Everton fans put their burning questions to our Blues correspondent Joe Thomas
Reports have linked Everton with high-profile free-agent Mauro Icardi
Reports have linked Everton with high-profile free-agent Mauro Icardi
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Three games into the Premier League season and Everton remain unbeaten.
On top of that, a spirit of resilience is clearly running through the squad after consecutive stoppage-time equalisers that allowed a good start to continue despite uncertainty off the pitch.
Ahead of the trip to Tottenham Hotspur, the ECHO sought to address your latest questions here....
Do you think David Moyes will get a new contract? Finn
This is a fascinating subject and my thoughts on this have twisted over the course of the summer. Angus Kinnear’s pre-Sunderland notes indicated a strong backing for the manager even as the season was falling apart at the end.
But then, by the eve of the campaign, it was clear the two had significantly diverging views on where the squad was at and what the ambitions for the season should be.
Against that backdrop, a few weeks ago, I would have said no. But I think the misjudgements at the end of the window and then the uncertainty over The Friedkin Group's plans for the club strengthened Moyes. He has a weaker squad but more freedom because the issues we have recently seen have undermined those above him. Suddenly, it feels like he has nothing to lose and if this team could push for the top half or a cup this season he would be within his rights to say that he maintained a significant influence on the team and to argue he is best-placed to lead it going forward - especially if the instability was to be prolonged.
What are the odds on signing Mauro Icardi? Steve
I would be very surprised if Icardi was seriously pursued. Everton have limited options but Icardi is 33, had a serious injury the season before last and could be expensive. He has also attracted plenty of headlines for matters away from football.
Moyes said he was looking at free agents last week but the caveat that they needed to improve the team felt significant. I think he will attempt to persevere by using Brennan Johnson as a foil for Thierno Barry.
Who accepted a bid for Harrison Armstrong? Surely they must have known the fans wouldn't have that? Jase
There is a dispute about whether a bid was fully accepted for Armstrong but that talks were not immediately rebuffed felt like a major misjudgement.
The offer was passed to TFG and their openness to a potential deal stemmed from the amount of money being offered for a player who was unlikely to be in the first team once everyone was fit.
There was some warning from Merseyside that his sale would be unpopular and, however it unfolded, getting Armstrong to play against Bournemouth was significant as it bought time and, with it, the fan protest that TFG could not avoid from the away end.
Will we sign a new striker in January? I don't have much faith we will. Paul
I think much of this will come down to how well Everton do in the months leading up to the next window. If Barry emerges as a real goalscorer, and/or if Johnson shows he can provide support in that area, then Everton may not believe it is necessary.
There is clearly more thought being applied to how much money is spent and where than we perhaps expected at the start of the summer. Personally, I do not think this squad will make it through to January without suffering some setbacks.
If it avoids them, then brilliant - there are a lot of good players. But Everton being competitive relies on several players hitting form and avoiding injury and this club does not tend to have that much luck.
So that, and the money raised on deadline day, makes me think there will be an effort to strengthen in January, even if it is initially built around loan deals or even players in other positions to provide someone like Johnson - or maybe Tyrique George - the chance to continue good form while supporting Barry.