History tells us that the most bizarre comments are normally made towards the very end of a manager’s tenure at football clubs. If that is the case, then “We’ve had so many draws, it’s not a bad run if you add wins to it” is right up there with the very best of them.
For anyone who hasn’t guessed who uttered that comment, it was Sean Dyche’s response to a question by a journalist immediately after Everton’s latest horror show at Bournemouth.
Let’s get one thing straight: this team is not going to improve under Dyche. After 19 games, there are no green shoots of revival in evidence, none whatsoever, if there was, we would have seen some proof of it by now. We can’t even claim the team has been unlucky in recent games.
It was more of the same old, same old, on Saturday afternoon: a team with little or no personality, no evidence of a game plan, or any semblance of a threat towards an opponent’s goal. The players looked jaded, even the effervescent Iliman Ndiaye looked frustrated and wearied by it all.
Meanwhile, the consistently poor performers – Doucoure and Mykelenko – continue to stink the place out, whilst the hapless manager continues to persevere with them, week after week.
Up front, any combination of Calvert-Lewin, Beto or our most recent great white hope, Armando Broja, run around like headless chickens , wondering if they will ever be presented with an opportunity to get on the end of a decent cross (remember them?), or a defence-splitting pass, or even – god forbid – a 6-yard tap-in.
We know his hands are tied with the limitations of the current squad, but his team selections and tactics are dreadful. The team is floundering all over the pitch, and no-one is throwing them any lifebelts. Just 3 wins in 19 games was enough for Benitez to get the sack, so who is going to call time on this guy?
I don’t dislike Dyche as a person, but his ‘blindness’ to the current situation is bordering on the insane; how can anyone not see that a team who have zero shots on target are going absolutely nowhere fast???
The team have most definitely ‘stopped listening’ to their manager, the fans too have had enough. Going to Goodison now is like self-flagellation – we do it because we have to, but it’s a painful experience nevertheless.
Something has to give, because relying on three teams being worse than us will most certainly end in relegation. At the moment, we are sleepwalking into the Championship. Can anyone honestly see this team putting a run of results together before the end of the season?
Over to you, TFG.