Football

‘A very sensible appointment’ – Ex-Everton defender backs Sean Dyche for success

January 31, 2023 10:00 am
‘A very sensible appointment’ – Ex-Everton defender backs Sean Dyche for success

Former Everton defender Joleon Lescott has backed Sean Dyche to succeed at Goodison Park, calling the decision a “very sensible appointment.”

Lescott, who made over 100 appearances for Everton between 2006 and 2009, believes the Toffees can bounce back under the former Burnley manager.

The Merseyside outfit currently sit 19th in the Premier League table, with just three wins to their name all season. They’ve drawn six times, losing their other 11 matches.

Everton make ‘very sensible’ appointment

Everton sacked Frank Lampard earlier this month amid the poor run, and have now brought in Dyche on a two-and-a-half-year contract until June 2025.

The manager was in the Burnley dugout for a decade from 2012 to 2022, having been removed from the role in April last year as his side sat in the relegation zone. The decision to sack the boss was heavily criticised, with Burnley relegated from the Premier League shortly after.

But Dyche is now back in management, and ex-Everton defender Lescott believes he has all the credentials to save the Toffees from suffering the same fate as Burnley.

“My old club Everton are in a mess right now but Sean Dyche looks like the man to turn things around at Goodison Park,” said Lescott, as per LiveScore.

“There have been all sorts of names linked with the vacancy in recent days but the Toffees have ultimately made what I would describe as a very sensible appointment.

“Not only does the 51-year-old have Premier League experience, but he’s actually worked first-hand with some of the Everton squad in Dwight McNeil, Michael Keane and James Tarkowski.

“That’s got to be a huge advantage when it comes to getting your ideas across quickly as a coach, having players in the building that know what you expect and can help their teammates adjust.”

Everton

Difficult task for Everton to stay up

Dyche has been handed a mammoth task in trying to save the club this season, with the Toffees recently losing one of their star players in Anthony Gordon. The young winger has completed a switch to Premier League rivals Newcastle.

Aside from the players currently available to the boss, he faces a huge task when it comes to Everton’s upcoming fixtures. The club face Arsenal this weekend, before making the short trip to Liverpool the following Monday.

The statistics certainly don’t look good for the Toffees, who have the fewest wins in the league this season, with only Bournemouth (167) having taken fewer shots than the Merseyside outfit. (198).

Perhaps one major positive is the fact that the club can focus solely on the league campaign, having already been knocked out of both the FA Cup and League Cup.

Lescott added that he was not surprised by the decision to appoint Dyche, but noted that former Everton man Wayne Rooney may have also been in contention to land the job, saying: “Some managers would look at Everton’s current situation and think ‘no thanks.’ 

“For Dyche, he’s been there and done it with Burnley many times before and will not be fazed. He always seemed the most obvious fit of the leading candidates, though if he wasn’t available I’d have been tempted to give Wayne Rooney a call.”

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