Many English Premier League (EPL) pundits have been saying for several months that Sean Dyche would be a good fit for Everton. Since Dyche’s departure from his former club, Burnley, the Englishman has been touted as a credible candidate for the Everton hot seat. The departure of Frank Lampard last month was the ideal opportunity for under-fire owner, Farhad Moshiri, to take the plunge.
Dyche assumed control of the Goodison Park club when the Toffees had just registered just 15 points from the first 20 EPL games. It was a run of form that reeked of relegation fodder. Amazingly, Dyche was able to rouse his new squad to astonishing heights within the first 90 minutes of his managership. A hard-fought 1-0 win over EPL leaders Arsenal sent the Goodison Park faithful home happy for a change. They displayed the kind of grit and determination that kept Dyche and his former club Burnley in the top-flight for six seasons.
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Dyche is a strong-willed, principled manager. A manager that won’t suffer fools gladly, nor will he accept anything less than 100 percent effort on the field. The latter is one of the prerequisites asked of the Everton squad by Toffees supporters. In many ways, there are similarities between Dyche and Everton’s most successful manager in the modern era, David Moyes.
Dyche is a stickler for a 4-4-2 formation. This bore fruit at Burnley, even taking the Clarets into the Europa League. With limited firepower in the Everton squad at present, it could yet be the best option for the Toffees in their survival bid. Dyche’s 4-4-2 system is not as rigid as other iterations of a 4-4-2. The second striker can be utilised as a deep-lying forward, making it a 4-3-3 on occasion.
What’s great about Dyche is that he simplifies the game. Players know their roles and the importance of working hard without the ball, both in terms of pressing from the front and keeping their shape at the back. Against Arsenal, Everton were incredibly compact, making it almost impossible for the Gunners to penetrate.
It’s true that Everton’s playing squad is now weaker than it was at the start of the January transfer window. Losing homegrown starlet Anthony Gordon to big-spending Newcastle was a major blow. Failure to replace Gordon and strengthen other areas was an even bigger one. Dyche has a £3.5 million survival bonus awaiting him. Avoiding relegation by hook or by crook is a brief that will suit Dyche – and Everton – down to the ground, at least for this season.