Musical Chairs

The transfer window ultimately became a game of Musical Chairs, with some players inevitably left without a chair when the music stopped.

For me, this window has to be viewed in the context of both last season and the recruitment decisions that preceded it. What initially looked like a functional recruitment strategy began to show serious warning signs last summer, when the emphasis shifted away from young players with potential towards experienced professionals, largely to accommodate David Moyes.

The problem was that Moyes then proceeded to largely ignore the young players with potential for much of the season.

With hindsight, I now believe Moyes should have left at the end of last season, particularly after the collapse that followed Everton's European push. That should have been the moment for the club to reassess the direction of the football operation.

Instead, this transfer window began with an apparent commitment to young players with potential, alongside an expectation that Moyes would make greater use of the young talent that already existed within the squad.

Yet, as the window progressed, it became increasingly difficult to see everyone pulling in the same direction.

The interviews and press conferences involving Kevin Thelwell? — and particularly the messaging from Moyes — suggested that there was not always a shared vision of what the squad required. As we entered the final weeks of the window, that disconnect became increasingly apparent.

And that brings us to the reorganised recruitment department.

What exactly have they been doing?

There has clearly been a significant cultural battle within the football operation at Everton, and perhaps that has affected the recruitment process. But whatever the internal reasons, the end result looks remarkably familiar.

Indeed, in some respects, it looks worse.

This is a seriously imbalanced squad. The most obvious failure is that Everton have not ended up with the young, high-potential forwards that the recruitment strategy appeared to require.

Instead, we have ended up with an oversupply of midfielders — something that is eerily reminiscent of the Ronald Koeman era — while simultaneously carrying an ageing defensive line. It is difficult to see the logic in that balance.

The Friedkin Group now have a genuine crisis to manage.

Jarrad Branthwaite's situation means that Jake O'Brien has to be given meaningful opportunities in central defence, rather than remaining on the periphery. But the problem extends beyond defence. Somebody is going to have to emerge as a central forward.

Perhaps one of the midfielders will have to be converted into that role in the way that Everton previously used players such as Calvin Lewin — originally recruited as a midfielder before developing into a forward.

Alternatively, Everton may have to turn to a free agent and hope that player can provide the solution. That is not where a supposedly reorganised recruitment operation should have left the club.

And this brings me back to what I believe is the central footballing problem.

Moyes is not particularly strong at developing young players, yet Everton's squad increasingly needs precisely that. At the same time, his preferred system requires players with particular characteristics — and the squad does not necessarily contain enough players capable of executing that system effectively.

So Everton have created something of a contradiction. They have young players who need development, but a manager who has not demonstrated that this is one of his strengths.

They have a tactical system that requires specific profiles, but a squad that has not been recruited coherently enough to provide those profiles. And they have an apparent shortage of young attacking talent while possessing an abundance of midfielders.

That is why I see this transfer window as more than simply a collection of individual deals. It is a reflection of the structural problems within Everton's football operation.

Last summer was the first warning sign. This summer was supposed to correct the direction. Instead, we have finished the window with questions over recruitment, squad balance, tactical suitability and the development of young players. TFG therefore have a serious problem on their hands.

Perhaps the answers will emerge from within the squad. Perhaps O'Brien will establish himself in central defence. Perhaps one of the midfielders will successfully transition into a central-forward role. Perhaps a free agent can provide the missing piece.

But that is a lot of "perhapses" for a club that was supposed to be entering a new era.

Ultimately, that is what makes this season so interesting. What kind of Everton are we actually going to see?The recruitment, the manager, the squad balance and the development of the younger players are all pulling against one another.

The music has stopped.

Now we find out who actually has a chair.