Don Hutchison: Everton should have appointed Sean Dyche before Carlo Ancelotti
Everton should have appointed Sean Dyche before putting Carlo Ancelotti in charge of the club, according to Don Hutchison.
The former Toffees’ captain, speaking to The i (13 February) claimed Dyche should have taken the reins at Everton “six or seven years ago”.
He went on to say, “The two [Everton and Dyche] marry up really well. Everton fans demand hard work, commitment, sweat and a desire to win. It’s exactly what he brings.
“It’s nice to have a Carlo Ancelotti but unless you’re trying to take the Champions League, which is a pipe dream at the moment, the man you want to have is Dyche. If they lose a game it won’t be because they don’t fancy it.”
Dyche led his new side to a 1-0 victory against Arsenal in his first outing as Toffees boss though the club remained in the relegation zone following that weekend’s fixtures.
Ancelotti remains at Real Madrid and lifted his third, and Real’s fifth, Club World Cup on Saturday (11 February).
Right man right time
Ancelotti was the dream appointment when he arrived at Goodison in December 2019 and during his first full season in charge, plenty of fans thought a return to Europe was on the cards.
Of course, the season ended up with Everton finishing 10th, well clear of finishing in any of UEFA’s competitions, even the newly-formed Conference League.
It’s fair to say the Toffees faithful would have all taken a so-called disappointing 10th-placed finish last season, this season it would be a miracle.
If Farhad Moshiri and Bill Kenwright had appointed Dyche instead of Ancelotti there would have been a much different reaction, a far more negative one.
But now, it’s fair to say Dyche could be the right man at the right time. The signs were there against Arsenal.
How times change. Ancelotti’s appointment was a mere four years ago. Now Everton are happy to take a manager whose style of play was much-maligned during his time at Burnley.
That happiness comes from a place of desperation, the hope that the club will be playing in the top flight next season. For Hutchison to say the Champions League is a “pipe dream” is a massive understatement.