MmmBlueBranthwaite wrote: ↑Sun Jan 19, 2025 7:05 pm
I appreciate what he did, fundamentally, in keeping us up. But Moyes just shows that in reality it could have been so much better than narrowly avoiding relegation two seasons in a row. Not that its exclusive to Moyes of course. Many a manager could have achieved much more than Dyche did with that squad. In my opinion.
Its hard to argue against the point that Dyche was, on paper, our saviour. But I firmly believe things could have been a lot less grim than they were.
Think it's unrealistic to expect so much better than narrowly avoiding relegation for the first 18 months Dyche was in charge. We were deep in the mire in that first season after Lampard, then last season we had 8 points deducted (and, to be fair, we would have been 12th otherwise). Despite the grim football, he steadied the ship during a massively turbulent time for the club.
My issue with the 'many a manager' thing is that many managers haven't done well with this squad! Or any of the incarnations before it - and they were able to invest a lot more than Dyche. The squad is extremely limited – both in terms of numbers and ability - one good win today doesn't change that. They're all capable of a performance but seem unable to maintain that consistently.
I think it would've been unfair to bin off Dyche in the summer after the previous season and a half but it's clear this season was a bridge too far for him. Without the points deductions, this was his chance to expand his style. But the persistence with his negative approach and refusal to give 'his' players minutes (namely, JOB and Lindstrom - assuming he had some say in their recruitment), despite the appalling results, mean that he has tainted a lot of the good will many of us held towards him.
The change was necessary and it now feels like we have Everton back. There's renewed hope and optimism among fans, a manager we largely trust to galvanise the squad and recruit shrewdly, and players who have been revitalised in the space of a week - all parties freed from the drudgery.
I'm so happy to have Moyes back, been calling for him for years. But - provided the crap first half of the season doesn't relegate us - I think I'll remember Dyche favourably for keeping us going when everything else around him was burning.