Incoming Everton boss Sean Dyche has previously confessed he has a "soft spot for Liverpool".
The former Burnley boss has been out of a job for nine months since leaving Burnley, but is returning to management at Goodison Park. The Toffees axed Frank Lampard earlier this week with the Merseysiders sat in the relegation zone following their recent defeat to West Ham.
Dyche has a proven record in the Premier League after a decade at Turf Moor, which was a major draw for the Everton hierarchy as they pondered whether to pursue him or former Leeds boss Marcelo Bielsa. However the 51-year-old will hardly have endeared himself to the blue half of the city with an old confession.
He said previously: “I was a ’70s kid, so obviously in the ’70s the great sides, Kenny Dalglish and the likes, Graeme Souness and all these top players. Phil Neal was local-ish to me in Kettering, from Irchester I believe originally. So I had a very long-distance support, if you like, for Liverpool – but I think a lot did in the ’70s. I’ve always had a soft spot for Liverpool from those days and the many, many memories of those top sides.”
Rafa Benitez, who was in charge for a short period at Everton last term, had enjoyed huge success during his spell at Liverpool. It made his job difficult from minute one and he was dismissed after a matter of months. Dyche's association with the Reds is by no means as strong, but his comments may not go down well.
Everton owner Farhad Moshiri had originally favoured a move for Bielsa, but complications in negotiations - notably over when the Argentine wanted to take charge - meant his preference, like that of a number of board members and director of football Kevin Thelwell, became moving for Dyche. He managed to twice achieve promotion with Burnley and kept them in the top flight for several years.
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The Toffees are not in action this weekend having been dumped out of the FA Cup in the third round with their next assignment a league clash against Arsenal. Dyche is poised to be in place by the time the Gunners head to Goodison Park.
Whilst he may have a soft spot for the Reds, it was Dyche who managed to end Liverpool's recent unbeaten run at Anfield that had spanned several seasons and 68-games. Ashley Barnes scored a late penalty as Burnley recorded a shock victory on Merseyside.
Dyche has also had the several clashes with Jurgen Klopp on the touchline and in the press conferences. He once said: "You know when we come to these places, we are allowed to actually fight and are actually allowed to try and win."
