Dave Hendrick: Sean Dyche’s Battle to Fix Everton’s Woes | OneFootball

Everton’s Struggles Under Sean Dyche: Can He Turn It Around?

Everton’s Tough Start to the Season

Everton’s start to the current Premier League season has been nothing short of tumultuous. Under manager Sean Dyche, the team’s form has faltered, and fans are growing restless. During a recent episode of The Two Footed Podcast, host Dave Hendrick discussed the challenges facing Dyche and Everton, offering insights into what has been going wrong for the Merseyside club.

“The situation at Everton is nothing short of shambolic,” says Hendrick. He points out that despite Dyche’s reputation as a manager who can work wonders with limited resources, Everton have been plagued by off-field issues and on-field inconsistencies. The ownership situation, in particular, is described as “a mess,” with Farhad Moshiri unable or unwilling to invest the needed funds to stabilize the club.

Financial Woes Impacting Performances

One of the key issues surrounding Everton is their financial troubles. As Hendrick notes, “John Textor looks promising as a potential buyer, but the financial debt is massive, and there’s money owed to various entities.” These issues are not just impacting Everton’s ability to sign quality players but also affecting the morale of the squad. With the club embroiled in ownership uncertainty, Hendrick adds that even potential new stadium revenues may be marred if the team is relegated.

Dyche inherited a squad that many considered underperforming when he took over from Frank Lampard in January 2023. Under his stewardship, Everton narrowly avoided relegation last season, a feat that Hendrick believes shouldn’t be overlooked. “Dyche did well to keep them up last season, considering the mess he walked into,” he remarks. However, the task this season seems even more daunting with mounting pressures both on and off the pitch.

Dyche’s Pragmatic Approach

Sean Dyche is known for his pragmatic, no-nonsense approach to football, something he perfected during his time at Burnley. At Everton, however, his methods seem to be yielding mixed results. Hendrick highlighted Dyche’s defensive style, which helped Everton achieve the fourth-best defensive record in the league last season. “Only Arsenal, Manchester City, and Liverpool conceded fewer goals,” Hendrick states, emphasising how Dyche’s tactics made Everton hard to beat.

Despite the defensive solidity, the team’s attacking woes continue to undermine their performances. “Everton’s problem isn’t just conceding goals; it’s that they don’t score enough of their own,” Hendrick observes. With the lack of a consistent goal-scorer and injuries to key players like Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Everton are struggling to find the back of the net.

Can Dyche Turn It Around?

The question on every Everton fan’s mind is whether Sean Dyche can turn things around before it’s too late. While Hendrick remains critical of some aspects of the club’s structure, he believes Dyche is still the right man for the job. “I think Dyche is good enough to get them out of this,” Hendrick says, but he warns that the team’s lack of confidence is alarming. Even when Everton have gone ahead in games, they rarely look convincing. “They don’t look like they believe they’re going to win the game,” Hendrick notes, citing recent collapses against Bournemouth and Aston Villa as prime examples.

Dyche’s ability to galvanise his players will be crucial as Everton’s season progresses. Hendrick suggests that if Dyche is given time and the necessary resources, he could steer the club clear of relegation. But with growing fan frustration and a precarious financial situation, time may not be on Dyche’s side. Everton need to start winning games soon, or the pressure on Dyche and the entire club will intensify.

Conclusion

Everton’s struggles under Sean Dyche are emblematic of a club in crisis, but Dyche’s proven ability to work under difficult circumstances offers a glimmer of hope. As Dave Hendrick rightly points out, the issues at Everton run deeper than just the managerial position. Financial instability, ownership uncertainty, and a lack of leadership on the pitch have combined to create a perfect storm. Whether Dyche can weather that storm remains to be seen, but one thing is clear: the road ahead for Everton is long and fraught with danger.