Everton: £75k-p/w “monster” could solve Dyche’s new problem
The Toffees need to improve after the international break…
The hubbub of the summer transfer window has now ended and for the majority of Premier League managers, has likely been met with relief.
The snapping jaws of lucrative rivals have now lost their bite, and the focus is now solely on conjuring up a campaign worthy of cheer, and for Everton boss Sean Dyche, he will feel that the squad he wields is stronger now than it was at the end of the 2022/23 term.
Indeed, the Toffees escaped relegation by the skin of their teeth last season, with Abdoulaye Doucoure’s emphatic second-half finish against Bournemouth on the final day enough to bag three points and relegate Leicester City in their stead.
The club finished as the division’s second-lowest scorers, and while a cutting edge still needs sharpening, there is now a new quandary for Dyche to find a solution.
Who did Everton sign this summer?
After a campaign littered in misery, Dyche will have hoped that his work on the transfer front would at least smatter some positivity on the blue half of Merseyside, with Ashley Young, Arnaut Danjuma, Jack Harrison, Youssef Chermiti and Beto arriving to transform results on the pitch.
That hasn’t quite been the case thus far, with the Goodison Park side commencing the season with a triad of league losses against Fulham, Aston Villa and Wolverhampton Wanderers, failing to score across each encounter.
That was followed up by a more promising away draw against newly-promoted Sheffield United, with two goals apiece creating an enthralling affair where both teams showed off their attacking intent but saw defensive frailties brutally exposed.
This is a concern for Dyche, with his backline arguably weaker now than it was last year, given that Yerry Mina and Conor Coady have both left and no replacement has been acquired – barring returning loanee Jarrad Branthwaite. It’s time, therefore, that Ben Godfrey steps up.
How good is Ben Godfrey?
Dyche, a specialist in defensive application and organisation, will be confident that he can get the best out of the players at his disposal, piling emphasis on diligence, defensive strength and cohesion to ensure his sides prosper, having masterfully established Burnley as a top-flight outfit in his previous, long-standing role.
