As the footballing world was questioning why Sean Dyche had not been confirmed as the new Everton manager, he was already busy at work.
The 51-year-old was known to be Frank Lampard's successor from Friday, filmed attending Finch Farm on Saturday and then captured on camera arriving again on Monday morning - all while an official announcement over his appointment remained pending.
In the end the Premier League's worst kept secret was broken at 2pm on Monday, 30 minutes before Dyche took his first training session in his new role. But making sure all of his new players began life under him wearing shin pads was only one of the tasks on the mind of the former Burnley manager. Away from the grass and gym of Everton's Halewood training base he also oversaw a very different process.
Each member of the first team squad received a sheet of paper. On it was a set of questions - the same questions for every player. It was a questionnaire featuring a selection of short but open queries. Dyche hoped they would be filled in but stressed he did not want names on the responses. This was an opportunity for personal thoughts on what had gone wrong at Everton to be shared with his management team.
"I am not going to say what it was, it is nothing too deep", Dyche told reporters during his first press conference as Blues boss. "It was just feedback on where it is all at, what is your opinion of it and just trying to be as open ended as possible because by giving a question you can sometimes guide people to a place. It wasn’t about that, it was dead short, as simple as possible, and they have an option as well. You don’t have to fill it in, you are not under any obligation and I definitely don’t want your names on it. I just want feedback, honest feedback, anything you want that you think is relevant. Often, I have done this before, similar themes come back and I said 'right that is what we have to look at'. If you are telling them to me, then they are things we definitely have to look at."
Dyche was pleased with the response. He would not reveal what the precise questions were, nor the themes that emerged within the answers. But all but two squad members offered responses. He does not know who decided not to - he stressed anonymity was key to the process. But the answers gave him a detailed insight into the mood of the dressing room and he has already had a feedback session with the players. He is planning a similar Q&A with staff at Finch Farm and said he would be prepared to do another with the players later into his reign.
Dyche does not want to dig too deep into the issues at Finch Farm before his arrival. He made clear he has utter respect for Lampard but does not feel the need to explore his experience at this early stage in the role. Has he spoken to the manager who saved Everton from relegation last season? "No - not that I wouldn't", Dyche explained. "I just don't think it is appropriate to do so. He has come out of here and I will leave him for his private time."
The job he has taken on is substantial and requires him to learn quickly so, for Dyche, what matters is looking forward. It certainly is not focusing on other managers and he was quick to dismiss the comments he made after beating Lampard's Everton side last season, playing them down as having been misinterpreted. The attention those claims - that Everton had forgotten how to win - did lead to a call to Lampard, he said. Dyche added: "I can only work in my way. There is not even a question of other managers. You would do well to find me questioning other managers down the years. I mean really question them, not a spin on it, you would do really well to find that, I don't do it... it is a really hard job. So it is not for me to question people I can assure you. All I can tell you is what I plan on doing going forward. Not question anyone else."
Dyche is not searching for insight on recent months but is open to being made aware of the key issues if someone believes they are having a significant impact on the first team. The key to the process is transparency and openness. He may have sought anonymous responses to his questionnaire to the players but he was clear in what he wanted and how the process would work. He added: "There is one thing I don't do, I don't ask people to sneak about. Not my bag that."
He made clear that everyone starts with a clean slate under him. In the final days of Lampard's rule there were murmurs of discontent and of a fallout that led to Abdoulaye Doucoure training alone. Whatever happened under his predecessor, he stressed that under him everyone has a fresh start. And if there are any persistent issues he is still unaware of? He said it would not take long to discover them: "I haven't gone in search of any particular information about anyone. On the other hand it just naturally comes to you when you are manager. You don't have to look too far and the same noises, the same themes and the same names start cropping up. It doesn't take you long to work out. I have been in football all my life. Within a training session or two, body language, tonality, reaction, you can tell pretty quickly who the runners and riders are."
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