Following on from Sunday’s draw to Nottingham Forest, many Blues fans seemed disappointed with the result viewing this as two points dropped rather than one gained based on the balance of play. However, the question remains - are the Toffees any better under Sean Dyche’s leadership?
The former Burnley boss was given the reigns at Goodison on January 30th following an eight-month stint out of management. At the point of him arriving, Everton sat in the precarious position of 19th in the table with just 15 points on the board, leaving the Blues an uphill task in the subsequent weeks.
Initially Dyche’s men put Arsenal to the sword with a James Tarkowski header sealing the three points in a raucous atmosphere at Goodison. However, the new manager bounce was short-lived with a gutless 2-0 defeat to Merseyside rivals Liverpool which left many Evertonians even more fearful of the drop.
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Just five days later, relegation rivals Leeds United travelled to Goodison Park, with the Blues picking up three points courtesy of a 64th minute Seamus Coleman goal. Things began to look up for the Blues as fans voiced relief on social media platforms, with many believing they could pull away from the dreaded drop.
The following Saturday, Unai Emery’s Aston Villa travelled to Goodison. Everton showed glimpses of quality through midfield, however the lack of attacking options was present for all to see, with a real lack of focal point apparent for the Blues. After a promising start the hosts faded and eventually lost 2-0, with an Ollie Watkins penalty and Emiliano Buendia strike taking the points back to the West Midlands. This game seemed significant as Villa looked like a mid-table side and Everton showed a real lack of quality, highlighting the issue of not being able to beat sides around them in the league.
Following on from the Villa defeat, Dyche's men travelled to North London to take on champions elect Arsenal once again. Everton held out for 40 minutes until a Bukayo Saka strike broke the deadlock, with Everton essentially falling apart as the Gunners cruised to a 4-0 win. Many supporters voiced their anger at players after the manner of this defeat rather than just the scoreline.
It is difficult to fully judge Dyche and his impact yet, but so far two wins, one draw and three losses have given him an average of 1.17 points per game. If Everton had started the season led by the former Burnley boss at the same rate, they would currently be sat on 30 points, taking them to 12th in the league. However, the reality is Dyche has not and does not have time, with every result a must-win game with only 12 to go this season.
Many Everton fans believe ex-boss Frank Lampard should have been dismissed after a 3-0 defeat at the hands of Bournemouth on November 12th, which would have given a great opportunity for Dyche to embed his style and ethos on the players over the World Cup period.
Many Evertonians' fears increase when teams around the Blues win. Let’s look at how the other teams in the relegation dogfight have fared since Dyche took over:
Bournemouth: DLDWLL = 5 points
Southampton: LLLWLW = 6 points
Leeds United: LDLLWL = 4 points
Nottingham Forest: DWLDLD = 6 points
West Ham United: WDDLWL = 8 points
Leicester City: DWWLLL = 7 points
Crystal Palace: DLDDDL = 4 points
To summarise, only time will tell with Dyche but by no means are any teams dead and buried, neither is anyone safe up to Aston Villa in 11th place. A short run of wins can propel a team quite significantly up the table in a short time frame.
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