Carlo Ancelotti's tenure started so well that Everton had their eyes on European football, but July, supporters were thankful see the back of a turbulent 2019/20.
The Blues had slipped to 12th, shipping three goals in a final-day defeat to a doomed Bournemouth.
It was clearer than ever that change needed to extend from the personnel in the dugout to those on the pitch.
And, a dazzling triple-swoop later, optimism has promptly returned.
Could 2020/21 be the season that Everton finally take up their rightful place among the 'best of the rest'?
Recapping pre-season
The Toffees' preparations for the new campaign got off to an inauspicious start as they fell three goals behind away to League One Blackpool on 22 August.
But a Gylfi Sigurdsson double and a goal from Dominic Calvert-Lewin salvaged a draw and respectability.
Their next outing - at home to second-tier Preston North End last Saturday - proved much more straightforward.
Calvert Lewin was on target once again, while the returning Jonjoe Kenny netted his first goal for the senior team, albeit unofficially.
The victory was somewhat tarnished though by an injury to Mason Holgate, looking to build on his breakthrough 2019/20 campaign. The length of the centre-half's absence remains to be seen.
Transfer business
Over the course of a few days, Everton overhauled their midfield with three high-calibre additions, signalling the club's ambition.
First there was Allan, a defensive midfielder with plenty of Champions League action under his belt and experience of working under Ancelotti at Napoli.
It is hoped that Allan, who cost £21million, will fill the void left by the departure of Idrissa Gueye 12 months ago.
Then came a blockbuster piece of business as James Rodriguez swapped the Santiago Bernabeu for Goodison Park.
James was made available after struggling to establish himself as a consistent starter at Real, or indeed on loan at Bayern Munich.
But there is no doubting the quality of the 29-year-old, who has sustained an impressive rate of goal contributions when he has featured.
The trio is completed by Abdoulaye Doucoure, who may not arrive from relegated Watford with the glamour of James but has long been sought-after.
The deal for box-to-box dynamo Doucoure took the Toffees' spending past the £50million mark.
They are not necessarily done there, with a temporary move for promising Chelsea centre-back Fikayo Tomori possible before the October deadline.
On the other hand, only £2million has been generated from outgoings. That came from the departure of the out-of-favour Morgan Schneiderlin, who returned to his homeland with Nice.
Maarten Stekelenburg followed suit, joining Ajax in his native Netherlands on a free transfer.
And Kieran Dowell has left on loan for the fifth time in three years, this time joining Norwich City.
Who is Everton's key player?
A World Cup Golden Boot winner may have landed on Merseyside, but for now, the star man remains Richarlison.
Everton's joint-top scorer for the past two seasons, the 23-year-old just keeps getting better.
With additional opportunities furnished by James and a marauding Doucoure, his team-mate at Watford, Richarlison can push his goal tally toward the 20-mark alongside his improving partner Dominic Calvert-Lewin.
He will be a man possessed as he bids to lead Everton's charge for Europe. Barcelona have already come knocking. And the Blues may have to swat away the advances of further suitors come season's end.
A breakthrough talent
The standout is Anthony Gordon. Some would say he's already broken through, having featured in some capacity in every game following the Premier League's restart.
But only three of those appearances lasted more than 45 minutes, and far more trust will be placed in the 19-year-old this year.
Many of his rivals in the pecking order - Theo Walcott, Alex Iwobi, Gylfi Sigurdsson - have come to epitomise the club's prevailing mediocrity in the eyes of many supporters.
The bright teenager's versatility - he can line-up on either flank or as an attacking midfielder - is vital to his 2020/21 prospects as Ancelotti potentially moves away from his 4-4-2 system.
This season should see Gordon complete his transition from highly-rated prospect to established first-team regular.
Key dates
Sunday, 13 September - Matchday One | Spurs vs Everton
Wednesday, 16 September - Carabao Cup campaign begins
Saturday, 17 October - Matchday Five | Everton vs Liverpool
Saturday, 9 January - FA Cup campaign begins
Saturday, 20 February - Matchday 25 | Liverpool vs Everton
Sunday, 23 May - Matchday 38 | Manchester City vs Everton
Writer's verdict
Everton fans can be reasonably confident. Allan and Doucoure are excellent additions, while James has both the highest ceiling and the lowest basement. Loaning in Tomori would complete an excellent window.
With two young frontmen growing in stature, Everton are a dangerous side who will definitely claim some scalps this season.
The main concern is at the opposite end of the pitch. Lucas Digne and Seamus Coleman are dependable full-backs, and Michael Keane has struck up a decent, albeit not watertight, partnership with Holgate. But how many goals is Jordan Pickford going to inexplicably cost them? I suspect Ancelotti will regret not making a new no.1 a priority in light of Pickford's catalogue of errors.
Still, a world-class manager has otherwise had time to leave his imprint on the squad. A top-half finish should be the minimum expectation for Everton, who really ought to harbour aspirations of challenging Wolves and Leicester.