Blue watch: This Everton team can't be dismantled yet
HAVE we learned anything in the past week or so?
Well, we can certainly confirm that placing one set of supporters on the tier above the opposition is a recipe for all sorts of unpleasantness.
Thankfully it doesn't happen a great deal, but still, in the modern era, when fans are expected to hand over so much cash to attend games, clubs should do more to ensure that they are able to do so in safety and comfort.
So, little new was revealed about some clubs' indifference to the needs of visiting supporters, and there were no great revelations about Everton on the pitch either.
Against an off-colour Arsenal - a side that lost at home to Hull not so long ago - we looked relatively comfortable and occasionally enterprising in a decent first half, but once the Gunners equalised after the break, the whole match took on a distinctly familiar shape.
We very rarely look any good when away to Arsene Wenger's men though, so this performance was no worse than many we've seen from Everton sides playing with a lot of confidence, never mind one that's struggling as badly as the current lot.
David Moyes's post-match comments were intriguing though, as he alluded to some of his players being 'found out' this season.
Given that he singled Marouane Fellaini and Jack Rodwell out for praise, the manager was clearly talking about more experienced players - the ones who did so well for him last season - and it will be interesting to see if this Saturday's team selection gives any indication of who exactly those barbs were aimed at.
Moyes has already talked about dismantling this team if matters don't improve drastically, which, allied to his statement about how his contract delay was because he wanted assurances about always being the sole authority on footballing matters, has given rise to increased speculation regarding an impending takeover of the club.
Details have been thin on the ground though: we know that Keith Harris is looking for a new owner for the club, as well as half the Premier League it would seem, and that any prospective investors are almost certainly to be from overseas.
After that, it all seems quite mysterious, and the manager's rather enigmatic statements are only adding to the sense of uncertainty.
What we do know though, is that even if the ownership of the club changes hands in the next few weeks and the new people in charge are richer than God himself, no changes can be made to the squad until January.
If he's got the cash, Moyes can do all the dismantling he likes when the transfer window opens, but in the next couple of months he's going to need to get the best out of his current charges, whether they've been found out or not.
He really needs to go back to basics and get this present squad working for each other and playing the fast-paced, aggressive style that was once the hallmark of his teams.
Granted, it often irked the purists, but at least it was effective, and at the moment his team are neither entertaining nor efficient.
If there isn't a change soon, there is a real danger of Manchester United teaching us some very harsh lessons on Saturday.
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