Everton have embodied defiance since being hit with the biggest sporting sanction in Premier League history on 17 November. Tuesday brought disappointment in the Carabao Cup against Fulham, and a formidable assignment awaits at Tottenham on Saturday, but the reaction of Sean Dyche and his team to being demoted to joint bottom has been exceptional. Everton sit 16th, seven points above the relegation zone, after four consecutive wins in the Premier League. We take a look at some of the factors behind their stirring recovery …
The 10-point deduction itself
Everton had shown vast improvement before the punishment, winning six of nine matches in all competitions before, as Dyche neatly put it: “Some people took some of that away and said: ‘You have to start again.’ So we did.” There is no doubt, however, that the entire club have been galvanised by the shock and size of the sanction. Dyche gathered his squad to discuss the deduction on the first day they were all back at Finch Farm after the international break that coincided with the commission’s decision. He was immediately struck by the defiance within the group and the feedback that nothing would derail their progress. That message has been borne out on the pitch. Previous divisions between fanbase and hierarchy have been parked. Anger has instead turned towards the Premier League, which fans believe has sought to punish Everton not only for the club’s mismanagement but as a way of using a soft target to show an independent regulator is not required. The findings of the independent commission (that imposed a penalty exactly in line with what the Premier League had proposed) heightened Everton’s sense they are being punished in part for building a fantastic new stadium at Bramley Moore dock. As their former manager Marco Silva said on his return to Goodison Park with Fulham this week: “You can see they are all clicking together – the fans, the team and the staff. When this happens to a club like Everton, they are always really strong.”
A resilient defence
“We shall not be moved” has been the soundtrack to Everton’s response to the deduction and Dyche’s backline have embraced the sentiment. The four consecutive Premier League victories have been accompanied by a clean sheet, with Michael Keane’s unfortunate own goal in the Carabao Cup on Tuesday the first Everton have conceded in 416 regulation minutes (plus considerable chunks of stoppage time). James Tarkowski has embraced leadership duties on and off the pitch, having been handed the armband in the absence of Séamus Coleman this season. His experience and attributes have provided an ideal foil for Jarrad Branthwaite, the 21-year-old from Carlisle who is blossoming at the heart of Everton’s defence. England’s manager, Gareth Southgate, was present to see another accomplished display from Branthwaite in the recent win over Chelsea. Vitalii Mykolenko has been in excellent form at left-back since recovering from a longstanding groin injury, although the Ukraine international recently sustained another. He could return at Spurs. Right-back has been a problem position but Nathan Patterson has an opportunity to finally seize the role with the veterans Ashley Young and Coleman sidelined. The industry and organisation of the collective, however, is responsible for making Dyche’s team hard to beat. Everton are no longer a soft touch …
Impressive away form
… And nowhere is this more true than on the road. Everton fans have travelled in huge numbers for little reward in recent years but have seen Dyche’s team win more away games this season than the past two campaigns combined. Only Tottenham have won more away points in the Premier League this season than Everton (18 and 16 respectively), and Dyche’s side are aiming for a fifth consecutive top-flight away win on Saturday. That would equal the club’s best sequence since winning the title in 1970. The run pre-dates the points deduction and reflects the improved mentality that Dyche attributes to higher standards at the training ground and genuine camaraderie among the squad. The willingness of players to embrace his tactics and demands helps, demonstrated by the win at Burnley last Saturday when the shape and makeup of the team had to be altered on match day. “There was a lot of noise about the away form when I got here,” Dyche said this week. “Collectively, we have changed that. I think the mentality of it has improved significantly. I know I use that word a lot but it has at all levels of the club.”
More options up front
Dominic Calvert-Lewin, and his availability, remains of fundamental importance but Everton are no longer so dependent on the striker for the cutting edge and outlet required. Calvert-Lewin has not scored for eight games but Everton have won five of them with Abdoulaye Doucouré, Mykolenko, Dwight McNeil, Beto and Amadou Onana among those sharing the load. Doucouré, last season’s saviour in the fight against relegation, has become a potent force under Dyche and is a major loss for the visit to Spurs with an ongoing hamstring injury. The focus on improving Everton’s attacking options in the summer, with Dyche and the director of football, Kevin Thelwell, working skilfully to sign Beto, Jack Harrison and Youssef Chermiti despite the restrictions they were under, is paying dividends. Harrison has brought much-needed balance to a team that sorely lacked a natural fit on the right last season. The emerging Lewis Dobbin has also improved competition and options in attack.
Sean Dyche
As mentioned, the manager was succeeding in improving standards, performances and all-important results before the points deduction, but he has since proven himself to be the perfect man for a crisis. Dyche has refused to allow self-pity to permeate the squad or a sense of grievance to distract his players from the considerable task of winning any Premier League game. His “This is the reality, let’s crack on” approach is exactly what Everton need to steer a course out of a monumental mess.
