the squad are clearly identified but so are the strengths. And what is most important is that the team needs our continued support despite the disappointment of the transfer window. Kneejerk reaction gain nothing, a1111nother old saying ‘“No point in cutting off your nose to spite your face”

The thread is a breath of fresh air and m1akes a difference from TW where the every thread turns into a mostly anti but some defenders of Moyes debate led by the main editor. It has become boring where the same issues are being rehashed over and over again with very little constructive football comments.