Everton must keep the faith with Sean Dyche

The ongoing saga surrounding the ownership of Everton could result in the club enduring another troubled season in the Premier League.

The situation is undoubtedly doing anyone with a vested interest in Everon very few favours and ideally needs resolving sooner rather than later.

In some respects, the ownership situation can be likened to a slot machine – it has the potential to deliver a big jackpot, but no one has a clue where the reels will land.

Fans who use slots free spins to play their favourite games know better than most how important it is to have a solid strategy when playing casino games.

The same ethos should apply to Everton, but the current uncertainty leaves the club’s staff, players and fans endlessly wondering when things will be back on an even keel.

The lack of clarity will be particularly unsettling for manager Sean Dyche, whose ability to plan for the 2024/25 season is clouded by the off-field shenanigans.

There has been talk that some of Everton’s prospective owners plan to appoint a ‘big name manager’ if they complete a takeover at Goodison Park.

Given the job Dyche has done during difficult times, he would be right to feel extremely aggrieved if Everton dispense with his services.

It has been suggested that new owners may want to appoint a manager capable of competing in the upper echelons of the Premier League.

Quite why anyone thinks Dyche could not be that person is anyone’s guess. Those who do have doubts are probably blinded by the word ‘pragmatic’.

Dyche has long been pigeon-holed as a defensive manager, primarily due to the long-standing association he had with Burnley.

He previously hit back at critics who suggested that pragmatism was a negative by arguing that his style of management is about building something more balanced.

Dyche did an excellent job at Burnley with limited resources before the wheels inevitably fell off at a club that had consistently punched above its weight.

He has done well in the face of adversity at Goodison Park, bringing some much-needed stability at a time when chaos has reigned around the rest of the club.

Sacking Dyche would be an early misstep by any potential new owners and is a mistake they would be well advised to avoid once the takeover is completed.

A quick look at the job Eddie Howe is doing with Newcastle United would be a good way to determine whether Dyche is the right man to take Everton forward.

Dyche is arguably a better manager than Howe and would most likely outperform him in the Premier League if he was given the same resources as the former Bournemouth boss.

Another major issue facing the club’s next owners is the lack of viable alternatives to Dyche in the managerial market at the moment.

As Manchester United discovered when Erik ten Hag’s future was under the spotlight, ‘top-class’ options are pretty thin on the ground.

The Red Devils were laughingly linked with England manager Gareth Southgate, which should tell you everything you need to know about the dearth of feasible options.

There is also an element of ‘be careful what you wish for’ when it comes to debating whether Dyche should be retained under new ownership.

Regardless of who takes over Everton, it is highly unlikely the club will be challenging to knock Manchester City off their lofty perch anytime soon.

On that basis, Dyche unquestionably deserves the chance to build on the foundations he has laid since he arrived at Goodison Park in January 2023.

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