Excuses, why?

[Drico]

We're coming out of the lowest period the club has had in a long time, finally ending in an unprecedented dozen players leaving. At the same time we've had to bed in a new backroom staff.

Before the season starts we've brought in six players and made Alcaraz permanent. We have a good XI and bench for Monday, with more signings guaranteed.

A combination of an inflated market for certain types of players, the lack of any sales and a certain budget (though healthy considering the lack of sales) has made some positions tricky to buy for - but by the end of the window it'll all be sorted.

In the mean time, our new stadium is fantastic and we are finally looking up towards the top half of the table.

I love this post - genuinely (because it is optimistic and full of fact-based common sense) - but the one bit that jumped out at me as a reach was " - but by the end of the window it'll all be sorted."

You had me until then.

If there's one thing we know about Everton from bitter experience, it is that when we are chasing our tails in a window it never ends well.

"We tried. We'll go with what we got."

And the funniest thing? There will be plenty on here seeing it from precisely the club's position, falling over themselves to excuse lack of ambition and/or incompetence.

But, for now, I will hold on to your more sunny disposition whilst remaining skeptical. Let's see where we are in three weeks time.