Everton are a team transformed under Sean Dyche, although their current points deduction has perhaps dampened down the plaudits that the 52-year-old deserves.
After all, were it not for that alleged crime, of which he played no part, his side would currently sit 13th, ahead of the much-praised Andoni Iraola’s AFC Bournemouth, and just one win from the equally-lauded Gary O’Neill and his Wolverhampton Wanderers.
It is laughable how little coverage this man gets for all the turmoil and terror he has inherited at Goodison Park. To not have completely collapsed to relegation already is indicative of the miracles being worked.
Perhaps his greatest feat yet is turning around this squad, from a group of unmotivated losers devoid of any character or quality, into a hard-working outfit willing to die for the badge.
He deserves far more acclaim than he gets, but Thomas Frank has at least sought to praise Everton’s head coach.
What Thomas Frank said about Everton
Having joined Brentford in 2018, the charismatic German tactician has established himself as one of the Premier League’s finest young managers in recent years.
Bringing the Bees up from the Championship, his work in aligning with a cost-effective approach that has seen talent funnelled through the Gtech Community Arena is admirable.
After all, his side are now a solid top-flight outfit, despite recent form bringing them to within touching distance of the relegation zone. And they have achieved this with the fourth-lowest net spend of any side currently in the Premier League.
So, his praise is well-respected, and therefore should be widely appreciated.
Especially as he actually named Dyche as one of the managers he admires most, alongside Pep Guardiola. He claimed: ‘For example, a manager like Sean Dyche I think he’s done fantastic in Burnley and now in Everton. I’ve met him a few times’.
How important has Sean Dyche been for Everton?
The improvements that Everton have made under Dyche’s leadership have been vast.
He is not the glamourous young European master tactician that many might crave nowadays, but given the circumstances, there are few in world football who could have dealt with this situation better.
As aforementioned, it is a miracle that the club is still afloat, let alone in with a very good chance of escaping the drop for a third consecutive season.
Having turned them into a rock-solid defensive unit, the foundation built allows for some free-flowing attacking moves which always seem to fail with the final finish.
But, in crafting a squad with a steely new mentality capable of actually playing some good football at times, he has been faultless.
Frank is right to praise him, and should he achieve safety again, the media simply has to start giving this man his flowers.
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