Everton Rolls With Dyche

Everton has a new manager. Former Burnley manager Sean Dyche will be the replacement for the recently sacked Frank Lampard after the Merseyside club briefly flirted with former Leeds manager Marcelo Bielsa. Supporters saw further validation of the confused Everton leadership as Dyche represents a completely different approach to the game than the attack minded Bielsa. Dyche’s Burnley clubs were defensively oriented, grinding out results in a near constant battle to avoid relegation during Dyche’s last nine year Premier League run. Working on a tight budget, Dyche did lead the Clarets to a noteworthy seventh place finish and European qualification in his most successful year at Burnley. Dyche’s experience in battling at the bottom of the table, however, will be of the most near-term value for Everton. The Toffees are next to bottom in the Premier League table with a roster which is not appreciably better than what Dyche had at Burnley. Perhaps Dyche’s best player at Burnley, defender James Tarkowski, is now a Toffee who will be reunited with his former manager. Dyche will look to rescue Everton from what would be the club’s first relegation from the Premier League in a comparable fireman role to that once played by short term Everton manager Sam Allardyce. Dyche and Allardyce are two of seven managerial appointments in a turbulent decade for Everton since the departure of long term manager David Moyes. Dyche signed a two and a half year contract with the hope that success might extend that stay.