EBL

Dyche's team were a little too passive in the mid-block. They were too willing to let the opposition have the ball in these moments. & when they had the ball they transitioned to a fluid 4-3-3 kind of shape this season but the balance never really worked. It was too player-led.

However, in saying that, Everton were always one of the toughest teams to play against. They very rarely lost games by a number of goals, and even when they did there were contextual factors (luck) that could have saw them win the game on another day (United away/Brighton home).

Injuries and underperformance hurt them as well - Branthwaite was injured a lot and Calvert-Lewin hasn't been as reliable as he typically is. These factors made Everton less dominant in the moments that matter the most to them (winning duels, defending the box, and transitions).

Sacking Dyche is incredibly harsh, and the timing is especially weird considering the unlikelihood of Everton being relegated with him in charge. However, if reports are true about his dwindling belief in the project, then the new owners were left with no choice, really.

What Everton need now is a coach who prioritises defending (ironically, like Dyche). Someone who can encapsulate what the club is all about - direct, fast-paced, physical, hard-working, and compact. The modern day version of that is a high pressing coach.

Everton have tried to modernise the club in recent years with 'household' names as managers but when things have gone pear-shaped they have often gone wrong when picking more pragmatic managers. Think Allardyce or Benitez - Dyche is the modern day version of these guys though.

I say this because Allardyce and Benitez let the opposition build from goal kicks. So does David Moyes. Dyche is also a 4-4-2 specialist but he is more modern in his defensive approach because of how aggressive he can be in settled pressing moments (why Burnley often did well).

But, in the same breadth, Nuno is in the top 4 with Nottingham Forest and they don't press high from goal kicks, and David Moyes won a European Cup with West Ham a few years ago. Ultimately, if Everton get the right personnel, they can succeed with an old-school coach (Moyes).

Everton may be less tactically complete when doing so, but if the likes of Calvert-Lewin kick on, Ndiaye continues to do what he's doing and the rest of the team come together, then I back the group to succeed with a couple of additions in key areas. New owners can provide that.

But, it's a bit of a catch-22. Theoretically, Dyche is an ideal coach for the current group. The club would have been smart to try and keep him until the end of the season before hiring a coach with a higher ceiling & building around that instead of committing to something now.

In saying that, though, we have to be incredibly open-minded in this game. I always talk about control and how it's the best way to win football matches in the long-run. But Villa got top 4 without pressing much. Forest are on course for it now too. And look what Leicester did.

It's not how I believe football should be played because it inherently gives up control, but when you have top penalty box defenders, excellent discipline and physicality in midfield, and top transitional attackers, then anything can happen. Forest are showing this every week.

Everton already have the base of this in their squad. With one or two top additions they can soar. But, admittedly, the age profile of the squad is an issue. They have the oldest XI, on average, in the Premier League. Investment will be needed to maintain and THEN to push on..