Sean Dyche’s penchant for taking a pragmatic approach to management has left Everton’s sizeable overseas fanbase high and dry this summer.
The Toffees started pre-season with a training camp and friendly match in the Republic of Ireland, before returning to England to continue their preparations.
Defeats at Salford City and Coventry City left fans questioning Dyche’s wisdom, but their worries were eased with an emphatic victory at Preston North End,
Everton rounded things off with a draw against Roma at Goodison Park, giving local fans the opportunity to see the team in action before the season gets underway.
However, Everton supporters in international markets have been denied the opportunity to get up close and personal with the squad this summer.
The decision not to head overseas left fans frustrated in several key markets including North America, where Everton have a significant network of fans.
Canada boasts several official supporters’ clubs in Toronto, Vancouver and Montreal, but they were unable to watch the team in the flesh during pre-season.
This resulted in many of them turning to alternative activities such as playing slot games and they may decide this is a more viable way to spend their entertainment budget in the future.
There have been suggestions in some quarters that Everton’s financial issues and ongoing uncertainty over the club’s ownership have prevented the squad from travelling overseas.
While there may be an element of truth to this, Dyche’s desire to limit travel time during pre-season undoubtedly also played a major role.
Although his approach may ultimately pay dividends, it also runs the risk of negatively impacting the work the club has done to grow its footprint in overseas markets.
While Dyche may prefer to take an insular approach to pre-season, this policy flies in the face of the global nature of the Premier League.
International broadcast revenue has become increasingly important to English top flight clubs and they have a responsibility to give something back to the fans they have garnered.
Clubs such as Manchester United and Arsenal have recognised the value in establishing strong roots overseas and Everton were previously on the same path.
Dyche’s pragmatism during troubled times is an admirable trait, but he must be prepared to adjust his stance once things settle down at the club.
Foreign investment has transformed the Premier League, with club ownership, broadcast revenue and sponsorship among the ways this has exhibited itself.
Everton are not immune to the global nature of the competition, particularly when you consider that most of their potential new owners are international investors.
The annual outlay for Premier League fans overseas is significant when factoring in elements such as tickets for pre-season games, subscription television services and merchandise.
This income is vital for clubs such as Everton, who are forced to work harder than some of their rivals to grab a piece of this lucrative pie.
In the short-term, Dyche’s insular nature will not be problematic if it delivers the desired results in the Premier League this season.
However, the club can ill-afford for this approach to become the norm if they harbour genuine hopes of challenging the big guns in England in the future.
The team’s patchy performances during pre-season add another layer of concern to proceedings, although Dyche’s track record suggests his methods work.
Playing standards and the club’s injury record improved last season, with the squad showing far more quality and resilience than was previously the case.
Dyche needs things to continue in the same vein to ensure that fans at home and abroad have plenty to cheer about while other off-field issues remain unresolved.