Confirmation that Duncan Ferguson will be leading Everton's training sessions, at least for the short term, didn't come as a surprise to many.
The assistant manager had been a man on the touchline for the now-sacked Rafa Benitez, but intriguingly seemed to play much less of an active role in-game at least than he did under Carlo Ancelotti.
While he might have prowled the technical area alongside the Italian, it was noticeable that the former striker was this time sat on the bench for the majority of Blues games.
Now, however, he could find himself in a similar position to December 2019.
With the club in turmoil both on and off the pitch, the side is desperate for any sort of result In their next game against Aston Villa to try and turn the momentum of negativity at least slightly.
Ferguson is overseeing training on a temporary has done this before, but he might have to do things a bit differently this time around if he wants to achieve the same results.
Here are the coach's four initial tasks in training this week to help turn Everton around.
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Change the formation
This is something Evertonians have been calling out for.
It must be said that, against Norwich, Benitez did switch his system around from the much-maligned five-man defence which had been a cause of a lot of issues for the side.
However, the 4-4-2 the manager settled on still left them with similar problems - namely being overrun in midfield with only two players in that area of the pitch.
That formation has worked for Everton in the past. It's worked for particularly Ferguson in the past as well.
However, it should have become clear over recent weeks that working with a three-man midfield is the way to get the best out of this current crop of players.
The Blues' best performances in recent weeks have been when they have changed their system mid-game to something of a 4-3-3 style.
It might mean some tough decisions have to be made over which forwards are selected, but if it's for the benefit of the rest of the side then it has to be done.
It might not be Ferguson's first instinct to use this style, and perhaps playing Richarlison alongside Dominic Calvert-Lewin in a 4-4-2 would provide some level of numbers in the middle if the Brazilian were to regularly drop back.
But many fans have been calling for a three-man midfield for some time.
Set piece work
This seems like something of a given.
Everton have found themselves defensively culpable in many areas this season, but set pieces has regularly been the most frustrating of those.
It took Hull City less than a minute to expose their weakness in this area. A week previously, Brighton had done the same thing when Dan Burn scored at the back post, with the closest player to him being his teammate Neal Maupay.
Whether it's something to do with confidence or with players not understanding their setup for corners and deep free kicks, something just has not been going right.
Ancelotti eventually solved this issue on a temporary basis at least by playing a deeper line than most would imagine for set pieces just outside the box, combining man-to-man marking with some zonal in ways that the players certainly seemed to pick up easily.
Perhaps a return to that system would yield some form of results.
In his last few weeks as manager, Benitez was adamant that his side were working on their problems with set pieces - although sides were still finding a way through.
That leaves Ferguson clearly needing to change something at Finch Farm to get the message through.
Motivation
In the backdrop of what has been major disappointment with the managerial situation and the way the club is being run higher up, those on the pitch have perhaps slipped under the radar somewhat.
The systems they have been asked to play have been wrong and there have been key injuries to a number of members of the squad, that much has to be said.
But, this group of players should be performing this badly on the pitch.
They need some sort of motivation, and injection of new energy and desire. They need to show aggression, commitment and purpose whenever they take to the pitch in their crucial upcoming matches.
That's where Ferguson should realistically shine.
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He not only manages to connect with the Everton fanbase in a way many others in his position wouldn't be able to, but he certainly got a tune out of his players last time he was in temporary charge of the side.
That match against Chelsea was good enough, but to take a point away to Manchester United with the injury issues the Blues had at the time was also hugely commendable.
As things stand Ferguson is just in charge of training for the time-being, with nothing being said about who will be in charge against Aston Villa as things stand.
But a few days at Finch Farm could be all the coach needs to get his message cross once more.
Keep youth involved
With no decision being made over who is taking charge of the Aston Villa match yet, all Ferguson can do is continue one good aspect of Benitez's training sessions.
The previous manager regularly involved exciting members of the youth squad in senior training, and that should still be the case over the coming days.
Lewis Dobbin, who is still in the midst of contract talks, will be desperate to get another opportunity once more after his fleeting cameos in recent weeks.
Tyler Onyango has been regularly seen at Finch Farm with the senior side too, as have the likes of Ryan Astley and Reece Welch in a defensive capacity.
Jarrad Branthwaite and Ellis Simms are now considered senior players in their own right, and perhaps making their involvement more prevalent could be useful in the future.
Who knows, their chance could be just around the corner.
