AFTER a summer of frustration off the field at Goodison Park culminating with the anger over the taping of chairman Bill Kenwright’s conversation with fan group Blue Union, the hope was that Everton could belatedly let their football do the talking against QPR on Saturday.

Unfortunately, rather than ease Evertonians’ concerns, a home defeat against a newly-promoted side who had been pounded 4-0 on their own turf against Bolton on the opening day just threw up more worrying questions than any answers supporters would have been looking for.

Sluggish starts at the beginning of the campaign have become alarmingly more common place at Goodison in recent years than big money arrivals.

This was Everton’s seventh opening day defeat in 10 seasons under David Moyes and the fourth in a row since the 2008/09 season kicked-off.

It’s not like they can blame it on having a raft of new signings needing time to bed in.

After the game, the Scot pointed out that while his teams have often been slow starters, they tend to finish well and overall positions remain consistent in the top half of the Premier League table.

However, the long-serving manager, who has not spent a transfer fee on a senior first team player since John Heitinga’s arrival on September 1 2009 with the last of the cash from Joleon Lescott’s departure is acutely aware of the continuing deficiencies within his side which he clearly spelled out.

Anyone seeing Everton play for the first time on Saturday could have told you that they are desperately in need of a cutting edge in the final third. For observers who have witnessed this for many months now, the joke has worn very thin and stopped being funny a long time ago.