As first impressions go, this was overwhelmingly positive.
Facing the assembled media on Monday afternoon as part of their official unveiling at Everton, Marco Silva and new director of football Marcel Brands gave the sort of slick, composed performance that hinted that bigger and better things could well follow for the Merseyside club.
At this stage, of course, there is a temptation to view everything said in official circles as platitudinous- and certainly, there was an element of that here. Both are, after all, well versed in communicating in this type of sanitised, PR-influenced media environment. But delve a little deeper into the whys and wherefores and what was most apparent was the way in which Brands and Silva very much seemed on the same wavelength when it comes to what needs to happen next at Everton.
Whereas little has as yet changed structurally within the Goodison Park setup, the shift in tone and ambition offered by the duo at least suggested that a page had been turned
This, no doubt, is easily the most important piece in the jigsaw for the L4 club. Whereas before, the Blues had poorly implemented the director of football model to the point where some supporters suggested scrapping it altogether - friction was said to have built up between Ronald Koeman and Steve Walsh over transfers in particular, creating confusion as to who had the final say on targets - there now appears a clear sense of accountability from those in situ, as well as a discernible plan moving forward.
“We start training again on July 2," said Brands. "We have three players in the World Cup. First we will look at our own squad and players who were out on loan. The squad is too big- that’s clear. It’s difficult to work with that many for a coach. We have to change that and then fill in our own targets that we need.
"We do it [player recruitment] together. It makes no sense if I try to get a player for Everton that the coach does not want."
So far, so good, then. After finding the 'modern, attack-minded' manager he desired to take Everton forward long-term, it is to be expected that there will be at least some overlap between the transfer targets suggested by Brands and those put forward by Silva.
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And so, from Monday, the pair will set about righting the wrongs of a season of disappointment on the pitch, with the main areas of focus centring on overhauling a mish-mash squad and reinstating the broken bond between team and supporters.
Crucially, what was acknowledged by both was the extent to which time is against them as they start reshaping the club from the bottom up.
"We have a shorter time of normal because the market closes earlier and then there is the World Cup too," Brands added. "It’s a busy time. When I started on Friday agents were calling all day about new players and other players.
“It’s important to sit with Marco and make our own plans and then step-by-step what has to be done. It will be difficult."
After several windows worth of ill-informed splurges, Everton now have one of the most expensive squads in Europe - even if, on paper, the reality is far different. Michael Keane's woes in adapting to a structureless environment post-Burnley, together with the slowing down of veterans Phil Jagielka and Ashley Williams, makes central defence an obvious priority area for the new Toffees duo.
The same can also be said of other core areas, such as central midfield and attack. Last season, Everton lacked players to retain possession, break through opposition pressing and create chances. Midfielders, with the exception of Gylfi Sigurdsson, struggled to find the net with any sort of regularity. All of this must be rectified during the summer window if the Blues are to progress beyond last season's mid-table finish.
It's a sizeable task that would no doubt prove daunting to certain managers and scouts up and down the country. But Brands, who has developed a reputation across Europe for savvy operating in the transfer market, was brought to Goodison for this very reason. Likewise, Silva, too, has tasted success in this area both at Watford and Hull.
Following an impressive first appearance, Everton fans will now hope the Dutchman comes good on his promise by showing exactly why he has been so highly-regarded across the continent. Maybe, just maybe, the Goodison hierarchy have finally stumbled upon the type of winning formula that sees everyone pulling in the same direction once again.
