Everton’s recent form has not come as a surprise to those who had been studying the statistics, and yet will still have the fanbase shocked as to how they have engineered such a turnaround.
Ever the pessimists, Evertonians have every right to remain coy on brief spells of positivity, given how their recent history has just continued to grind them back to reality.
It is tough work supporting the Toffees, but those who are born to do so will forever remain immensely proud of that status.
The only wish is that they one day have a team befitting such immense and continued support, with that recent run of fine results suggesting that might be a possibility. After all, six wins from their last nine in all competitions is no small feat, with Sean Dyche the mastermind behind it.
However, when seeking to dish out praise, the man who actually hired the 52-year-old tactician is certainly owed some accolades, having foreseen this future in which his selection leads them into a brighter future.
After all, he has even recently admitted that there was no other option around the time of the appointment, with the former Burnley man being the outstanding option.
He told Everton’s official website: ‘We brought Sean in because of our circumstances and we had to identify someone who had experience and could keep us in the league – but also because he is someone who we believe could come in and help us to build something in the medium/long-term.’
Who has Kevin Thelwell signed?
Given the former Wolverhampton Wanderers sporting director only joined in February 2022, he did not get the pleasure of overseeing the January window in which they offloaded Lucas Digne and replaced him with Vitaliy Mykolenko.
However, he did go on to negotiate sales for both Anthony Gordon and Richarlison, which saw the two leave for astronomical fees that have helped keep the club somewhat afloat.
With what little budget they have had across his 18 months in his position, it is highly impressive just how shrewd Thelwell has been.
After all, snagging Dwight McNeil and James Tarkowski from relegated Burnley marked clever business, buoyed by the experience of Idrissa Gana Gueye, and the youthful excitement of James Garner and Amadou Onana.
However, all those deals were prefaced by a summer window in which Everton truly were truly hamstrung, only bringing him Demarai Gray for a nominal fee and the free Andros Townsend.
To think that they were allowed to unload £30m on Beto back in August marks the steady return to fiscal parity, which the director of football has done wonders towards healing.
Receive a digest of our best Everton content each week direct to your mailbox
