Everton has struggled greatly this campaign for the second season running and has found itself often lingering around the relegation places. Frank Lampard had the summer window to transform his squad, yet Everton has again lacked quality and most importantly cohesion on the pitch. Lampard was dismissed in January after a poor first half of the season which left the Toffees seemingly doomed for relegation. However, now Sean Dyche has come in and he is the managerial embodiment of pragmatism, which could be just what Everton needs.
The differences between Lampard and Dyche
Everton has for a long time lacked overall cohesion as a team with many players being on a different wavelength in terms of their style and abilities. While some of the more technical players were suited to the high-energy soccer that Lampard wanted to play, some of the more limited players were not able to. The English coach did not recognize that some of his players were not of the required profiles to play the style of soccer that he deployed. Ultimately, Lampard failed to adapt his style according to the ability of his squad, he attempted and failed to mold his Everton side into a possession-based outfit. Lampard’s shortcomings have led Everton to become one of the favorites in the relegation betting odds at +162. But that is where Dyche comes in, the 51-year-old plays simple but effective soccer.
Dyche often deploys a compact 4-4-2 system which is defensively focused but is extremely dangerous from set-piece opportunities. His system differs from Lampard’s greatly in the sense that he demands his team to mark the space in their own half tightly. In contrast, Lampard looked for his team to play higher up the pitch and to press more often with the likes of Alex Iwobi chasing down the player in possession.
A key factor in Dyche’s philosophy has always been the utilization of numbers behind the ball – a deep defensive block is reliant on resilience and patience off the ball as well as defensive quality. Dyche’s reputation from his years of success at Burnley would suggest he will help the Toffees stop leaking goals, and he surely gives them a much greater chance of survival than they had with Lampard.
The personnel is suited to Dyche’s style
While Dyche has a reputation for coaching well-disciplined defensive units he certainly requires the appropriate profiles to put his style into action efficiently. Dyche did not manage to make any additions in the transfer market having been announced as the new Everton coach late in the transfer window. However, Everton’s squad should require little adaptation in terms of personnel in order to put Dyche’s ideas to fruition at Goodison Park.
James Tarkowski has already been under Dyche’s tutorship during his time at Burnley, and will already be well knowledged on what he demands from his players. Tarkowski is an old-fashioned defender that prefers to perform most of his defensive work in his own defensive third, which is a luxury he will certainly receive again under Dyche.
His partner in the 4-4-2 system will most commonly be Conor Coady who is also a limited defender as he lacks pace and athleticism, but the technical side of his game is not lacking and a defensive system could certainly suit the former Wolverhampton Wanderers captain. His experience is also a huge benefit with Gareth Southgate utilizing this as he included Coady in his World Cup squad.
Most importantly both Tarkowski and Coady are leaders and that is essential for Dyche’s system; the central defenders will need to constantly organize the unit as they will face wave after wave of attacks as Everton will sit deep in most games.
In midfield, Dyche requires defensively disciplined engines that will be strictly responsible for their area of the pitch. The likes of Abdoulaye Doucoure and Idrissa Gueye, who impressed for Senegal at the World Cup, are perfect for that role, they have the tenacity to win possession frequently while boasting the stamina to go box-to-box to support the forwards when it comes to counter-attacking opportunities. Midfielders in a Dyche system need to be well-rounded and able to cover large areas of ground quickly – Everton has a host of options in the middle of the pitch that can offer just that.
Dyche has already showcased his ability to get the most out of his players with the shock victory over title challengers Arsenal in his first game in charge. The Everton team fought at a level they had not reached under Lampard all season. The new coach’s reputation alone seems to have created motivation in the Blues camp and surely given more time he can improve the squad significantly and steer Everton away from relegation.