Everton may have their messiah if Frank Lampard fires up Donny van de Beek and Dele Alli

Having now taken on Ashley Cole, who has quickly built a reputation as a promising coach, it will be fascinating to see how Frank Lampard, with his own major point to prove, fares at Everton.

And it will be fascinating to see what he can do with Manchester United’s Donny van de Beek and Dele Alli, the latter of whom will, at least, belong to him.

Between these two latest signings, there is talent, obviously.

But when Farhad Moshiri took Everton over in 2016, the grand ambition was to challenge the rule of the so-called Big Six.

Yet, as they have done so often, Everton are recruiting players who have recently established themselves as not good enough to get into so-called Big Six teams.

The masterplan was to challenge the likes of Manchester United … now, with that masterplan in shreds, they are reduced to begging for and borrowing United’s unwanted scraps.

Lampard might get the best out of Van de Beek and the best out of Alli, but their recruitment is a reflection of the failings of the Moshiri regime.

It has been a frequently bizarre transfer template, taking, often at great cost, operators surplus to requirement at clubs who Everton aspire to be back amongst.

That template was set when Moshiri sanctioned the £20million signing of Morgan Schneiderlin, who had endured a dismal 18 months at Old Trafford.

And from that moment, Big Six cast-offs have found nice little earners at Goodison Park.

Think £20million Theo Walcott or £27million Alex Iwobi. Wayne Rooney was free and a good story but he was still considered past his best by United, while ten million pounds and just as much in wages makes the Fabian Delph acquisition prominent in a highly competitive field of poor signings.

To an extent, a transfer policy can only