Sean Dyche makes ‘reading between the lines’ Everton job admission amid Friedkin takeover claim
Sean Dyche admits he was appointed at Everton to deal with the difficult reality of the situation rather than “dreams” of future glory.
The Toffees boss told Sky Sports on 5 October that he had read between the lines and understood why he was given the job during a difficult time, while again claiming the plight at Goodison Park was worse than he had expected.
Dyche said: “I don’t think it’s about dreams, dreams are for a different time. I got bought in here for reality.
“They didn’t tell me in them words, but reading between the lines I got bought in here for the reality of the situation and the ongoing situation.
“When I look back, obviously it was a lot worse than I thought, but I think I was bought in here for reality. Dreams are for another day but at this stage it’s still reality.
“In anyone’s tenure at a football club the idea is you leave your print on it. We don’t know what’s gonna come next, if The Friedkin Group come in that might change things, but we don’t know that until it happens in it’s entirety, so we’ll have to wait and see.”
Sean Dyche replaced Frank Lampard to avoid Everton relegation
Dyche was defending himself amid growing criticisms of his methods this season and just one Premier League win in six to start the campaign, with replacements such as David Moyes [Richard Keys, 26 August] or Carlos Corberan touted already [Chris Lepkowski, 22 September].
But in doing so he is essentially admitting that crisis-management is his level and that is why Farhad Moshiri came calling when Frank Lampard was sacked in January 2023.
In fairness to the former Burnley boss he has done the job that he was appointed to do as he kept Everton up on the final day that season, and then pulled comfortably clear last term despite being hit by two points deductions.
In future the work Dyche has done on Merseyside in the past couple of years may be looked on more favourably once a takeover has been completed, considering the financial turmoil and the fears for the club’s future if they had fallen out of the top flight.
But his dour methods and his, at times maddening, team selections and substitutions are all very well when he is picking up the results to help secure Everton’s future, but when he isn’t it is little surprise fans aren’t going to be happy.
The prospect of a 777 takeover last season did little to lift the gloom but now Dan Friedkin has returned to agree a buyout of Moshiri it feels like it is the beginning of the end for Dyche, whose contract expires at the end of the season.
In other Everton news, a star Toffee has snubbed the club’s attempted talks over a new contract.
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