A number of news outlets are claiming that The Friedkin Group have been forced to hold crisis talks over the future of manager Sean Dyche after the strong reaction to a second successive Premier League loss at Bournemouth on Saturday.
Joe Thomas in the Echo wrote this:
Results have been poor, the past two displays have been stale and both were followed by Dyche suggesting his players had not started as he wished them to. Off the pitch, he has not helped himself with claims such as those made to the Echo on Saturday, when he again suggested there was a false belief Everton would improve because “it is the last season in the Old Lady”.
Such comments represent a failure to identify with the hopes of loyal supporters who know more than any how tough recent times have been and are fully justified in wanting more from the final season at Goodison than watching the supporters of Brighton and Hove Albion, Bournemouth, Southampton and Brentford celebrate in the away end.
There is no escape from the reality that his side is struggling right now and it is unclear how he can change that, though he must if he and Everton are to have a chance of moving forward together. He chafes at the idea of bringing in outside coaching help.
Unlike at the start of the season, he cannot point to injuries. Unlike for the 23 of his near 24 months in charge, he cannot point to instability above him. This is a side lacking in ideas and inspiration and, should he be given the chance, he needs to change that and for his ideas to extend beyond those employed on the south coast.
No-one expected the introduction of Harrison Armstrong and Nathan Patterson but turning to a 17-year-old with huge promise but little experience to galvanise the attack from the middle and opting to use attack-minded Patterson to cover for 39-year-old Ashley Young moving to the wing had the hallmarks of a Hail Mary – even more so with Jack Harrison, low on confidence but high on experience and who has succeeded in both attacking midfield and on the right wing under Dyche – remaining in his tracksuit as an unused substitute.
Dyche inherited a mess and is not shy at pointing that out, as he did again after the final whistle at the Vitality Stadium. But he must acknowledge his own responsibility in the continued struggles going forward having been at the club as long as he has. It was not all bad when he arrived at Goodison Park, either. Jordan Pickford was present at Finch Farm and for all that Everton’s defensive record has been impressive across recent months, it has required England’s number one to sustain incredible form to protect it. Clean sheets against West Ham United, Brentford, Chelsea, Arsenal and Newcastle United were only possible because of his individual brilliance.
Dyche was immediately handed the initial backing of the Friedkins upon their arrival on Merseyside. There is little doubt the preference would be to keep him in post until the end of the season. That is a perfectly reasonable approach for many reasons.
Should the panic inspired by the current situation lead to a change then the Friedkins would have two options. They would either need a caretaker, a temporary firefighter to lead the team to safety, or fast-track the appointment of someone they want to oversee the Everton of the future. If it is the former then Dyche could argue there is none better for this situation than him. It might not be pretty but he has done it twice already and is well-versed in the circumstances of the club.
For all that Everton have the opportunity to change personality and culture in the summer, right now only the name above the door to Goodison and on the cheques written on behalf of the club have changed – everything else, as Dyche accurately said after Bournemouth – is the same, including his limited squad.
While the final season at Goodison may finish as it began, with displays and results that need to be tolerated rather than enjoyed, Dyche has a history of delivering ‘enough’ and even though his team has struggled to score over the past month, and been reliant on Pickford, it would be harsh in the extreme not to give Dyche credit for the resilience, solidity and fight that was on show before Everton faltered either side of the new year.
Yet his future is in doubt because, despite that, Everton still face immediate peril. That danger could shield him. If a caretaker is not deemed appropriate then the alternative is the installation of a manager the Friedkins identify as being the person they wish to lead the Everton project they want to begin in the summer, when the club has a new home, new financial freedom and an opportunity to transform the playing squad.
That challenge is a completely different one to the heat of an immediate relegation battle with the current squad though, and the danger would be that, if the manager for the future gets off to a bad start, the project could end before it has begun.