Sean Dyche has acknowledged the pressure on him to “get things right” on the pitch to safeguard his position as Everton manager, following their hard-fought 2-1 victory over Crystal Palace.
The Toffees secured a much-needed win at Goodison Park on 28 September, lifting themselves to fifteenth in the Premier League table.
Dwight McNeil was the hero of the day, scoring twice in the second half to ease some of the growing tension around the club.
Speaking to BBC Match of the Day after the match, Dyche reflected on his future at Everton and the uncertainties surrounding the club’s ownership situation.
“I’m a custodian here, I have to answer to a lot here. In the in-between spell of ownership and now it looks like there’s going to be a new owner,” he said.
“We don’t know for sure and I’m sure it’s very complicated to get these deals done. We will have to see what it brings and all we can do in the meantime is continue to work hard, which me, my staff and the players are doing.
“Correct the league table, which we’ve taken a step forward in doing today and make sure we look after what the club is about and we’ll need to wait and see what the new owner brings.
“In terms of my job, I’ve never lost sight about the fact that I’ve got to get it right on the pitch in order to win games.”
Dyche Facing the Pressure
Before the victory over Palace, Everton had been enduring a poor start to the season, with mounting questions over Dyche’s future. The club had squandered two-goal leads against Bournemouth and Aston Villa, leaving fans worried about a potential relegation battle.
The pressure has been building on Dyche for some time, and while the win temporarily eases concerns, the pending takeover by American businessman Dan Friedkin could bring significant changes to the club’s structure [Alan Myers, 26 September].
There has already been speculation about potential successors to Dyche, with names such as David Moyes and Gareth Southgate linked to the job [GiveMeSport, 23 September].
However, this crucial win against Oliver Glasner’s side may have bought the former Burnley manager some breathing room. If Everton can build on this performance, they could climb further up the table, perhaps even pushing towards the top 10, which would significantly strengthen Dyche’s position at the club.