Sean Dyche believes it will take time to build Everton into a “super-positive” story - but that he has arrived at a club with the key components for a rebuild.
The new Blues boss inherited a Frankenstein squad he was unable to strengthen in the final days of the transfer market, while issues between the club’s board and supporters remain an open wound.
Dyche has repeatedly stressed he will commit the time needed to understand the wider context of events at the club and highlighted his belief that the backing of the fanbase is crucial to progress. In his opening weeks at Finch Farm he said he had found hard-working staff who wanted the best for the club and were willing to help him find a way to take it forward.
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Dyche arrived at a club that was in the bottom three and, due to the sale of Anthony Gordon, would ultimately be the only side in the lower reaches of the Premier League table to end the January transfer window weaker than how it entered the month. He inherited the same long-term problems that were significant factors in the downfall of predecessor Frank Lampard and is the latest manager of majority shareholder Farhad Moshiri’s era to be charged with putting things right.
Dyche was not ignorant to the wider problems upon his arrival but said his interest was in what he found to be the facts as he developed his understanding of the club and not what other people’s perception of the situation was. Asked what his impression was of the club he joined last month, Dyche said this week: “Life often revolves around that word perception now, but that does not make it fact. It is just perception. That is how life has changed in my lifetime. People would give you facts. They do not now. Everything has a perception to it but it does not mean that is how it is. What I have found is really hard-working people, people who care and people who want to work hard. It is not inauthentic. It is authentic.”
Dyche moved on to say the same about Everton fans - that his interest was in the experiences he had with them and that he had found supporters authentic as well. He was quick to thank supporters for the opportunity they gave him and his players to make an impression in his first game against Arsenal and has often made clear his belief he and his squad need to earn their support rather than expect it.
He said: “I meet Evertonians when I am around and about, not just when I am here but when I am travelling and in my home life and all that. I meet Evertonians now, it means more to me, obviously, now that I am in here, so I am learning all the time about it and I think the only thing you can hope for is hard work and openness because when you come in as manager it is a new feel and it is a different situation. So you need people to be open-minded and accept what you are trying to do and what you are trying to guide them with, and feedback, they might say well we do it this way and we do it that way. But the biggest thing of all is hard work and authenticity and I think there is that here, that is for sure. And that is what I have noticed from the Everton fans. They have got authenticity about them as well, that is for sure.”
On the size of the job facing him, Dyche suggested it would take time but that progress “is not a million miles off”. He said it may be a simple task in terms of identifying the issues but not necessarily an easy one to then execute the solutions, and added: “We have to turn the vehicle around to make it a super-positive story before the perception becomes super-positive. It takes time. Winning often does that. It doesn't solve everything but it makes everyone feel better about life.”
Dyche was also keen to point out that he had only just arrived at Everton and, so far, the majority of his experiences had taken place in a Finch Farm and matchday bubble of training and playing: “I have been so ingrained in the training ground and the games that I haven't really had the chance to go and look around the whole thing. I have been down to the ground, of course, but I am still getting a feel of the bigger picture. Most of my time is based here [Finch Farm]. Here, ground, game, repeat. When you are new to a club trust me there is a lot to do, lots and lots of work, aligning different departments, how we, myself, my staff as well, but I make the decisions, aligning them how we want it running, [finding] agreement on how we can get it running etc. So to be honest it has been pretty much getting on with life here. I'm trying to keep on with what is going on in the world, that is difficult enough when you are working so many hours here to get things right.”
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