After what was generally a quiet summer for a long period of time at Everton, things have really kicked into gear across recent weeks.
Frank Lampard and Kevin Thelwell have been hard at work over the course of the transfer window and they are finally starting to reap the rewards from that. Multiple positions across the squad have already been strengthened, and there is the understanding and expectation that there are still more to achieve before the end of the month.
In particular you would expect that the Blues' pursuit of a new forward will ramp up after their defeat to Chelsea on Saturday. They looked toothless at the top end of the pitch in what was a generally solid performance at Goodison Park, but it's unlikely the return of Salomon Rondon from suspension will do much to quell fears across the fanbase.
READ MORE: Frank Lampard explains how Everton tactics will develop after new signings
READ MORE: 'I had to put my phone down' - James Tarkowski left stunned by what Everton fans did
Away from that pursuit in the future, there are some moves which look on the verge of completion. Perhaps Everton could even have three new players in their squad by the time they next take to the field against Aston Villa at the weekend.
Amadou Onana was at Goodison Park on Saturday and seems close to having his transfer formally announced at the time of writing, while swoops for Idrissa Gueye and Conor Coady also look to be edging nearer. Not only will those new faces add needed quality-in-depth to the squad, but they will also address an attribute Lampard has been desperate to implement at Goodison Park.
Speaking about the potential of a 4-3-3 to Sky Sports recently, the manager remarked: "I like flexibility in my system. I feel it can be a strength but with my time here so far, in pre-season and in the run-in last season, it's been more about what the best system is for us with the players that we have.
"When you're building the squad and you're trying to improve it, I'm trying to bring in players with a view to being flexible. The idea has to stay the same, however. It has to be an Everton team for me that's aggressive and has a big energy to it.
"That's important whether you play a four or three at the back. It's what I'll demand anyway. I want a team that can be playing more through the lines than we did at the back end of last season when we had to be very simple in how we played because of where the squad was at and the players we had available."
The potential arrival of Coady is particularly interesting in this sense. The centre-back is regarded as something of a specialist in systems that use a back-three, which Everton began the campaign using against Chelsea and utilised throughout the summer too.
With injuries to Ben Godfrey and Yerry Mina over the weekend, the Blues' pursuit of a new central defender perhaps becomes more apparent. It seems likely they will use a five-defender system in more matches this season, even if they do pivot to a formation Lampard generally prefers for the rest of their games.
As the manager mentioned over the summer, he would love to play with a three-man midfield. However, at the time, he didn't have the personnel to do so.
You'd certainly believe that the upcoming additions in that area of the pitch would change that. Whether an out-and-out No.6 had been brought to the club or not is up for debate, as even Lampard believes Onana could be better as a No.8, but finally there would be players capable and confident enough of being able to accept possession in tight areas and progress the side up the pitch.
And it's the flexibility to be able to switch between these two differing systems which really lies at the heart of what the manager wants to create this season. The Blues aren't in a position to have a one-size-fits-all approach to how they address each match, as they're at the start of a new regime.
Realistically, Everton don't have the quality and experience in a brand of play to impose themselves on every other team in the league with a consistent style. Their underlying attributes of dedication, hard work and strong pressing can always be there - but the actual passing system and tactical output will often have to be modified in order to find a weakness in each opponent.
Too often in the past, the side has been quite restricted in the system it can play. Certain players have been bought with the potential to fill one specific role in one specific formation, with there being little contingency further down the line if anything were to go awry in that style of play.
These are potentially the signs of the Blues learning from that mistake, though. Lampard and Kevin Thelwell have been hard at work to improve this squad not just in one individual system, but also being able to deal multiple situations over the course of the campaign.
The hope, of course, is that continues in more positions before the month comes to an end - not least up front. Everton might be limited financially by just how much they can do, but already this transfer window is seemingly turning into a real positive.
READ NEXT:
Frank Lampard explains how Everton tactics will develop after new signings
Micah Richards sends Idrissa Gueye message to Frank Lampard over Everton return
Everton close to Conor Coady deal as talks ongoing for more transfers
What Amadou Onana did on his first day at Everton as new banner spotted
Duncan Ferguson sends message to Frank Lampard after Everton loss to Chelsea
