After Frank Lampard was given his marching orders, Everton's next two fixtures looked like nothing short of a nightmare for whoever was set to step into the managerial hot seat.
But having accepted the challenge, Sean Dyche has already kicked off his reign with a morale-boosting home win against league leaders Arsenal and is now taking the Toffees to Anfield tonight with renewed hope that a Merseyside Derby away win could actually be achieved after all.
Things move fast in football, so the ECHO caught up with the Blue Room's Les Roberts to get his take on the current situation with the Toffees and how he rate their chances of getting a result against Liverpool.
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Just over a week ago, Everton looked absolutely doomed. But low and behold, Sean Dyche has got his Goodison tenure off to a flyer with a 1-0 win against Arsenal. Did you think that was even possible heading into the match?
Arsenal’s recent record at Goodison isn’t great, but this is a team that hasn’t lost in about as long as Everton haven’t won, so I had mixed feelings going into it – I figured it would either end 1-0 to Everton or 5-0 to Arsenal. What surprised me was how routine the win felt – Everton were the better team from start to finish. This was no backs-to-the-wall, smash-and-grab, Everton fully deserved the win.
Everton were superb against Arsenal, but with the same players that they have had at their disposal all season. Has that been an annoying side aspect to a great win?
It’s something I’ve become used to from Everton – they’ve been guilty of this for years, regardless of the manager – but it was hard to be anything other than delighted with the win and performance.
Things change quickly in football. While Everton were celebrating a win against the league leaders, Liverpool were getting spanked 3-0 by Wolves. Is this a good time to be playing the Reds?
It never feels like a good time to be playing Liverpool – especially at Anfield – but they do look as vulnerable as at any time I can remember since before Klopp took over. Something isn’t right there but one good performance and win doesn’t mask that Everton are in the bottom three for a reason. That said, going into the game after a confidence-boosting win against Arsenal – on top of their defeat at Wolves – feels as good a time as any to be playing them.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin looks like a serious doubt for tonight. How can the Blues go to Anfield and get a result without him?
Everton need to put in another performance like against Arsenal, so it would seem to make sense and go like-for-like and throw Ellis Simms in to replace him. It’s no secret that we have a real dearth of striking options. If that is what Dyche decides to do, I hope it works out better than the time Walter Smith threw a young striker straight into an Anfield derby in 1999. Or Dyche could look to pack out the midfield and play Gray up front – felt he was unlucky to not play a part in the Arsenal game and would be a good option if we’re looking for quick counterattacks.
There's no getting away from the fact it was very disappointing that Everton did not sign a single player in the January transfer window and actually managed to weaken the squad with the sale of Anthony Gordon. Why do you think the club was unable to bring anyone in last month?
It’s hard to say without knowing what goes on behind the scenes, but it just looks like negligence from the outside. It can’t be a coincidence that no players were signed until the end of the August window either, potentially costing us valuable points in some winnable games.
When Frank Lampard was given the shepherd's crook, who did you want to see come in and were you happy with the choice of Dyche before the Arsenal match?
I had no idea. I wasn’t sold on Bielsa as I think he’d have become frustrated with the workings of the club. I hoped the net would be cast further than ‘out-of-work managers with Premier League experience’ but Everton have long been a club devoid of any imagination. I was happy with Dyche though, he taps into my love of no-nonsense 90s football.
Dyche has already got his players working hard, but we are barely half-way through the season and the threat of relegation is real. Has he got enough to work with to keep Everton in the Premier League?
I don’t think he has anywhere near enough to work with, but that’s not to say he can’t keep Everton in the Premier League. It’s going to take a lot of hard work and some big results. I think it’s going to be a very game-to-game existence until the end of the season – the win against Arsenal means Everton aren’t cut adrift with Southampton and are now three points off 20th and three off 14th. But it can all change so quickly.
The seats in the director's box have remained empty at Everton for the last couple of games. Hardly an ideal situation. When do you think is an appropriate time for board members to return to matches?
Hopefully never. They’ve dug their own hole in a desperate act of self-preservation and it’s difficult to see how this will ever be reconciled. The sight of the empty seats is pretty pathetic – especially for Dyche’s first game - but it sums them up.
Monday's opponents Liverpool have been given a pasting by Brentford, Brighton and Wolves since the turn of the year. What do you think has gone wrong there and how can Everton exploit the situation?
It’s hard to say what’s gone wrong and keeping any team at a consistently high level can’t be easy, but this is the third time in Klopp’s career that his teams have dropped off a cliff in his seventh season. They always spoke of mentality playing a huge part when they were at their best and something seems to be missing in that regard, so that’s what Everton need to exploit and go in with confidence and a game plan they can execute.
Also have to appreciate that while Brentford and Brighton aren’t big names, they’re two very good sides and Wolves have turned a corner since Lopetegui took over. Everton have a lot to do to match their current levels, but the Arsenal game was a step in the right direction.
Finally, what is your prediction for Monday's big match?
1-0 Everton and work to begin on the Sean Dyche statue. Would take a scruffy 0-0 right now though.
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