Everton, earlier in the season, seemed destined to finally enjoy a season safe from relegation troubles.
After all, following a tumultuous opening two months, a win on the road against Brentford sparked a miraculous run in which they soared towards a position of safety.
And then, even following their ten-point deduction in November, a continuation of that form helped them clamber out of the relegation zone again.
Sean Dyche had worked wonders, but a current winless spell extending back into December is now fresh in the minds of fans.
Danny Murphy has sought to offer his verdict on the manager; a claim he thinks Evertonians will agree with.
Danny Murphy gives his verdict on Sean Dyche
Chatting with Martin O’Neill and Sam Matterface earlier today, live on talkSPORT (03/04, 10:10 am), the former Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur midfielder was upfront in his assessment of Dyche.
Having taken over some impossibly tough circumstances back in late January 2023, his work in stabilising this sinking ship has been admirable.
And whilst this torrid run of form, the worst in the club’s history in the Premier League, has drawn scrutiny, there is surely no one better placed to guide the Toffees to safety at this juncture in the season.
That was, largely the sentiment Murphy offered, noting: ‘I tell you what my view is, and I think the majority of Everton fans, or at least Everton fans I know, they’re not at the point, even on this horrendous run… they like Dyche.
‘They understand that he’s been working with one hand behind his back. The reality is, Dyche has been there with Burnley in this kind of predicament, on the periphery of the relegation zone quite a lot. I don’t think you’d want anyone else.
He’s good at keeping them… he never gets too high when they win, never gets too low when they lose. Very consistent with his attitude and the way he talks about the team and the players. I think they’ll be okay.’
Sean Dyche is far from safe at Everton
Although there is seemingly no owner to sack the manager, Dyche is far from safe when it comes to coming under intense scrutiny from Evertonians.
After all, whilst Murphy’s opinion is largely pretty fair, the tide has turned slightly in recent months due to such a poor run.
For many, he is stubborn in his team selection and substitutes, too slow to react and often lacking adventure when teams are seemingly there for the taking.
However, he has always been a largely conservative manager, and that was unlikely to change.
Understandably, the lack of quality within his squad has hampered him, but as is often the case the buck always stops with the manager. He is far from untouchable, and should he fail to pull them out of the mire then it could get messy very quickly for the 52-year-old.
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