Work has already begun at Goodison on ensuring Everton don’t find themselves mired in another relegation battle after an embarrassing - and costly - campaign stuck at the bottom of the Premier League.
The Toffees' lowly 16th-placed finish lost them millions in unearned prize money and also reduced TV appearances, and missing out on Europe - which was the aim before the start of the season - also leaves a hole in the coffers, with the club basing projections on that prospect. Owner Farhad Moshiri responded even before the end of the season by appointing a new director of football in Kevin Thelwell, and one of the first tasks for the former Wolves man is to help Frank Lampard fill roles at the club in the recruitment and medical departments which were left vacant because of changes by former boss Rafa Benitez.
But Thelwell must also try to strengthen Frank Lampard’s squad, without having the huge sums of money which surely look necessary to improve a team which has struggled over the past few years. Lampard has indicated he will swiftly get down to business in an attempt to reshape his team before the start of the new campaign, and will also ask for the war chest to bring in new faces... even if much of that comes from outgoing sales.
