Carlo Ancelotti is partly to blame for Sean Dyche’s ways at Everton right now

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The pressure is continuing to increase on Sean Dyche and if the bad run of form doesn’t come to a halt, his time at Everton could be over.

A 0-0 draw against West Ham United before the international break has left the Toffees 16th in the table – three points clear of 18th-placed Crystal Palace.

Position	Team	Played MP	Won W	Drawn D	Lost L	For GF	Against GA	Diff GD	Points Pts
11	BrentfordBrentford	11	5	1	5	22	22	0	16
12	B’mouthBournemouth	11	4	3	4	15	15	0	15
13	Man UtdManchester United	11	4	3	4	12	12	0	15
14	West HamWest Ham	11	3	3	5	13	19	-6	12
15	LeicesterLeicester	11	2	4	5	14	21	-7	10
16	EvertonEverton	11	2	4	5	10	17	-7	10
17	IpswichIpswich	11	1	5	5	12	22	-10	8
18	Crystal PalaceCrystal Palace	11	1	4	6	8	15	-7	7
19	WolvesWolves	11	1	3	7	16	27	-11	6
20	SouthamptonSouthampton	11	1	1	9	7	21	-14	4

Performances have left a lot to be desired and some supporters have called for the Everton boss to be sacked.

Sean Dyche’s long-ball tactics have come under intense scrutiny but the former Burnley manager can’t take all the blame, with some of the fault lying at the door of Carlo Ancelotti.

• READ MORE: Every result Everton have had over the last 11 months listed and it makes terrible reading for Sean Dyche

Dyche defends Everton tactics with Ancelotti comparison

One of the biggest gripes among supporters is the style of play.

Everton ranks bottom of the table for the possession stats in the Premier League with an average of 39.3 per cent but Dyche has defended the way he plays, insisting if it was good enough for Ancelotti, it’s good enough for him.

Back in September 2024, he said: “I saw an interview with Ancelotti when he mentioned about being at Everton.

“He said our goalkeeper could smack it down the pitch, not in his words of course, and had a big centre-forward, who could keep hold of it, so he said that’s what he did. Kick it to him.

“He’s a pretty decorated manager. I’m not saying that’s right or wrong, but that was his opinion of being at Everton Football Club and the best way of getting his players to win. All I’m looking for is that Evertoninans can be proud of the team for the way they’re playing and hopefully win of course. To find both is perfect.”

The Premier League table since Dyche arrived at Everton makes for grim reading

January 2025 will mark three years of Dyche at Everton and there has to be a debate about how much Everton has progressed under his stewardship.

When he replaced Frank Lampard, the Toffees were 19th in the table and eventually secured survival on the last day of the season.

• READ MORE: Sean Dyche has given off a big hint to a reporter about his Everton future after seeing him in person

Since his appointment, only three other teams have accumulated fewer points in the top flight in that time (Crystal Palace, Wolves, and Nottingham Forest), leaving him 14th in the rankings.

The total of 79 averages out at 26.3 points per season, which as we know, is certainly not enough to stay up.

While it’s not the worst tally by some margin, it shows that Everton haven’t really improved all that much and a relegation battle is where you would expect them to be once again.