David Moyes has explained how Everton are going to have to find a different way to revive their fortunes after Tottenham Hotspur responded to back-to-back 17th place finishes in the Premier League by splashing out over £300million this summer, with more big money signings expected to be on the way for the north London outfit.
In contrast, the Blues have spent just approximately £62.5million so far in this window. Asked if it is more difficult given Spurs' spending spree, Moyes said: "I've spoken with the board and they've said we will hopefully get some more players.
"One of the questions was to say: 'Are you going to be competing for Europe?'
"I think Tottenham finished 17th and would they be competing for a European place? There's a lot of clubs who have done a lot of business which means it is big spending and making it harder for us to be competitive at that level.
"I hope that I can find other ways; experience, something else, desire from within. We did that last year, for most of last year we done that but just pulled up short in last furlong. It becomes difficult when you see other clubs spending as heavily as they do and to be expected to stay competitive with them."
Friedkin Group's message to Moyes
Gylfi Sigurdsson's £45million transfer from Swansea City remains Everton's record fee nine years on. In terms of whether there has been any indication from The Friedkin Group whether they would pay those kind of fees if the right type of player became available, Moyes said: "Even when I got the job, the Friedkins said it would take a bit of time. The one thing I always want to do with the Evertonians is tell them the truth and I want to speak absolutely openly about what we think.
"I don't think it's going to be a quick job. We're going to have to try and build.
"To be fair, in my other 11 years here, it took me a while over the first couple of years before we were getting up to it. Last year we were challenging for long periods, that's for sure.
"There was a period I think when we were nearly in the top four. It's not as though we haven't been challenging.
"Someone like Arsenal have gone two or three years challenging Manchester City before they've gone and won the league. It might take us two or three years challenging the teams who have been in Europe before we get to it.
"We have to build it. I don't think this club is going to be spending hundreds of millions to do it in a quick journey.
"I think what we're going to have to do is pick up players and hopefully sign ones at a price. Last year, I thought it was interesting that everyone was disappointed.
"We had 12 players out of contract the previous summer and we had to then find a team which in the end for 10 months was competitive, certainly in the Premier League, challenging, winning at Old Trafford and drawing with Manchester City at home. We did a really good job last year."
Experience in a season of new managers
There are a record nine new managers in the Premier League this season, so as the division's elder statesman who has picked up more points than anyone other than serial title winners Sir Alex Ferguson of Manchester United and Arsene Wenger of Arsenal, Moyes could make the most of his vast experience and knowledge of the club.
The 63-year-old said: "It could be important. There are so many great managers come to the Premier League.
"Some have done brilliantly, some have had to move on. There are some really interesting young ones and new ones coming onto the scene this year.
"There is Pierre Sage at Crystal Palace and Alvaro Arbeloa at Fulham, who has been a well-known player in his time as well. We know Gary O'Neil, but there's no doubt some of them will come to the fore and be very good.
"If the Premier League's history is anything to go by, there will also be some that go by the wayside as well.
"Last year wasn't disappointing. It was disappointing to me because we didn't get over the line but for the whole general thing, with us moving to the new stadium and having some amazing away wins, from that point of view, I liked the results, I liked the way we went.
"We just couldn't get over the line at the end. We brought in a loan player in the January, so we hadn't done any business that might have helped us a little bit, but we just couldn't quite make it."
Moyes wants more goals and control
Moyes, who first entered Premier League management when he arrived at Goodison Park in March 2002, explained what changes he would like to see from his side as he prepares to face rookie opposite number Sage of Crystal Palace as the Frenchman enters the division aged 47.
He said: "There are a lot of things which have come into football, and there's a lot of pragmatism. I watched a lot of the World Cup and I didn't see loads of new tactical elements which I haven't seen in the Premier League over the last year or two.
"I think what I'm desperate to try and get is more goals. We've not scored enough goals, so my biggest thing here is: how are we going to score more goals? How do I add more goals to the team?
"Everybody's talking about right-back. Great. Maybe we get a really good attacking right-back who creates more or might even score some. It gives me something else.
"But I'm more interested in how I'm going to get my wide players to score more goals. How am I going to get my forward players to score more goals? That's really where it comes from and where it's needed.
"If you ask me what I'm trying to do, I'd like us to control games a bit more. I thought at the start of last season, the form and the way we controlled games was much better. Jack (Grealish) was in the team and was an important member at the time. We'd just brought Kiernan in.
"We still had Gana (Gueye) and Jimmy (Garner) playing. We had a pretty experienced team.
"In the opening month or two of the season, they gave us real hope with the performances and the team we had. I thought we controlled games a little bit better in that period of the season than we did later on.
"So, a little bit more control if I can. But really, if you ask what I want more than anything, it's more goals."
