They might even be a good outside bet to win a cup competition but only the most optimistic of Toffees supporters would expect more.

It has been another frustrating summer for the Goodison Park faithful, watching their rivals spend and strengthen squads while seeing little incoming activity at their own club.

It is a familiar story, with several transfer windows having now passed with little more than free or cheap signings arriving.

Everton finished fifth in the Barclays Premier League in 2008 and 2009, eighth the following year and seventh last season.

It is a commendable level of consistency given the club's lack of funds and reflects well on manager David Moyes.

The Scot is well aware, however, that maintaining it could require his team to punch even harder above their weight.

"At the start of the season I was one of the people saying we could do better than seventh," Moyes said at the end of the last campaign.

"But I have had to reassess after seeing what is going to be spent and what has to be done."

Few could have expected Everton to finish above any of last season's better-financed top six, while several other clubs appear ready to make the next tier down competitive.

Chairman Bill Kenwright has long been seeking additional investment and the club have twice failed with attempts to relocate.

It seems that until anything of such nature happens off the field, Moyes will have to live with the restrictions imposed on him.

It has been said that Moyes - who will celebrate the 10th anniversary of his appointment in the coming season - is growing frustrated at the club's inability to compete for big-money players.

He has been linked with several other jobs - Aston Villa a recurring favourite of the press - but the man himself has never complained or even hinted at leaving.

He said: "As far as I know I am here and I am the manager - that is what I want to do.

"I want to have a club where I can give the supporters something.

"I want to be fresh and have a good, fresh challenge when we come back next summer. Let's hope that's the case."

For now it seems that the days of spending £15million on a player such as Marouane Fellaini are a thing of the past.

Yet even that deal in 2008 was financed by sales while Sylvain Distin, Diniyar Bilyaletdinov and John Heitinga only arrived two years ago because of Joleon Lescott's £22million sale.

Last summer's only notable additions were free transfer Jermaine Beckford and French youngster Magaye Gueye and in January only a nominal fee was paid for Apostolos Vellios.

This summer it has been even quieter and only the sale of a prized asset such as Phil Jagielka or Jack Rodwell could possibly change that - but Moyes is understandably reluctant to countenance any such thing.

But with a healthy core of senior players including Tim Howard, Phil Neville, Leighton Baines, Jagielka, Distin, Tim Cahill, Fellaini and Mikel Arteta, the Merseysiders should again be solid.

Neville, the team's inspirational captain, said: "The challenge for a club like Everton is to get as high up the league as possible, and that is for European football.

"It is a massive challenge for us - for us to finish in the top four would feel like winning a trophy.

"We have done it in the past - six or seven years ago - but with each year it is getting harder and harder.

"European football is the key, we want to be experiencing European football and for a club the size of us it is the least we all expect."

Everton finished last season strongly, losing just two of their final 12 games.

Were it not for a poor start, which saw them just three points above the relegation zone in February, those fifth places of the recent past might even have been replicated.

With much the same squad, they can hope for the same or better this time.

Yet with few options in a small squad to cover for loss of form or injury, the season could also go the other way.

The key factor will again be Moyes and his proven ability to instil belief and coax the best out of players.