This has not been the most blistering start to the season for Everton, but avoiding defeat in their last three Premier League matches marks a foothold for them at least.
Now, they can hope to build from the foundation set, achieving safety this season and seeing what the next campaign will bring.
After all, not only will there likely be a new owner in charge, but they will have officially left Goodison Park too to move into the Bramley-Moore Dock stadium.
If they are to achieve that goal though, one man will be crucial; one man who some have suggested deserves more respect.
Darren Bent makes Sean Dyche admission
Speaking on talkSPORT just yesterday (08/10, 5:46 pm), there was an air of optimism about the Toffees.
After all, one pundit had already changed his relegation prediction about Everton after just seven games in.
Darren Bent was the latest to assume a similar position, with the former Sunderland and Fulham striker admitting that it will take a lot to relegate a side managed by Sean Dyche.
He even suggested that the 53-year-old deserves far more respect than he is currently being given, claiming: ‘Fair play to him. It’s a tough job there. It will be interesting to see when new owners come in because there has been a lot of talk about him and his job. I never feel whatever side he is at will go down. Yes, they might do it the tough way, but he deserves respect.
Then, when asked if Dyche will stay at Everton, Bent said: ‘I don’t know. I am not sure. Listen, if he keeps them in the division again and Everton have got good players.’
Sean Dyche does deserve more credit at Everton
Whilst some would have him sacked tomorrow, few can deny the remarkable job that Everton manager Dyche has done since joining in 2022.
In fact, it’s a testament both to his solidity and the club’s instability that he is the longest-serving head coach of the Farhad Moshiri era at Goodison Park.
He may not play vast, free-flowing football, but his philosophy is one that almost guarantees safety every year.
Last season even saw them finish 15th, despite suffering an eight-point deduction too.
That is why another bad start to this Premier League campaign should not undo all his hard work previously.
With his contract due to expire this summer, Dyche deserves to see it out and be lauded for stabilising a club that was in utter turmoil when he first joined.
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