Among the images Everton released of Sean Dyche’s first day at their Finch Farm training ground, perhaps the most intriguing was the one of him walking through the corridors in conversation with Kevin Thelwell.
Director of football Thelwell is the man who has been working on recruitment for six months, only for the drama of the dog days of January to disrupt their best laid plans. So much of Everton’s survival hopes now rests on getting them back on track.
The appointment of Dyche – a fine coach with an impressive CV – gives them a chance, but the new man desperately needs help. As it stands Everton possess a weaker squad than they did at the turn of the year, having sold Anthony Gordon for £40m and released Salomon Rondon.
The club are braced for a busy final day of the transfer window, with sources indicating to i they are prioritising a striker and winger. Such is the precarious nature of their predicament, Everton may have to operate in the loan market with some players reluctant to commit in the midst of a relegation battle. There are funds though, with a chunk of the £40m received in “one hit” from Newcastle available if they can find the right player.
An enquiry about Chelsea midfielder Conor Gallagher, a long-term target, proved ambitious but unsuccessful with the player preferring to either stick at Stamford Bridge or speak to other clubs higher up the table who are circling.
Interest is ongoing in Rennes winger Kamaldeen Sulemana, clocked as one of the fastest players at last year’s World Cup, who is more open to the move. A fee of around £20m would be required, but Southampton are also keen.
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Dyche was finally confirmed on Monday and pledged a return to principles of hard work, being effective and difficult to beat but with the added promise of playing with “style”. They were words chosen with the intention of energising an audience not used to hearing their club talked up.
“I want us to be a team who gives the lot,” he said in an interview with the club’s in-house media.
“But it is not all built on that, I want us to play with a style, but an effective style.
“We want to be effective. We want to mix up play and ask questions of the opposition.
“We also want to add quality to that hard work, and there is some quality here, there are no two ways about it.
“I have come up against these players, and I know some of them personally – there is quality here.
“But we have to make them shine. That’s the job of me and the staff: allow them the freedom to shine while giving the organisation to be in a game to win it.”
A new manager at least brings some relief from the toxic narrative that has engulfed the club. Club chairman Bill Kenwright – one of the lightning rods for criticism – was quoted in the media release as believing he had the potential to be a “great Everton manager”. Notably, he namechecked owner Farhad Moshiri’s meetings too.
For Dyche, the importance of unity on the terraces is not lost on him.
“It is tougher times. All I can ask for is a bit of a breather because I know there is a lot going on but we need the fans, we need unity and we need to be aligned from right the way through the ownership, right the way through me, the staff, into the team and out to the people,” he said.
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