‘I think’… Former Everton player pinpoints one big flaw of Sean Dyche recently

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It has been exactly 12 months since Everton made the intelligent move to hire Sean Dyche as their manager.

And what a ride it has been.

Walking into this mess of a club, the 52-year-old must have been scratching his head wondering what he had got himself in for.

But if he has ever doubted his decision, he has hidden it brilliantly, putting his head down and getting to work with immediacy.

Instilling a newfound work ethic and an unrelenting steeliness, these core attributes have underpinned his patchy tenure, mired by points deductions and transfer restrictions.

And yet, he remains in office, having saved the Toffees once before and hoping to do so again this season.

However, he is far from perfect, as he himself will admit.

As such, Michael Ball has one grievance to share, which he hopes the 52-year-old can improve upon as the season draws closer to its dramatic conclusion.

What Michael Ball said about Sean Dyche

Writing for the Liverpool ECHO, the ex-Everton, Manchester City and Rangers defender is not shy in giving his opinion on his former employers.

In fact, as a fan of the club, he very often hits the nail on the head, using his greater profile to try and enact change.

Once again he has done so here, now pointing out the sole outstanding flaw that Dyche pertains.

He would first write: ‘Dyche said he could write three books on his early months at Everton and it is clear he has had a lot to deal with. I do feel for him because it cannot have been easy.

‘The points deduction feels particularly harsh as it undermines so much of the progress of this year – when you pick up a paper and look at the league table it looks quite shocking but there is a much bigger picture.’

Ball then moves onto his frustration: ‘I do think there is more left in the tank though, and there are a few things I would like to see as he enters his second year as Everton manager. Crucially, I would like to see more in-game management and, ideally, more footballing intelligence.

‘When things are going wrong on the pitch, he does not always change it – against Luton Town on Saturday it felt like Everton had not learned from the previous game and the tactics that were used played into the away side’s hands. I think most of us could see a change was needed from the early stages but none came.

‘Whether it be a change or tweak to the formation or making earlier substitutions, sometimes I think he lets the game go by.’

The lack of substitutions are killing Everton

Dyche’s style of play is one which demands relentless effort, to stay focused and rigid in the Premier League for 90 minutes and more.

Such a task is incredibly draining, both physically and mentally, and often leaves his players looking sluggish as the game wears on.

This would not be as difficult, were he the kind of manager who likes to rotate and make frequent substitutions.

However, he is anything but.

When he finds his strongest side, injury permitting he will field it on nearly every occasion. This is why the likes of Dwight McNeil and Jack Harrison are seldom dropped: because he can rely on them to do exactly what he asks on the flank.

In this second half of the campaign, as Ball implores, he must find a way to rotate with more efficiency, or face a serious burnout at the crucial culmination of the campaign.