Sean Dyche has emerged as the strong favourite with pundits to become the next Everton manager and could be appointed before the club’s next Premier League match at home to Watford on Sunday. Dyche, who has led Burnley to seventh position in the table after 10 matches, level on points with Liverpool, was the first name linked with Everton after they sacked Ronald Koeman.
Although Footballtips.com reported that caretaker manager David Unsworth was believed to be under consideration for the full-time role, he has lost his first two matches in charge and so an approach for Dyche is expected. As he celebrated five years in charge of Burnley, during which time he has led the Clarets to promotion to the Premier League twice, 46-year-old Dyche straight-batted the Everton links when speaking after his team’s 1-0 home victory over Newcastle United.
Dyche remains vague
“I just keep getting on with my job, it’s as simple as that,” Dyche told Sky Sports when asked what he would do if a call came in from Everton. Many would agree that his comment was carefully crafted not to stir any sort of drama. If the move is to happen, it only makes sense that both parties would like to see it happen quietly.
“We just keep getting on with it. That’s my focus and my team’s focus. We have to do planning, of course, but generally we take each game as it comes, we work on that, then we process the information, debrief it and we move forward again and keep that clarity of thought. That’s how we keep going.”
Dyche has emerged as an obvious candidate for any managerial job perceived to be bigger than the one he has at Burnley because of the success he has enjoyed at Turf Moor, while he is also untainted by any failures during his coaching career. Before joining the Lancashire club in October 2012, he had also improved Watford until harshly sacked at the end of the 2011-12 season when the club changed ownership. At this point there’s no question about Dyche’s competence, as people can’t really say that he got lucky once.
Everton could use some inspiration
Everton, meanwhile, desperately need fresh leadership and ideas having lost nine of their last 13 matches to drop into the Premier League relegation zone, exit the Carabao Cup and leave themselves on the brink of elimination from the Europa League.
Koeman spent around £140million in the summer transfer market but the radical overhaul of the playing squad has led to confusion over which is Everton’s best team, with the established contingent joined by a mixture of new arrivals and emerging youngsters to cloud the picture.
Sam Allardyce, who has been in semi-retirement since leaving Crystal Palace in the summer, had said he would be open to considering any offer from Everton, but it looks increasingly as though Dyche will be the man installed on Merseyside. Still, it wouldn’t be all that surprising to see the former get the position after all. However it remains to be seen if that happens, since Everton have not made a move just yet. At this point, Everton is no doubt focusing on getting someone that could give them the boost they need, and the ring the name has to it just falls to the side.