Dyche tasked with halting Everton's decline after being named manager
Everton are turning to Sean Dyche to prevent the club's slide toward the Championship.
The former Burnley boss was named the new Toffees manager on Monday. He succeeds Frank Lampard, who was sacked after a wretched run of eight defeats and two draws over the team's last 10 competitive outings.
Everton are two points adrift of Premier League safety in 19th place and face table-topping Arsenal and hated rivals Liverpool in their next two matches.
The relegation battle
| # | Team | Played | GD | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13 | Nottingham Forest | 20 | -19 | 21 |
| 14 | Leicester | 20 | -7 | 18 |
| 15 | Leeds | 19 | -7 | 18 |
| 16 | West Ham | 20 | -8 | 18 |
| 17 | Wolves | 20 | -18 | 17 |
| 18 | Bournemouth | 20 | -23 | 17 |
| 19 | Everton | 20 | -13 | 15 |
| 20 | Southampton | 20 | -18 | 15 |
"I know about Everton's passionate fan base and how precious this club is to them. We're ready to work and ready to give them what they want," Dyche said. That starts with sweat on the shirt, effort and getting back to some of the basic principles of what Everton has stood for for a long time.
"We want to bring back a good feeling. We need the fans, we need unity and we need everyone aligned. That starts with us as staff and players," he added.
Dyche was out of work for over nine months following his sacking at Burnley. Despite the unceremonious ending to his tenure, his stewardship of the Clarets was widely lauded as he won two promotions to the top flight despite the club's modest budget. He led Burnley into the Europa League playoff round after impressively finishing seventh in the 2017-18 Premier League campaign.
He was dismissed after almost 10 years in charge and with eight matches left to play in the 2021-22 season. Burnley were four points from safety when Dyche departed. Their relegation under then-interim manager Mike Jackson was confirmed on the final day, with a three-point gap between Burnley and 17th-placed Leeds United.
Dyche's only other job in management was at Watford. The Hornets finished 11th in the Championship in his only season at the helm.
Everton arguably represent Dyche's toughest assignment so far. In addition to the team's on-pitch struggles, the relationship between the club's owners and supporters is in ruin, and majority shareholder Farhad Moshiri is actively seeking outside investment as Everton plan a hugely expensive move from Goodison Park to Bramley Moore Dock in time for the 2024-25 season.
Dyche's candidacy also led to extra concern among some fans. The Kettering native developed a reputation for a conservative playing style and route-one passing at Burnley, which is starkly different to the high-octane, attacking football overseen by Marcelo Bielsa, who was reportedly Moshiri's preferred choice for the role but wasn't keen on the job. The club has presumably failed to identify which style of play best suits Everton's current squad.