Everton Tipped Among Relegation Favourites by Bookies for the 2024/25 Season: How Can Sean Dyche Prevent It?

As unfortunate as it sounds, Everton are among the top relegation contenders for the 2024/25 Premier League season. For example, one UK bookmaker offers 5/4 odds on the Toffees finishing in the bottom three at the end of the campaign.

At the same time, the bookmaker odds on Everton winning the Premier League title are insanely high. Although it is a long shot, the fans may take advantage of the 5 pound deposit betting sites and risk a small amount of money for the possibility of quite decent returns.

The Toffees were in a similar position last term but coach Sean Dyche led the team to safety, as Everton finished the season in 15th place despite the eight-point deduction.

However, the competition in the Premier League will arguably be higher this year because of the quality of the promoted teams. Thus, the gaffer and the players will have to work double as hard to achieve a similar result. The following pieces of advice may be of use to Sean Dyche in his third campaign at Goodison Park.

Be Ruthless Against Direct Competition

Given the financial difficulties, the most realistic goal for Everton is to avoid relegation and hope for a mid-table finish at best. Last year, the Toffees were in a somewhat advantageous position because the promoted teams – Luton Town, Burnley and Sheffield United – were weak and got relegated immediately. This year around, the promoted sides look better in comparison.

Still, most names on the UK bookmakers list have Leicester City, Ipswich Town and Southampton ahead of Everton when it comes to relegation chances. Nottingham Forest and Wolverhampton are struggling too and will also be candidates for the exit.

Thus, the number one priority for Sean Dyche and the boys should be to get the maximum points against the direct competition. Leicester City lost their head coach to Chelsea, Ipswich Town were playing League One football just two seasons ago – the Toffees should look to exploit the weaknesses of their direct competitors.

Nobody wants to lose against the big teams, but it is paramount that Everton correctly defines their priorities and perform their best when it matters the most.

Maintain Defensive Solidity

Everton’s football may not be the most entertaining watch for a neutral fan, that is true. But that is not the top priority neither for the club, nor for the Goodison Park faithful.

It is undeniable that Sean Dyche has built a solid defence at Everton, and the team should continue to play to their advantage in order to maintain their place in the top tier of English football. Last season, the Toffees conceded just 51 goals. It was the fourth best result in the league, only behind Arsenal, Manchester City, and Liverpool.

The tactics employed by Dyche are effective if not entertaining. The low block, the discipline at the back, the workrate – it all paid off. If not for the deduction, the Toffees would have finished in 12th place with 48 points.

The bad news is that Amadou Onana has left Merseyside over the summer, and he played an important role in cleaning up the midfield last term. However, other key players like Jordan Pickford and Jarrad Branthwaite continue at the club. There have also been certain additions to the midfield, so Dyche has enough resources in his toolbox to repeat the miracle.

Find Ways to Improve the Attack

Ideally, the club would look to improve the attacking line by signing a prolific goalscorer or bringing over creative wingers and attacking midfielders. But the finances may not allow it at the moment.

The top goalscorer from last term was Dominic Calvert-Lewin who found the net eight times, and that is far from impressive. Aside from Abdoulaye Doucoure with seven strikes, no other player registered more than five goals the last campaign.

If it is not possible to add more quality to the squad, Sean Dyche should look at alternative ways to improve the scoring output of the team. One such way would be to put a bigger emphasis on set pieces and work on them regularly during training sessions.

Additionally, the coach should learn from the best counter-attacking practices and try to implement them. Jose Mourinho’s Chelsea or the early Atletico Madrid under Diego Simeone were defensive teams but they were also highly-effective on the counter.

Finally, if Calvert-Lewin’s conversion rate cannot be improved, then it is worth considering attacking patterns in which the wingers or the midfielders are the ones that most often get into scoring positions.

Everton have been playing in the top flight of English football since 1954, and that strike cannot end this year!

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