Everton's much-vaunted strategic review could be set for its biggest test yet.
Launched 12 months ago, as the club began an astonishing descent towards a relegation battle it only just overcame, it has been heralded as the answer to the question: How is this prevented from happening again? Its findings, collated over the following weeks, placed value on unity, strategic thinking and patience.
Everton enter 2023 in a similar fashion to the way the club began 2022 - on a poor run of results and with an important but financially challenging month ahead. But behind the scenes at Finch Farm, much has changed under the leadership of Frank Lampard and director of football Kevin Thelwell - two key appointments said to have been inspired by the review's findings. Much of the work linked to that project makes sense. However, it would feel largely superficial if this January end up as chaotic as the last. Everything, within reason, surely needs to be done to avoid that.
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