Sean Dyche has urged Everton to ignite the fire at Goodison Park by embracing their past to build a better future.
Dyche has taken over an Everton team in 19th place in the Premier League but has drawn inspiration from Howard Kendall’s champions of the 1980s, who were an influence on him as a teenager.
The former Burnley manager faces league leaders Arsenal in his first game in charge determined to be the man who turns Everton around with the kind of values and fighting spirit he believes the club’s best sides had.
Dyche said he wanted: “A team that embraces the past and understands it, while building the future. I remember the mid-80s team really clearly, a fantastic team. I’ve been very fortunate to know some of them… Reidy [Peter Reid], Kev Ratcliffe, I met Joe Royle on a number of occasions, Trevor Steven, Inchy [Adrian Heath], Sharpey [Graeme Sharp], these people who you looked upon in the mid 80s when I was about 14 and they were legends of the game.
“But they weren’t just players – they had fight, they had a teamship that you could feel through a TV screen, unsung heroes became heroes, some unfashionable types suddenly became these brilliant footballers. You’ve got to embrace that feel.
“The fans played their part in that by gluing it all together. I haven’t forgotten that but of course we need a future version of that kind of feel. I thought; ‘Can I play my part in giving some of that to it?’ I think I can. On top of that you want ability, and of course the game has changed, but the great feel to that time at the club we’ve got to embrace while building the future. Don’t forget the values of the club. I’m not saying it has been forgotten. The fire is still there, we’ve just got to ignite it.
“It’s Everton Football Club. I know about it, I know the history. Imagine the chance to turn it around? Imagine the chance I have to play my part, because there are a lot of people involved in this, in reshaping things and turning it around? That is exciting. Of course it is a hard situation, I am aware of that, but I am still excited. It is Everton Football Club and I am pretty proud to get the opportunity, I can assure you, albeit every manager would like to get it in a better shape than it is at the minute in regards to the table. I am proud to be here.”
Dyche has been parachuted in as a relegation firefighter and believes he is the right fit for Everton’s current plight.
He added: “Managers can fit in different companies, it’s not just football. I’ve been to KPMG and a pharmaceutical company where they’d lost their manager and it had made a difference. It’s not just football. You have certain managers for certain jobs and certain situations. I’d never be backing away from that. I know my skill-set, I know where it can enhance things.”
