Another Matchweek 1, another loss for Everton, who got off to a slow start in Monday's 1-0 loss to Leeds United and ended up losing on a rather dubious penalty late in the match.
Which isn't to say that Everton deserved much from the match, although once the Blues survived the opening salvo from the home side, the match felt like it had 0-0 written all over it, at least until the referee intervened in the final gasps of the match.
The penalty aside, while Everton tightened things up in the second half, the first 45 minutes looked exactly as you'd have expected when you saw the lineup: a cobbled-together XI full of players out of position who were not fully prepared to do the job that day.
It wasn't hard to look at David Moyes lineup and see it not just as the best the Scottish manager could do under the circumstances, but also Moyes' condemnation of the lack of major transfer movement in key spots all over the pitch. Sure, they brought in some new faces, but this was a squad that needed a bigger overhaul, and, arguably, the largest needs haven't been filled.
The right back spot continuing to be an unsolved issue at this point is bordering on comical. Jake O'Brien works hard, but he's clearly limited, especially in this modern era of football. James Garner has some skills that might translate well to a fullback, but his lack of comfort on the left side was clear from the outset.
It's also clear that Tim Iroegbunam isn't up to the level yet, and Everton cannot pretend that Idrissa Gana Gueye is going to be able to roam the middle of the park forever.
Everton have improved their attacking depth with the likes of Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, Charly Alcaraz, and Jack Grealish, but the group still needs time to gel. The concern is less in this area than in others, but it's also obvious that none of those players is a right winger, so something must be done there as well.
The transfer window closes on September 1 at 7 PM UK time, so there's still time, but hopefully the Everton transfer committee sees how vital it is to improve the squad sooner rather than later.