Eyebrows were raised following the admission by Everton CEO Angus Kinnear that the Friedkin Group viewed last season as a "failure", following the lack of European qualification.

On the face of it, it looks like rather than strengthening David Moyes' hand to ensure he can go one better this time around, the ownership group have merely stripped the Toffees for parts, leaving the experienced Scot with a depleted squad on Merseyside.

It's a desperately poor situation, one that only the calm head of Moyes has helped to paper over, the former West Ham United boss steering the club to an unbeaten start to the campaign.

As he so often does, the 63-year-old is working his magic up against the odds, yet the question remains, will the decisions of Kinnear and co come home to roost later down the line?

How Kinnear got this summer horribly wrong at Everton

There's no question that Everton were in a position to push for Europe at the end of last season, before falling away across the final stretch, yet to view the campaign as a 'failure', following the chaos that had come before, truly is bizarre.

As noted above too, it's even more bizarre what occurred over the summer, with the club hierarchy, led by former Leeds United man, Kinnear, seemingly only serving to make Moyes' task even harder.

In terms of the actual incomings, there has been merit in forking out for the likes of Tyrique George, Hayden Hackney and £3m man, Ainsley Maitland-Niles, while the loan return of Jack Grealish has gone down nicely.

And yet, Moyes has still been left with a squad that boasts just 18 senior outfield players, following the chaos of the end to the window, notably missing out on the likes of Folarin Balogun and Joshua Zirkzee.

An exit for Beto had already been signed off on, while Kinnear and co left it late to cash in on Iliman Ndiaye, doing so for what appears a knockdown price of just £65m, considering the level of this inflated market.

The club has also backtracked on the decision to sell Harrison Armstrong to Nottingham Forest on a £40m deal, with the 19-year-old now looking set to be a key figure under Moyes this season.

Indeed, the teenager might not be the only one who can prove a success after looking set to be sold over the summer.

Why Everton need to put faith in Cahill-esque forward

It is the forward line where there has been the most scrutiny directed, and rightly so, with Everton's new starting option on the right flank, Brennan Johnson, looking like a significant downgrade on Ndiaye.

Through the middle too, Thierno Barry has scored five times already this season in all competitions, although it is asking a lot to rely on the 23-year-old alone across an entire season.

Moyes might have to get creative to find someone else to share the goalscoring burden, with the lack of alternatives potentially set to offer a route to increased game time for forgotten man, Charly Alcaraz.

The attack-minded midfielder, who initially joined on loan from Flamengo in February 2025, has made just two substitute appearances in the Premier League so far this season, failing to make it off the bench in each of the last three.

As reported by TEAMtalk, the 23-year-old appeared to be facing a real crossroads in his Everton career heading into the Wolverhampton Wanderers clash in the Carabao Cup, with his involvement, or lack of, likely to be telling of his standing in Moyes' squad.

The report outlined that the Toffees were open to offers for the Argentine over the summer, and would be again in January, with his deal set to expire in June.

£13m Alcaraz looked to be heading for an inevitable exit, although that narrow win over Wolves could change the dynamic, the South American providing the crucial winner off the bench.

He showed real composure to shift the ball onto his left foot before curling home to make it 1-0 on the 80th minute mark, providing a reminder of what he can offer in front of goal.

A box-crashing, advanced midfielder, the £20k-per-week asset has previously been likened to a certain Tim Cahill by analyst and Como scout, Ben Mattinson, the Aussie legend having mastered that knack for arriving late in the box to score.

The similarities are there to see, with Alcaraz, like Cahill, not exactly a creative playmaker nor an out-and-out striker, yet instead falling somewhere in between, having previously shown what he can do back at Southampton.

He's only scored four goals as yet in an Everton shirt, albeit while having largely been on the periphery, although with the Saints, he scored eight in just 48 outings, alongside registering a further five assists.

The one-time Juventus man is a threat, that's for sure, with the dearth of attacking options ensuring Moyes would be wise to hand him a more prominent role over the coming months.

Of course, he's got a long way to go to live up to that Cahill comparison, the now-retired hero scoring 68 goals in 274 games in blue, but there's certainly a talent in there to be nurtured.

Indeed, having seemingly been up for sale over the summer, Alcaraz could be set for a surprise revival this season.