With the curtains ending, on the 2023/2024 Premier League campaign, clubs will already be starting to plan for the 2024/2025 season. Already it is known that Liverpool will be replacing the departing Jurgen Klopp with Feyenoord’s Arne Slot. Should Everton retain the services of Sean Dyche?
There are questions over Erik ten Hag and whether he will still be in charge of Manchester United come August, West Ham have confirmed David Moyes will be leaving in the Summer and who knows who else will be looking to bring in a new manager with fresh ideas.
Everton’s Crucial Summer Ahead
Of course, the Summer is a time for all clubs to regroup, re-evaluate and plan ahead but for one club in particular, it could be the biggest summer they have had in many a year.
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Everton confirmed their safety from relegation following their win against Brentford in April. That was on the back of wins against relegation rivals Nottingham Forest and neighbours Liverpool. In their last match against Luton, Everton drew 1-1 and extended their unbeaten run to four games.
Kevin Thelwell’s Update and Challenges
On Friday, the 10th of May, Everton’s Director of Football, Kevin Thelwell provided the fans of the club with an update for the summer ahead. In the update, Kevin Thelwell discussed the points deduction, and the Premier League commission, players with contracts expiring such as Seamus Coleman and the restrains around the club that will be in place this Summer around the transfer market. Kevin Thelwell went on to say in his update:
“Whilst we want to ensure the team is as competitive as possible, we cannot lose sight of our central objective to protect the long-term stability of the club.
That does mean we will sell players, and we will also use every tool at our disposal to secure new additions to the squad, including utilizing the loan market. Both Sean and I understand the responsibility we have – and that is a responsibility which has to be our priority. That may not be exciting to hear but, under our current circumstances, it is the right thing for Everton.”
Ask any Evertonian and they will agree that this summer will be massive for the club. Their final season at Goodison will kick off in August and the club will want to ensure that their transition into Bramley Moore will not coincide with relegation from the top tier of English football, for the first time since 1951.
Kevin Thelwell has already expressed to Evertonians in his update, the difficulty the club faces, in the upcoming window and the likelihood of star players leaving but some Everton fans have questioned as of late, if Sean Dyche, is the right man to take Everton forward next season.
Sean Dyche’s Management and Everton’s Progress
Everton went 13 league games without a win this season and pressure mounted on the former Burnley manager. In their 13 games, the Toffees picked up draws against Aston Villa, Tottenham, Brighton and Newcastle, however, this wasn’t good enough for some fans.
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Understandable too. Everton managed to end the 13-game winless streak after a 1-0 win over Dyche’s former side, Burnley, but the joy didn’t last long. Only 9 days later, Chelsea thumped Everton 6-0 away. Sean Dyche described the defeat to Chelsea as one of the lowest moments in his managerial career.
However, despite the 13-winless run streak and the 6-0 hammering against Chelsea, Everton are safe. Had it not been for off-the-field matters, they would have been safe a long time ago. If you exclude the points deduction, Everton would be 13 points better off than they were at this stage in the 22/23 campaign and they would also be 9 points better off than they were at the same stage in the 21/22 campaign.
Dyche’s Tactical Approach
This season under Dyche, Everton has made clear progress, not only on the points front but also in improving their defensive game. Writing this before they take on the already relegated Sheffield United, Everton have conceded 49 goals in the League. Seven less than the 22/23 campaign and ten less than the 21/22 campaign. It isn’t a coincidence that this occurred during the first full season for Sean Dyche.
Sean Dyche has built a career on managing teams and setting them up to be difficult to break down.
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Of course, the style of football has limitations. Only thirty-eight goals have been scored by the side from L4 and that is the second lowest in the league, perhaps not too surprisingly, they have attempted the most long passes, 2904 to be exact, and they are in the bottom 6 for the most passes into the oppositions final third and have had the second lowest amount of possession this season. But, what should we expect from Everton?
Everton’s Identity and Historical Context
Some fans will recall the famous School Of Science side of the 60’s. Players such as The Golden Vision, Alex Young, the Holy Trinity of Colin Harvey, Howard Kendall and Alan Ball.
Another generation will speak about the greatest side in Everton’s history which of course was the 80’s side. Southall, Ratcliffe, Mountfield, Reid, Steven. Sheedy, Gray and Sharp to name but a few. Younger generations will point to the David Moyes era in the late 00’s and early 10’s which consisted of players like Pienaar, Arteta, Cahill, Baines, Yakubu, Johnson, Osman, and others. But that was then, and this is now. Everton have been a side flirting with relegation for the past 3 years.
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What Everton needed this season was stability and a manager who knew that results were the key to attractive football. Sean Dyche has achieved this. So, what does the hierarchy at the club do now? Stick with Dyche or take a gamble and try to appoint someone else that perhaps will bring a more attractive style of football but in doing so, create another transition period for the club.
Of course, all of this is hypothetical because is Everton really in a place financially to sack Sean Dyche? Probably not. But also, do they need to? Again, probably not. Only Arsenal, the league title contenders have kept more clean sheets than Everton this season. Liverpool, Man City and Arsenal have conceded fewer goals than Everton. Spurs have made more tackles in the opposition’s final third of the pitch.
Evaluating Everton’s Managerial Dilemma
On top of all that, there are aspects of this Everton side that fans can relate to. If you ask any Evertonian, of any age what you expect from an Everton side, you will find the answer ‘getting stuck in’ would be quite common. This Everton side is 3rd in the league for most tackles won, 2nd in the league for most tackles attempted, 3rd for the most fouls committed and 1st for most aerial duels won. All the above are the basics of what the Goodison crowd expects. Dyche has instilled this into them.
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There have been a few moments in this season where fans of a certain vintage can point to this current crop of players and make similarities to the Dogs of War side of the 90s under Joe Royle. There have been a few flashpoints where there have been handbags during or after the game, wins over Newcastle and Chelsea spring to mind and it isn’t one or two of the squad who decide to get involved. It’s almost all of the side.
This is something that has been missing from recent Everton sides. You could make an argument that since Moyes departed L4 in 2013, Everton has had sides full of talented individuals rather than a team. But now, when watching Everton, you do get a sense that they are all in on this project. They get the club.
Dyche’s Everton Legacy and Future
After claiming Manager of the Month for April, Dyche has silenced a few of the doubters. I had a chat with former Everton kit man Jimmy Martin around Christmas time, and I mentioned that for me, Dyche is the most Everton-type manager we have had, since Moyes.
Jimmy agreed and explained how all the backroom staff at Everton, are good people who genuinely want the best for Everton which is more than can be said for a few of Dyche’s predecessors. I have no doubt Sean Dyche will be the man that is in the dugout at Goodison come August taking Everton into their 122nd Top Flight campaign.
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