Sean Dyche today launched an impassioned defense of his tenure at Everton and suggested the club is in a better place than when he arrived.
The Toffees are on a four game winless run in which they have scored just once and lost 2-0 at home to Nottingham Forest on Sunday.
Dyche has been criticized by fans for his lackluster style of play, but the 53-year-old pointed out that he has had to deal with several off-field issues since being appointed two years ago.
One of them was the long period of uncertainty while Farhad Moshiri tried to sell the club. The Friedkin Group completed the buyout just before Christmas, prompting speculation that Dyche could be axed.
Dyche is talking to himself
However, the former Burnley boss believes his achievements at Goodison Park should be highlighted.
Speaking ahead of Saturday’s trip to Bournemouth, he said: “I think a lot of players here have improved. My work here is endless, but no one cares – they are just bothered by ‘go and win a teammate’. I’ve been saying it all along. We’ve saved hundreds of millions of pounds, wages, skinned the squad, everything else – it’s not relevant – it’s ‘just go and win the game.’
“I know what kind of work we did here. I know the financial work we have done. I know the work we’ve done with the players – the players here are worth 10 times what they were worth when we arrived, so there’s development. The only thing the development fans, the media and everyone, including me to some extent, care about is winning games.
“Some managers have the luxury of leaving, ‘your job is to concentrate only on the team and that’s it because everything else is in place’. Obviously it wasn’t here and still isn’t. There are miles to go, endless work here.
“It depends on how you measure. If you only measure it by winning games, we have to be better, I have to be better. If you measure that on the whole job, I’m pretty happy.”
January is a difficult month for business
Dyche played down the notion that the arrival of new owners automatically means Everton will be active in the January transfer window.
“I’ve been doing this for a long time and it’s notorious that January is a very difficult month because you never know,” he added.
“I’m not saying no, but it’s very difficult. Forgetting the numbers, usually if big deals are made, they’ve often paid a lot of money to get those big deals done.”
Striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin has been linked with a move to Atalanta, but Dyche says the Serie A leaders have not been in contact.
“No, no one contacted,” he said. “There will certainly be rumours, that’s the nature of it.
“I think we would have considered it if it had happened, but as there was no contact there is no need to discuss it.”
Quartet still absent
Everton go into Bournemouth in 16th place in the Premier League, two points ahead of Ipswich, who are in the last relegation spot.
They will still be without Tim Iroegbunam, James Garner, Dwight McNeil and Seamus Coleman at the Vitality Stadium.
▶️ Fitness update from Sean Dyche ahead of this weekend’s trip to Bournemouth. pic.twitter.com/8zUchLXuGh
— Everton (@Everton) January 2, 2025
“Tim Iroegbunam and James Garner are back on grass but the sports science side is not ready for us yet,” said Dyche. “There is still a little time for them, but they are making progress.
“I doubt Dwight McNeil will be fit for the weekend, that’s being dealt with, but it’s proving to be a bit more difficult than we thought to get him to the final point where he can rejoin.
“Seamus is not ready. Nothing too serious, but he’s not ready for this.”
