Dyche told Everton are a better side without £30m ‘liability’

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Across the last two years at Everton, there have been too many villains forged to remember.

Those without the bottle to compete in the high-pressure environment a relegation battle brought, or simply others without the talent to compete at the top level, have all combined alongside some questionable managerial movements to dig the hole the Toffees find themselves in.

However, that is a spot that Sean Dyche finally seems set to drag his side out of, with an admirable start to the new Premier League term indicative of a side unlikely to be troubled with worries of the drop again.

That is, should they avoid the reported sanction that the division seeks to punish them with for their financial mismanagement.

For years the club has been reckless and foolish, particularly in the transfer market, spending big on awful players that fit into that aforementioned mould.

Few typify the endless failures of the Farhad Moshiri era like Michael Keane though, whose £30m acquisition in 2017 arguably kickstarted the steady decline of a once-great club, and yet still remains at Goodison Park today.

Simon Jordan has since questioned this notion, speaking to talkSPORT, and saying what Evertonians have known for years: ‘Obviously, they’ve got a central defensive partnership now, if you can keep Michael Keane out of the side, then they’re going to have defensive stability in my view.’

How bad is Michael Keane?

Whilst the statistics struggle to truly outline just how poor the former Burnley man has been, it is worth noting that the 30-year-old is a player wholly buoyed by confidence.

With the backing of a top manager, and surrounded by capable teammates, there have been stints when the £80k-per-week titan has shone.

However, when things get tough, Keane wilts.

Last season saw him feature far more than fans would have wanted him to in the Premier League, and yet across the 12 appearances he committed two penalties and made one error that led to a shot.

The year before wasn’t much better, making two errors that led directly to a goal as well. It should therefore come as no surprise to see that journalist Richard Buxton back in 2022, noting: ‘No matter how much longer Everton persevere with Michael Keane, he’ll continue to cost them an abundance of points each season. A genuine defensive liability.’

Prone to a huge gaffe, and without the speed or agility to make up for his lapses in concentration, Jordan’s claim has essentially put out what Everton fans have attested to for years into the mainstream media.