I like Sean Dyche. Lesser manager’s would have withered and died in the Everton hot seat since he was appointed in January 2023. His voice, a cross between a chain smoking mini cab owner, and an army sergeant major, masks a highly intelligent football ‘thinker’, who I enjoy listening to when I watch him on the telly.
I’m not sure many of the current crop of managers deemed as suitable for the Everton job would have steadied the ship in the manner in which he has. Undoubtedly, he’s been dealt an awful hand, forced because of the club’s current financial situation, not only to sell his best players to remain solvent, but to scratch around for ‘free transfers’, loan players or even ‘buy now, pay later’ deals.
Okay, that’s the plaudits… here’s what frustrates me about him.
Football Style
I don’t mind teams playing a direct style of football. What I think is awful is his long-standing policy of launching long balls up to a centre-forward (mainly Calvert-Lewin), with his back to goal, and two hairy-arsed centre-backs marking him so tightly, his only option is to flick the ball on, mainly to non-existent front runners. As soon as you continue along this path of ‘hoofball’, not only do you hand over control to your opponents, but more importantly, you don’t exert any control of the game itself.
I honestly can’t recall under his reign when we have played anything like possession football; indeed, the players seem incapable of keeping the ball for any length of time. I’m not sure they’re encouraged to, to be honest.
We continually have one of the lowest percentages of retaining the ball in the Premier League during games. I hate to use so-called ‘lesser’ clubs as examples but, honestly, why is it that Brighton, Brentford, Wolves and Fulham, to name a few, are all better to watch from a football perspective than Everton? Is it all down to them having better players, or more progressive managers, who believe in style over substance?
I’ve been watching Everton for over 50 years now but, results aside and the dreadful position we have found ourselves in over the last few years, I don’t really enjoy watching this team. I accept their limitations in terms of ability, but the playing style is dirge.
Team Selection
As I mentioned earlier, Dyche has had his hands tied financially and doesn’t have a lot of choice in choosing what he believes to be his best XI. But the emerging Branthwaite, who is going to be one of our best young players ever, only got his chance because of injuries to fellow defenders despite impressing for PSV in the Eredivisie league.
Similarly, the continuous selection of Ashley Young, who at 38, is an accident waiting to happen during games, and has been responsible for many of our defensive mistakes, whilst also contributing to the team having to play with 10 men on a number of occasions, only adds to the problem.
What must Nathan Patterson think of his future chances when a guy 16 years his senior gets chosen regularly ahead of him? Our Player of the Season three seasons ago, Ben Godfrey, has been well and truly frozen out, granted, after a long spell out injured and suffering from Covid to boot, but he get’s absolutely no game time.
It seems once Dyche has made his mind up about you, that’s it – game over.
Substitutions
Sorry, I’m not sure that keeping players on the pitch who are ‘out on their feet’ after 60 minutes is astute management – particularly when the opposition are making up to four substitutions at the same time. It is just plain crazy.
Dyche prides himself on his players being super fit but, in the modern game, is it that wise to keep the same eleven on the pitch for 85 minutes? Again, I just don’t get it.
So that’s why his management style is something of a conundrum to me. Do I think he’s right for Everton at this time? Probably. But do I have confidence that his playing style, if we can move into the new stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock still with our Premier League status intact, is right for us? I’m not so sure. I just don’t like ‘hoofball’.
Tin hat at the ready.