Sean Dyche couldn’t have been any more forthright in his response. Speaking following his Everton’s 1-0 home win over Arsenal in his first game in charge, talk swiftly moved to his predecessor, Frank Lampard.
Sean Dyche remarked: “A few people have made out I have been critical [of the previous manager] and I haven’t been and I have never done that. I can only talk about my style and how I operate. A few of the players have criticised themselves and admitted they felt they let the last manager down. I think Seamus (Coleman) said that and sometimes players have to hold their hands up. Let’s clear that one up,”
Dyche famously told his Burnley side last April that Lampard’s Everton team ‘don’t know how to win’. He also wasted no time in making changes at Finch Farm. As well as an array of rules, there are also a number of dress-code requirements. Snoods and hats are no longer allowed. The players were also told they must now wear shin-pads for training. “He doesn’t miss a thing”, was how Alex Iwobi described his boss last month.
And it is something that Iwobi said again on the latest episode of The Beautiful Game Podcast that offered a real insight into life under Dyche.
Sean Dyche said: “He just wants us to work hard. However you approach a game, you have to approach training the same. You have to run, treat every day like it’s your last sort of thing. It is good. We had to slowly buy into it. He doesn’t take any prisoners even if you’re not playing and you’re a sub or you’re not in the squad, he’s making sure everyone is on point.”
Life under Dyche is clearly different from life under Lampard for Everton’s players. Dyche has standards and they must be met.
