Everton's ongoing financial uncertainty has left manager Sean Dyche feeling like he is in an extreme boom-or-bust cycle — and the boss has tried to dampen fans’ expectations as the club go into their final season at Goodison Park.
The Toffees had a chastening start to the season, losing 3-0 at home to Brighton on 31-year-old Fabian Hurzeler’s top-flight debut as manager of the Seagulls.
And after 18 months of hard work, Dyche says at times it feels like they can be brought back to square one with a single defeat.
Speaking before Everton’s trip to Tottenham on Saturday, Dyche said: ‘Collectively, it seems to be, “Right, we are on to something” then, boom, it is like being back down to, “Oh, no, we’re not”, that kind of thing. Not me as an individual. The club’s way bigger than me.
‘What I mean is this kind of, “Ah look we are on to something”, and it’s growing, growing, growing. And then there’s not like, “OK, OK, there’s going to be a few hiccups”. It’s like, “Oh, I told you, rubbish!”. Boom. Straight back down to earth. That is a very generalised view of course. But that’s my learning of this club. But I think you get roughly what I mean. So it’s not me, it’s not the team, it’s not any individual. It’s just the thing about Everton.
Everton boss Sean Dyche pictured last weekend during his team's 3-0 home loss to Brighton
‘Because we are a big club, we start moving forward, then it’s, “Told you we’d be all right, we’ll be in Europe this year” instead of that kind of balanced, on the way up, going, “Hang on, there’s still a little bit of work to do with this team, we’re only a few injuries away”.
‘We’ve spoken endlessly about the dynamic of the club. We go into the summer and these myths start. It’s the last season at Goodison so we should be in Europe? It doesn’t win you games because it’s the last season at an amazing stadium! There will be amazing events which will be amazing, for the people who have been here many years.
‘Fans, players, generations of people, ex managers, coaches and players. It doesn’t mean you just win because it is the last season at Goodison. The players know as well. They feel the highs, they feel the lows, they feel the indifference.
‘But it sort of becomes part of the fabric of the club. So sink or swim, get used to it, enjoy it, find the challenges of it. That is a challenge of modern football and it’s a challenge of Everton. I’ve not got a full handle on it but I’m learning — the club, mentality, media, the feel, the demands.
Everton fans were not impressed by their side's opening game of the 2024-25 campaign
Dyche will now take his side to Spurs on Saturday looking for their first points of the season
‘We have spoken about this before many times… hero, zero, zero, hero. This is quite an extreme place. It is either, “Yes we’re amazing, we won” or “Rubbish, you’re all rubbish again”. That kind of psychology en masse.’ Everton will be without several key men for the trip to Tottenham. Captain Seamus Coleman is out, as is Jarrad Branthwaite, James Garner, Nathan Patterson and Youssef Chermiti. Ashley Young is suspended and James Tarkowski is a doubt.
‘It’s a short-term situation currently,’ added Dyche, who has ruled out any ‘knee-jerk’ spending. ‘If it becomes long-term that’s different, but we’ve just been unfortunate.’