Bring in the cavalry – who might arrive in January?

I wouldn't give him or Thelwell a penny. So, for me, we have to get someone in who can identify what we need. Besides a feckin miracle, two full-backs for a start!

These links / rumours / options won't change a great deal regardless of who the manager is.

If PSR / cash allows, the club will absolutely be working on deals in parallel to any managerial changes.

The same applies for Mid Field and Forwards, though with different, but basically the same reasons.

Dyche is/has been, in no way all of the problem(s) - but he is no part of any solution.

I always read your pieces as they are well researched.

Although Brown and Bah sound a little similar to two players we currently have in that area of the pitch. Although Dyche isn't playing one of them...

There seems to be a real dearth of forwards out there now. I am wondering if we should try getting Richarlison back on loan this transfer window. He's hardly getting much time at Spurs now is he?

IMHO, PSR is still a factor, so Thelwell would still need to work with a de-facto salary cap on top of his head and that means we need to sell before we can buy.

Without someone taking some (if not all) of Keane's £100k per week salary off our hands, for example, nothing substantial can happen.

Lamptey is a free agent at the end of the season so Brighton might want to cash in now rather than lose him for nothing. They'd certainly give us more dynamic play down both flanks.

Philogene rumours gathering pace, I don't know much about his work rate but he is a gifted and electric right winger, what is not to like? Young and British, big yes from me. If they get £18-20M for him they have made a solid profit in 6 months (they got him on the cheap for £13M as part of their buy back clause).

If Philogene can come in along with an electric RB (Wesley for me please! Though if Lamptey is available cheaply that might make more sense) and a replacement striker for the outgoing Beto or DCL, then we could look a completely different outfit, especially with Potter at the helm.

So Wesley, Philogene and Giminez/Ferguson for me and Potter. Outgoings Patterson and Douroure with either one of our strikers. Well I can dream right?

Just seen a bit of the Football Show on SKY where they placed Everton’s attacking strength compared to the rest of the league since last November.

Goals- Bottom
Goals from Open 'play- Bottom
XG- Bottom
Touches in the Opposition Box- Bottom
Shots on Goal-'Bottom
Another category that I can’t remember but which we were also Bottom.

Just in case you weren’t already on anti-depressants.

However, we are not worse than all of them (and the three promoted clubs) in the attacking stakes. That is what is truly depressing about those stats and this season.

We should be better but the play is worse now than it was with Gray up front as a makeshift striker when Dyche did the extraordinary job of keeping us up that first half season.

Though on the flip side Robert, if you were to consider defensive stats then it would be a different picture. If we can just improve those attacking stats at the same time to about 15th on average then we will be fine, but this cannot continue as is. Also heard Osman on Talksport saying that Doherty is our top scorer over the last 10 games, embarrassing stuff.

With or without Dyche, I would expect those attacking metrics to improve by a decent measure if we were to sign, say, Lamptey and Fellows for the right flank. Neither are brilliant but the supply of balls into the box would be much improved - creating better quality chances and more chances too.

Totally agree, I’ve just said similar on the Friedkin thread Robert about DCL.

1- Mitigating factors: Due to PSR we need to trade or use outgoings to make this happen. A potential new manager needs to make a decision on DCL. He may rate him like Ancelottii did or he may not. His situation is crucial in terms of PSR because his entire fee will be close to pure profit on the accounts. Say he is worth 15 million, that can free up to a maximum 75 million were the new signings put on 5 year contracts.

2-Player necessity: We are only likely to be able to sign 1-3 players maximum. Therefore if we are to attract a top manager he will insist on certain players kept and certain positions and players needed to improve the squad.It may reduce the field to firefighters, desperate managers or those that love the club without this power.

3- Player Identification:If Sean stays a player like Lamptey would be a big no no. Poor in a back four, can't defend, susceptible aerially in a set up designed to keep clean sheets and a terrible injury record to boot. He would be fourth choice right back. Conversely if Potter is appointed, better suited with three at the back, will have licence to showcase his talents both attack wise and energy to bomb up and down. He will then be first choice in competition with Patterson.

4-Squad assessment: You argue who wouldn't want better players? Who decides whether they are better players? Most Evertonians would drive Harrison back to Leeds because he's useless. Bielsa if appointed raves about the player. He was their most pivotal player in helping a collection of journeyman finish above Ancelottii's expensively assembled, star studded side. In doing so he outperformed James Rodriguez in terms of goals, assists, work rate and overall impact on their respective teams. Watching Harrison for us it is unimaginable that this is the same player.Doucoure was seen as unfit for a side deep in relegation under Lampard yet Pivotal under Dyche.

Thelwell can most certainly improve the squad in terms of making it better long term however the new manager will feel certain players are better than they are showing, some can be used better, some won't excel under him and some areas will be deemed short in quality. It will be the manager who will ultimately carry the can.

At present, we do not know when / if the managerial position will change before the window shuts. It may even be the Friedkins / TFG do not know - since their preferred options may be waiting on the West Ham job (or others options which include waiting until summer).

As for attracting a top manager in January - well that is extremely unlikely (unless you call Moyes, Potter, Terzic etc a top manager). In any case, Potter and Terzic in particular are used to being supplied with players, rather than running the show on recruitment.

Whatever the case, it seems fairly plain that we could use some reinforcements and we only have 3 weeks to sort this out. Discussions with agents and selling clubs will therefore have to be happening already (as they seem to be with the likely departure of Beto).

The pool of players available will be pretty limited - the out of favour, surplus to requirement or those needing to be sold to balance the books (being why so many Lyon players are linked). Some, like Gimenez at Feyenoord, might move in January if someone is prepared to pay handsomely. I guess we will not.

With time against us and the market so limited, we may well need to move for one of these players even if it's not an ideal signing for Dyche.

As you say, Dyche might want a different sort of RB than Lamptey in an ideal world. But in a cash strapped, beggars can't be choosers world - would Dyche reject Lamptey if that's all the club can find / afford? Seems very unlikely.

And if the Friedkins / TFG have in mind we'll be appointing a more progressive manager in summer (or after January in an emergency) then Lamptey would probably fit the bill.

As for the loan players, it is more likely than not there's no decision to be made. Other than youth development loans, you can't usually just send players back. Why would Leeds accept Harrison back, for example, given that he's on something like £80 or £90k per week - and possibly wouldn't even get in their first choice starting XI?