Everton's recruitment has been awful for years, which is why they are in their current predicament.
However, in the context of a relegation battle, their signings this January were particularly strange. Players like Dele Ali and Van de Beek, who have spent months on the fringes of elite squads, hardly fit the profile required for a relegation scrap. Neither player is like to feel any investment in the club in the long term, as Ali will simply force a move away if Everton are relegated and Van de Beek will return to United.
By contrast, as odious as their new regime is, Newcastle made better choices by bringing in players like Chris Wood and Kieran Trippier.