Sean Dyche argues major Everton shift amid ‘easy to forget’ verdict ahead of crucial Bournemouth clash
Everton manager Sean Dyche has insisted that all that matters on Sunday is the Premier League table at the end of the afternoon, as reported by the Liverpool Echo.
Dyche goes into the decider against Bournemouth at Goodison Park knowing that a victory will be enough to keep his side in the Premier League, regardless of what happens elsewhere. Their fate is in their own hands.
Since he arrived on Merseyside in January, the boss has presided over a five-point swing, leading the club from a position of trouble to relative safety, ahead of the last fixture of the campaign and one in which the Toffees’ significant injury issues continue to bite.
“It’s easy to forget, isn’t it?” he said.
“I came here and they were three points inside the relegation zone. Now we are two points out of it.
“Five points doesn’t sound a lot but when you factor in all the injuries that we have had and what has gone on, you would have taken it.
“Many people were saying then that we were done. We have shifted considerably but the biggest measure is the end of the season.
“I don’t go back on my words. The most important league table is the final one. That’s the one that is left.”
Eyes on the prize
A patchwork team will be assembled by Dyche to go and secure the required win over Bournemouth, knowing that they can get the job done on their own terms.
The manager is absolutely right to stress that the only thing that matters is how the table looks at the final whistle, especially if the current advantage is thrown away against Gary O’Neil’s side.
The atmosphere provided by the Evertonians will inspire the team over the line but it is all about what the players do on the pitch, they must seize the moment in the club’s hour of need.
Everton go into the game, fully focussed and with their eyes on the prize following mixed results, recently.
Crucially, Yerry Mina’s last-gasp equaliser at Molineux last week to secure a 1-1 draw with Wolves provides a timely reminder of the need to fight to the end and the reward that is within reach.