Everton have endured a torrid time since the start of the season and despite the win over Crystal Palace last weekend there is still a long road ahead as the team attempts to recover.
The Toffees have struggled defensively conceding fifteen goals already in this campaign, which makes an unwelcome change from the 2023-24 season when the Blues had a miserly record at the back.
But while the main problem at the club this term so far has been the conceding of goals, Everton have also continued their longstanding inability to find the back of the net themselves.
Despite signing Iliman Ndiaye and Jesper Lindstrom and getting Jack Harrison back on loan again, the team have still not found getting goals easy.
Ndiaye has been a good addition offering pace, trickery and an individualistic attacking threat of a kind not seen by the Goodison faithful for a long while.
As for Lindstrom he has found settling into Premier League life much more challenging and has only offered a fleeting threat and no goals yet.
Part of the problem is the continuing issues and uncertainty around Dominic Calvert-Lewin's future as he has not yet signed the new contract offered to him by the club.
He sat on it all summer long and there were constant rumours surrounding his future with Newcastle United appearing very likely to strike a deal for him at one time.
With the Toffees in desperate financial straits it did seem possible that the club would be forced to sell him and possibly also Jarrad Branthwaite as well.
That did not happen and so Calvert-Lewin is still an Everton player, at least for now anyway.
Then just a few weeks ago came news that Dan Friedkin's investment group had returned and struck a deal to purchase the club from Farhad Moshiri.
So, with that sale seemingly on the verge of being successfully completed - fingers crossed - there are now rumours that the American might well provide significant finances to strengthen the squad in January.
And the main focus of that potential spending will be on bringing in another striker to provide competition to Calvert-Lewin and the other forwards in the Blues side.
None of those players give much confidence they could step up and replace Calvert-Lewin, as even though he is not a prolific goalscorer, he is a key part of Sean Dyche's approach and the leader of the Everton attack.
Beto has made little impression while his fellow Portuguese centre-forward Yousef Chermiti is still young and very inexperienced.
Apart from those two there is Armando Broja who is on loan for the season from Chelsea. He is injured athough at the moment nd still has not played a minute for his new club.
Trying to sign another striker in January would seem a long shot and a risky strategy, but then losing Calvert-Lewin next summer for nothing would also be a very frustrating outcome.
Assuming Friedkin's group does succeed and gets the takeover done before the end of 2024, then we will see what happens in the New Year. Potentially exciting times ahead for Everton supporters.