Top of Dan Friedkin’s to-do list will he finally gets control of Everton in December will be to decide Sean Dyche’s fate.
As much as some Everton fans would like to see the American billionaire axe Dyche, the smart thing would be to keep him until his contract expires in July. Roma owner Friedkin has big plans for Everton and wants to get them back up the Premier League, challenging for honours and qualifying for Europe.
That will take time and their immediate focus is on winning their latest relegation fight. And when it comes to keeping clubs up, no Premier League manager can compete with Dyche.
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He performed miracle after miracle at Burnley to keep them up for five season on the most-meagre of budgets before Alan Pace sacked him in April 2022. Dyche also kept Everton up in 2023 and 2024, despite having next to no money to spend.
Friedkin should take over from Farhad Moshiri in December when he gets the thumbs up from all the relevant bodies and the tempting thing would be to sack Dyche and begin spending big in January. But it’s hard to make long-term purchases in January, especially given the inflation in values in that window, and the better tactic would be for Friedkin to put his foot on the ball.
Yes, he should look to bolster Everton’s threadbare squad and Dyche and director of football Kevin Thelwell have slashed their wage bill and made a profit in the transfer market to get the club’s finances on an even keel. They have more than earned the right to see the job through this season and ensure Everton head to their new stadium at Bramley Moore Dock as a Premier League club.
After several years of turmoil, Everton desperately need stability and axing Dyche in December will only add to the uncertainty. Friedkin, who oversaw Daniele De Rossi’s sacking at Roma after just four games, should stick with him and let him guide Everton to safety.
Friedkin should use the second half of the season to get to know everyone at the club and decide who he wants to keep and who should go. Friedkin may well decide he wants a new coach to realise his grand ambitions for Everton and Dyche’s style of football is not to everyone’s liking.
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That’s his call as owner, but there is no better manager to lead Everton for the rest of this season than Dyche. Saturday’s win over Crystal Palace was massive and with their injured and ill players returning, Dyche nearly has all his squad to choose from.
The players still believe in him and want him to continue. Axeing him to hand the managerial reigns to another coach mid-season would only make it difficult for him to win over the dressing room at a critical time. Best to leave Dyche in place until the end of the season before letting him ride off into the sunset with his job at Everton complete.
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