Pundit claims everyone gets one thing so wrong about Everton under Sean Dyche

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As revivals go, Everton’s has been pretty impressive given how truly terrible they have been over the last two years.

Having avoided the drop by just four points during the 2021/22 season, they would go one further last term, leaving it until the final day of the campaign to secure their safety with a gut-wrenching 1-0 win over AFC Bournemouth.

A moment fans did not want to celebrate, due to the mediocrity it evoked, the Goodison Park crowd could not help but erupt into fits of joy, relief and sadness at its conclusion, such was the emotional day on Merseyside.

They had survived, but they could not go through that again.

Fortunately, Sean Dyche has seemingly set himself that promise too, and has since forged a revitalised team that has already established a much-needed gap from those scrapping for safety.

And yet, BBC Pundit Mike Hughes still feels like the 52-year-old is unappreciated, with his methods perhaps not as pretty as others, but still just as effective.

He wrote: ‘Everton managed just 20% possession against Brighton, suggesting Roberto de Zerbi’s men dominated proceedings. Yet Everton had more shots than Brighton and double the shots on target.

‘Possession statistics are one way of measuring games – and quite often they are grossly unreliable.’

He would then claim: ‘But do not think for one minute that Sean Dyche’s footballing footprint for Everton is based purely on counter-attacking.

‘In home matches this season against Fulham, Wolves and Luton, (all lost), Everton had 57 shots on goal and 21 of them on target. They had 68% possession in the Luton game and all to no avail.’

What is Sean Dyche’s style of play?

Whilst many people think that the former Burnley man operates in an archaic fashion, sometimes labelled as playing dinosaur football, few can argue against the effectiveness of his style which has helped some stars appear ‘reborn‘ under him.

And yet, his Clarets side did not operate in a completely one-dimensional fashion despite boating hulking strikers such as Ashley Barnes, Chris Wood and Jay Rodriguez.

He prides himself on the verticality of his sides, able to go from front to back with speed. However, that does not denote useless clearances, but instead methodical balls into channels that allow him to push his team up the pitch, and press when the opportunity dictates.

One goal his old team scored, back in 2017 at Goodison Park ironically, saw Jeff Hendrick finish off a 24-pass move to record a fine 1-0 win in Merseyside.

When the time dictates, his sides can play good football. But it should not be a crime to focus on the solidity of your side before seeking to bust out intricate passes and possession-reliant game plans.

After all, it was the great Sir Alex Ferguson who claimed: ‘Attack wins you games, defence wins you titles.’ Dyche would do well to emulate even a fraction of the legendary Scotsman’s success with Everton.