Across recent history, although they have hardly been a side challenging for big titles, Everton have still forged plenty of heroes to laud.
David Moyes’ tenure in particular may have been solid and at times quite turgid, but threw up the occasional star for fans to get attached to.
And yet, amongst all that, one of the favourites for a period was Leon Osman, who blended the workmanlike traits loved by the current West Ham boss with a touch of class that saw him score some truly wonderful goals.
As such, there are few more qualified to speak about the Toffees’ core ideals, which did go missing for years under Farhad Moshiri.
Now set to return under Sean Dyche, the 42-year-old pundit has taken to Everton’s official website to outline what he is appreciating about this new era at Goodison Park.
He noted: ‘There is a clear message and a collective understanding of that message. You can see a plan from the moment Everton take to the pitch and every player understands their role within the team – that’s important. I definitely feel like it’s going in the right direction.’
However, arguably the biggest praise he gave was regarding their newfound solidity, allowing them to cause most teams a problem: ‘Now, it’s a different story – we’re in every game, like the wins at Brentford, Aston Villa and West Ham and even the recent Merseyside derby, where we probably should have come away with something.
‘We’ve been extremely competitive and that’s a big hallmark of what I would call an Everton team… I think Sean Dyche is bringing that back.’ He is not alone in his praise either, with Abdoulaye Doucoure recently outlining why he loves playing under the manager.
Are Everton a better team under Sean Dyche?
The turnaround engineered by the former Burnley boss has been radical, and this season they are certainly better off than they were last.
After all, with 11 points in as many games, and a five-point gap between themselves and the relegation zone, few can complain with the start enjoyed. Meanwhile, at this stage last campaign they were 16th, two points from safety and one point worse off. That was even before the massive collapse endured under Frank Lampard.
Even with the terrible side he inherited, who were completely devoid of confidence, his record has still surpassed that of his predecessor.
The Chelsea legend took charge of 44 matches with Everton, yet won just 12 times. Despite having overseen 32 matches, Dyche is just one win away from matching that tally.
Under the 52-year-old tactician, they are creating more chances, have a solid foundation for defending, and are frustrating almost every side they now come up against. The expectation is to pick up far more points than they lose nowadays, with this shift in mentality arguably the biggest battle he has overcome.
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