Everton are a side transformed under their current leadership, with the troublesome tenures of the past having seemingly been expunged in order to usher in a new era based on work ethic and solidity.
For so long such ideals were ever-present at Goodison Park, with David Moyes a true champion of such a notion.
However, in an effort to revolutionise his club, Farhad Moshiri lost his way on a path that has consisted of seven permanent managers in as many years.
At last, with Sean Dyche in charge, stability has become a near-certainty, having narrowly avoided the drop last season and finally started to pick up wins this campaign.
Such a return to form has not gone unnoticed either, with other Premier League managers giving their verdict on the former Burnley man, who shared the subtle changes he has been making to provoke an upturn in results.
Most seem to be able to predict what and how his Toffees will play, yet thwarting it is proving a difficult task.
Journalist Joe Thomas compiled their thoughts, writing for the Liverpool ECHO, noting: ‘He has created a style and identity that suits this group of players and is leading to positive results and while it may not always be pretty – as reflected in the words of Frank and de Zerbi, two classy, innovative managers – it is proving effective.’
The Italian claimed, when asked about the 52-year-old: ‘I think it is very different. They have found the balance, they have found the right style for them, they have a different style but their style is clear and they have very good players.’
This came just weeks after the Brentford boss echoed a similar sentiment, with Thomas relaying: ‘He anticipated the away side would be dangerous from set pieces, intense when pressing and physical in its efforts to win loose balls.’
And yet, Everton came away with four points from those matches.
How does Sean Dyche set Everton up?
As aforementioned, Dyche’s setup is far from revolutionary. However, with the quality of players at his disposal, it hardly needs to be.
Goalscoring has been a keen issue for the Toffees over the last two years, and yet he shockingly sought to solve their defensive issues before focusing on their blunt attack.
This has already proven fruitful, with the goals finally starting to come alongside their newfound solidity.
Often surrendering the wide areas, the tactician is willing to allow the opposition to cross as much as they like, knowing that James Tarkowski and Jarrad Branthwaite are unlikely to be outmuscled at the back.
Then, when their opponents grow frustrated with their inability to break down such a compact unit, the likes of Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Jack Harrison, Abdoulaye Doucoure and more can break with pace.
Having lost just two of their last eight matches in all competitions, and with another keen opportunity to claim an away scalp this Saturday, things are certainly looking up for Dyche’s reborn Everton.
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