Everton will return from their US tour with a lot to mull over before the beginning of the season.
Defeats over the summer aren't meant to be gone over with a fine-tooth comb for the most part, but it's hard to look beyond the dismal display the Blues put in against Minnesota United on Wednesday night, shortly before the players boarded their flight back to Merseyside. At the end of what had been an enlightening, positive and upbeat trip to North America in general, the performance left a real sour taste.
Frank Lampard's comments afterwards proved just how unhappy he was, in an interview which almost mirrored his disappointment following an FA Cup exit to Crystal Palace by the same 4-0 scoreline earlier this year. Just as pre-season training might have felt like taking his side one step forward, displays like that feel like they've gone a few paces backward.
READ MORE: Frank Lampard is right about Everton transfers as fears over Farhad Moshiri pledge linger
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And now the focus turns to the weekend. Everton take on Blackpool in their next pre-season fixture on Sunday, but that might not be what takes a lot of the limelight.
The 27 Campaign, before kick-off against Minnesota, announced their plans for a new protest against the running of the club outside Goodison Park on Saturday. The aims that they set out were clear.
A statement from the group read: "The campaign continues to ask Farhad Moshiri to Engage, Listen and Act. It is important to understand why the Campaign focuses on Farhad Moshiri.
"As 94% shareholder he is the person responsible for appointing the chairman and board of Everton FC. The 27 Campaign believe that the current leadership of Everton including the chairman, board and executive, fall well below the requirements of a modern football club, in terms of skills, commercial experience, governance and ambition.
"This conclusion is evidenced by the complete mismanagement of footballing operations (only now being addressed through Kevin Thelwell, Frank Lampard and his team), the financial performance of the club (leading to record losses and significant restrictions on current and future transfer activities) and concerns over the future ownership and funding of the club including Bramley-Moore stadium.
"More timely, with only two weeks to the start of the season, the club finds itself struggling in the transfer market, having sold its key playing asset in Richarlison and no indications of the squad strengthening desperately needed by the manager and fans. Recent responses issued by the club on behalf of Farhad Moshiri have failed to allay concerns.
"They do not represent engagement and show no evidence of him listening to the concerns of many fans. The protest on Saturday is timed to provide a reminder to Farhad Moshiri of many fans' concerns."
After the fanbase banded together in the face of adversity at the end of last season, it was always going to be intriguing to see how much momentum from that could have been carried into the summer. At the current stage, especially after Wednesday's worrying loss, it seems that positivity has ground to a halt in a lot of areas.
The Everton squad is quite clearly weaker at this stage of the transfer window than it entered the summer, with the sale of Richarlison being the key factor in that despite the strong arrival of James Tarkowski. With the days counting down until the beginning of the season, time is running out to bring anyone else in before that match against Chelsea.
Moshiri asked to be judged at the end of the transfer window in his most recent statement to supporters, which strikes as a fair assessment. However, many are pointing to the fact that there are 15 Premier League points to play for until that happens - and rightly the concern is that they could be crucial.
It's not the time for panicked moves in the market to get faces in quickly, whatever the cost. But, it is the time to reflect on the gravity of the situation facing the Blues.
Lampard was right in what he said following the Minnesota defeat. Everton were down in a relegation scrap last season for so long - and that was for a reason. There aren't excuses for performances such as the one witnessed in the States, not even in pre-season.
There is a "void" in areas of the squad, as the manager described it - and hard work in the transfer market is the only way that's going to be filled over the coming weeks. This hasn't been an easy window for the Blues to work in, especially with manager Lampard and director of football Thelwell being relatively new to their positions and working with huge financial constraints. But again it can't detract from the issues this section of fans are feeling.
This position is of Everton's own making. They wasted a lot of money and made a lot of mistakes in recent years, and the consequences of that are coming home to roost.
The 27 Campaign went on to make clear that they believe supporting the team is at their core, but that doesn't mean they can't demand better from the club as a whole. They called on any fans in attendance to protest in a respectful manner, and again made their points to the owner clear.
Their statement continued: "The Campaign calls on as many Evertonians as possible to demonstrate their concern over the running of the football club under Farhad Moshiri and his board. We ask that it is a protest that demonstrates the best of all Evertonians, passionate objections to the manner in which the club is led whilst providing full hearted, fanatical support for the manager and our players.
"The team will need our support throughout another potentially testing season, the club requires the support of all Evertonians in getting Farhad Moshiri to Engage, Listen and Act. The Act ultimately is either replacing the board and executive team (including chairman) or allowing new owners to purchase the club and provide the leadership and direction so desperately needed."
The season might not have gotten underway yet, but the views of however many supporters protest on Saturday cannot be ignored. There's a distinct trepidation heading into next season, that much is for certain.
The energy of survival couldn't last forever, and the reality of a shocking 2021/22 campaign was always going to out-last. Now the question remains over what will be able to set Everton on the right path once again.
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