My god I've spent some hours on here this summer. Last post for a while before I get on with my life!
I've given this window a 7 for the following reasons:
Positives
1) Clev, Lennon, Del, and Mori (probably) are all good solid signings. Not incredible, but good all the same.
2) signing up Mirallas, Garbutt, McCarthy and keeping Stones was major progress for this board. One step at a time...
3) if one of Hennan, Rodriguez, or Holgate turns out to be a good premiership standard player then that's extremely good business. Remember January 2013 when we were all furious because we only signed a young unknown defender called John Stones? That didn't turn out too badly.
Negatives
1) we never signed the no... Err which no. was it again? I've heard 10 mentioned. Was it 10? I can't quite remember. I we had lined up a superstar I'm sure there would be a lot more 8s 9s and 10s. But that's not Everton is it? Go support Man City or Chelsea if you want that. It's like putting the cheat in on football manager. Fun at first, but after a while your success feels hollow and empty. Maybe different in real life though we'll never know!
2) other teams have also improved their sides. It's all relative isn't it? Gone are the days when Cahill Arteta jags lescott and Yakubu could just turn up at goodison and blow teams like Sunderland and Blackburn away. Most teams now have players of that standard. I think we have better players than most, but they'll be no easy games this year.
All in all, a little disappointing but not too bad. Certainly not anything that would put the necessary pressure on the board. Part of me wanted Stones to go and us Not to bring anyone in with the cash. That would have put some serious pressure on but I don't think it would have ever happened.
Let's see what happens this year then...