Everton have represented the challenge since being subjected to the biggest sporting sanction in Premier League history on November 17. There was disappointment against Fulham in the Carabao Cup on Tuesday and a tough task awaits them at Tottenham on Saturday, but the response of Sean Dyche and his side to being relegated to bottom has been extraordinary. Everton sit 16th in the Premier League, seven points above the relegation zone, after four consecutive wins. We take a look at some of the factors behind the exciting recovery…
10 point deduction itself
Everton had shown great improvement before the suspension; had previously won six of nine matches in all competitions. As Dyche puts it clearly: “Some people took some of that and said: ‘You have to start over.’ That’s what we did.” But there is no doubt that the whole club was affected by the shock and magnitude of the sanction. Dyche gathered his team to discuss the cut on their first day back at Finch Farm after the international break, which coincided with the commission’s decision. He was immediately taken aback by the challenge within the group and the feedback that nothing could stop their progress. This message was also reflected on the field. Previous distinctions between fan base and hierarchy have been put aside. Instead the anger was directed at the Premier League, which fans believed was trying to punish Everton not only for the club’s mismanagement but also as a way of using a soft target to demonstrate that an independent regulator was not necessary. The independent commission’s findings – which imposed a penalty exactly in line with what the Premier League had recommended – added to Everton’s sense that they were being punished, in part, for building a fantastic new stadium on Bramley Moore pier. As their former manager Marco Silva said on his return to Goodison Park with Fulham this week: “You can see it all coming together – the fans, the team and the staff. When that happens to a club like Everton, they always come out really strong.”
A durable defense
“We will not take action” was the soundtrack to Everton’s response to the disruption, and Dyche’s backline embraced the sentiment. Four successive Premier League wins have been accompanied by a clean sheet, including Michael Keane’s unfortunate own goal in the Carabao Cup on Tuesday; First Everton were defeated in 416 regular minutes (plus a significant amount of stoppage time). This season, James Tarkowski handed over the armband in the absence of Séamus Coleman and assumed leadership duties on and off the field. His experience and qualities made him an ideal foil for Jarrad Branthwaite, a 21-year-old from Carlisle who has flourished at the heart of Everton’s defence. England manager Gareth Southgate was there to watch another successful display from Branthwaite in the recent win over Chelsea. Vitalii Mykolenko has been in excellent form at left-back since recovering from a long-standing groin injury, but the Ukraine international has recently suffered another injury. He could return to Spurs. Right-back has been a problematic position but with Nathan Patterson, Ashley Young and Coleman sidelined, he finally has the opportunity to take over the role. But the industry and organization of the collective are responsible for making Dyche’s team invincible. Everton are no longer a soft touch…
Impressive away form
…And nowhere is this more true than on the road. Everton fans have traveled extensively in recent years for little reward but have seen Dyche’s side win more away games this season than the last two seasons combined. Tottenham are the only ones to have won more away points than Everton in the Premier League this season (18 and 16 respectively) and Dyche’s side are aiming for a fifth straight top-flight win away from home on Saturday. This would be the club’s best run since winning the title in 1970. The run pre-dates the points deduction and reflects the improved mentality that Dyche attributes to higher standards on the training ground and genuine camaraderie among the squad. The willingness of the players to adopt his tactics and demands has meant that the shape and structure of the team has had to be changed on match day, as demonstrated in last Saturday’s win at Burnley. “When I came here there was a lot of noise about away form,” Dyche said this week. “Collectively, we changed that. I think his mentality has improved significantly. “I know I use that word a lot, but it’s at every level of the club.”
More options ahead
Dominic Calvert-Lewin and his availability remain key, but Everton are no longer as reliant on the striker for the forward level and breakthrough required. Calvert-Lewin failed to score in eight games but Everton won five of them, with Abdoulaye Doucouré, Mykolenko, Dwight McNeil, Beto and Amadou Onana sharing the load. Doucouré, the savior of last season’s relegation battle, has become a strong force under Dyche and is a major loss for the visit of Spurs due to his ongoing hamstring injury. The focus on improving Everton’s attacking options in the summer is paying off, with Dyche and director of football Kevin Thelwell working masterfully to sign Beto, Jack Harrison and Youssef Chermiti despite their restrictions. Harrison provides much-needed balance to a team that struggled with natural fit on the right wing last season. The emergence of Lewis Dobbin also improved his competitiveness and attacking options.
Sean Dyche
As mentioned, the manager was managing to improve standards, performances and all-important results before the points deduction, but has since proven himself the perfect man for the crisis. Dyche refused to allow self-pity to permeate the team or a sense of grievance that would distract his players from the important task of winning any Premier League game. His “This is the truth, let’s get to it” approach is exactly what Everton need to find their way out of a massive mess.