At the end of January 2023, former-Burnley head coach Sean Dyche returned to management when he took over at struggling Everton. The Toffees were in the relegation zone after a disastrous run of form under former Chelsea and England star Frank Lampard.
Dyche has made an encouraging start to life on Merseyside, and Evertonians hope he can save the Toffees from relegation. Of course, the issues at Everton right now are about more than just the manager but it is at least hoped Dyche can bring some stability on the pitch allowing issues off the pitch to be addressed.
Sean Dyche plays to his player’s strengths
Dyche is a man that comes with lots of pre-judgements from his days as Burnley’s boss. During his days at Turf Moor, he developed a reputation for the type of football his team played, which was direct and physical football.
However, during his absence from the game, Dyche stated quite rightly that he plays to the strengths of his players. In terms of quality, the Clarets were not in a financial position to bring in players of great quality.
That meant that Dyche had to play basic football, where his team were direct and played the game simply. The result was that Burnley managed to retain their Premier League status for longer than their squad would have suggested on paper.
Arguably, Dyche has, in his early time at Everton, been using similar tactics, albeit with far more expensive players on Merseyside.
Not what people expect
Sean Dyche’s gruff exterior suggests he is a caveman manager from the old school. When in reality, he is a modern head coach who is an excellent man manager who knows when to delegate to his loyal staff. He works closely with his assistant Ian Woan, coach Steve Stone and Mark Howard, who will work in the sports science department.
His interviews and numerous appearances in the media of late show that Dyche is flexible and will listen to his staff’s ideas rather than make all the decisions on his own.
The fact that he often makes his pre- and post-match press conferences humorous rather than the usual grind shows Dyche’s personality. This personality will be needed at Everton, which is not an easy club to manage.
The former Burnley boss is highly experienced and has likely encountered most scenarios that can happen to a football club. He strikes a nice balance if his team wins, loses or draws their games. He remains calm when it comes to emotions, which is another quality that is vital at a passionate club like Everton.
Former head coach Frank Lampard was a popular figure for much of his reign at the club. However, at times his emotions may have got the best of him when winning or losing.
Everton poor squad of players with gaping holes
Some have said that keeping Everton in the Premier League will be Sean Dyche’s biggest achievement. On paper, the Toffees seem to have a decent squad. However, it’s a different story when they get on the pitch.
The squad is a hotchpotch of players brought together by five different head coaches and three different directors of football. All eight men had a vision for what they thought the Everton squad should look like.
Unfortunately, the different visions and blurred thinking in recruitment have led to successive relegation battles.
Some Everton players are not good enough for the Premier League, while some are just desperately unlucky with injuries. Colombian centre-back Yerry Mina is arguably the team’s best defender when fit. The problem is that his body will not allow him to play regularly, and he breaks downs regularly.
The biggest problem for Everton is the injury record of star striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin. The England forward has been desperately unlucky with injury problems. When he is in the team, the Toffees possess a potent attacking threat, and he is the sort of striker that works brilliantly in Dyche’s system.
Calvert-Lewin’s absence would not be a problem if the Toffees had a viable replacement. However, without the former Sheffield United striker, Dyche is left with inexperienced youngster Ellis Simms and French striker Neal Maupay.
Simms has a good frame and pace and is closer to Calvert-Lewin in style than the diminutive Maupay. The problem is that there are doubts over whether Simms is ready for Premier League football.
The fact that Everton failed to sign a striker in the January transfer window knowing of Calvert-Lewin’s injury record smacks of incompetence from a recruitment angle.
Everton better chance of beating the drop with Dyche
Sean Dyche is a highly experienced head coach and is sometimes underrated by some. Everton looks to be in safe hands with the former Burnley boss, and he has the managerial acumen to be successful at the Merseyside club.
Most, with any knowledge of the game, would admit that Dyche is a better option to keep Everton in the English top flight than his predecessor, which is a massive positive for the Toffees.
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