I am a gushing Dyche fanboy.
Wholeheartedly concur that he gets unfairly written off as a blood-and-guts, 442, Route 1 English (Yorkie) manager. There is enough of that to make it fair, but lots of subtlety too.
Everton are a joy to watch right now. It is the spirit that led me to the club when I first started watching footy. They compete for 90 minutes, they clearly enjoy playing for each other, and they have capabilities in all facets of the game. Calvert-Lewin has blown a sitter and been robbed in the last couple of matches, he's still getting subbed off for the hulking Beto (Mrs O's new fave) at the 75 minute mark, but his presence as the target man makes the whole side purr. Harrison and McNeil are good wingers. After having been banished from most matchday squads by Lampard, Doucoure has been the cog of the whole attack. He is lakcking in silky quality - puts many shots into Row Z, and passes go astray - but since Dyche took over he leads ALL PL midfielders in non-penalty goals, which is nothing short of astounding. He is among the league leaders in meters covered. He is not the conventional string pulling, silky passing No. 10, but he busts his ass to get into the right place to make plays. James Garner has been quietly excellent alongside Gana/Amadou Onana as a double pivot. Onana has had minor injuries and has not always played up to his physical gifts but he has turned it on - his goal against Burnley was magnificent. Mykolenko was always a decent defensive fullback, but was not good going forward. He has bulked up and raised his game. Not only is he a shutdown LB, doing a job against the likes of Salah, Saka, and Bowen, he's become a very good two-way player - the most improved in the squad under dyche. Branthwaite is a genuine stud, would be RoY in an American sports league, with Tarko they are a dominant CB pair.
4 wins in a row, 8 goals, 0 conceded. Haven't had four clean sheet wins in a row since under Moyes in the early 00's.
RB has been the problem spot. Patterson is young, raw, and has had multiple injuries. Coleman is old, and has had multiple injuries. Young is even older than that, and has been poor. I'd like to see Patterson get the job under Coleman's tutelage.
The two problems most fans have had with Dyche have been his irrational love of Young (with whom he actually played at Watford, in the same back four, a generation ago), and his refusal to make subs. But no obsessive fan is ever 100% happy with his team's manager, as a friend once said.
The 10 point penalty has galvanized the club, the fans, everyone. The poisonous stuff with the board, the owner, etc has been laid aside. Bill Kenwright was eulogized yesterday at Liverpool's massive cathedral, which enabled the club and the community to give him his proper due as one who loved the club, and some of the nastier parts of his late tenure can be swept under the rug. The sale to 777 is on thin ice, 777 seems dicey, but I'd have to think that the club is making itself a more attractive proposition by the day if 777 falls through.
League Cup today against Fulham. Goodison under the lights. It will be rocking.
So yeah, big love for the big bald ginger.
