Dan Carter

Wed 11 October 2023 21:10, UK

Arnaut Danjuma has offered his verdict on Sean Dyche since joining Everton this summer and shared what is required to earn the Toffees manager’s respect.

The Dutch forward joined the ranks at Goodison Park on a season-long loan from Villarreal during the transfer window having previously looked set to make the same move in January, before joining Tottenham instead for the remainder of the campaign.

Danjuma hasn’t had the easiest start to life on Merseyside, having only scored once in his first seven Premier League appearances, but he has admitted that he is enjoying his time with the Toffees and has praised Dyche’s approach to management.

Speaking to Stadium Astro on Wednesday (11 October) he said: “He, as a manager, he’s pretty straightforward. As long as you run, and as long as you work hard, he will give you the respect.

“What can I say about Sean Dyche? He’s very direct, he’s very straightforward in the way he speaks and approaches you, and as a player, it’s up to you to deal with it and cope with it.”

Deal and cope

You can be as critical as you want of Danjuma’s start to life at Goodison Park but is clear from this interview that he has completely bought into what it takes to be a part of Dyche’s squads even if he hasn’t quite found his feet in the Toffees side quite yet.

Everton needed a manager to come in and take the game back to basics in their quest to avoid relegation as under Frank Lampard the Blues seemed to only be heading in one direction and over the last 10 months or so, that is exactly what the former Burnley boss has done at Goodison.

Dyche believes that working hard, both on the training pitch and during games will bring his side results in the long run and it is clear from Danjuma’s comments that he instils that belief into his squad no matter who they are and expects them to work to his levels.

In the last few weeks, the benefits of that school of thinking have been visible, with Everton winning three of their last four matches in all competitions as the Toffees have often outbattled and outworked their opponents off the ball to get their season up and running.

The direct style employed by Dyche won’t be to the taste of every player he manages, but from Danjuma’s comments, it seems as though he is keen to work for the Blues manager, despite only being an Everton player for the remainder of this season.

In other Everton news, Dyche may have avoided the Everton sack after Wayne Rooney was appointed as Birmingham City manager