By Sam Millne
Former Liverpool striker Stan Collymore has suggested Sean Dyche could be a good fit to manage Everton amid mounting pressure on current boss Rafa Benitez.
Dyche, manager at Burnley since 2012, has enjoyed six consecutive seasons in the Premier League after gaining promotion back to the top flight from the Championship in 2016.
His ability to work on a budget and get the best out of his squad has earned him several plaudits.
Now Stan Collymore has spoken about him in relation to Everton.
In his Daily Mirror column, Collymore said: “How about Sean Dyche for Everton?
“Rafa Benitez is under increasing pressure after Sunday’s 3-2 defeat by Brighton and Dyche may have plateaued at Burnley.
“He would undoubtedly bring basics, pride and passion back to Everton, a club that desperately needs some honesty and graft, which he’d give them for sure.”
The qualities of ‘basics, pride and passion’ all contributed to the identity that Everton formed when David Moyes was manager, and even before with Joe Royle’s ‘Dogs of War’.
It’s something many Blues want to return to, feeling they have lost any form of coherence in recent years.
This could in part be down to Benitez being the sixth permanent manager of the club since Moyes left for Manchester United in 2013.
The assortment of ideas has led to a squad of players all signed by different people with different ideas.
Benitez undoubtedly has credentials to return the club to their previous position under Moyes.
However, his Liverpool connections have meant he’s been given shrift among many of the Goodison faithful, and the ill-feeling has been exacerbated by Everton’s poor form.
The Spaniard had no money to spend in the summer due to Financial Fair Play restrictions.
He therefore had to settle for Andros Townsend and Salomon Rondon on free transfers while paying just £1.8 million for Demarai Gray from Bayer Leverkusen.
Gray has shown quality at times but too often have The Toffees looked to youngster Anthony Gordon for inspiration.
The departure of Director of Football Marcel Brands in December threw the club into more turmoil.
However, perhaps in the long-term, it can provide clarity on who really controls things at Goodison with the club now conducting a strategic football review in the wake of Brands’ departure.
(Featured image courtesy of Ronnie McDonald under Wikimedia Commons)
