Sean Dyche has defended Everton’s long-ball tactics, claiming they were good enough for Carlo Ancelotti.
Everton have averaged just 40 per cent possession this season during their awful start, which has seen them lose five of their first six games, and they managed just 26 per cent in their Carabao Cup defeat to Southampton. Dyche is not interested in criticism of his tactics and cited Ancelotti who was happy to hit it long to Dominic Calvert-Lewin when he was Everton boss.
“I saw an interview with Ancelotti when he mentioned about being at Everton,” said the Everton manager. “He said our goalkeeper could smack it down the pitch, not in his words of course, and had a big centre-forward, who could keep hold of it, so he said that’s what he did. Kick it to him.
“He’s a pretty decorated manager. I’m not saying that’s right or wrong, but that was his opinion of being at Everton Football Club and the best way of getting his players to win. All I’m looking for is that Evertoninans can be proud of the team for the way they’re playing and hopefully win of course. To find both is perfect.”
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Dyche also held up Leicester’s 2016 Premier League success as a case where teams can triumph despite having less possession. “Leicester won the league with lowest possession, you’ll have to check that,” he said.
“It was about 10 years ago when everyone decided possession is the only thing in football that can make you win and it’s been obviously proven radically wrong. You want to use the ball, but you want to use it wisely.
“The other night a lot was made about the possession, but we have heat maps don’t forget and the way Southampton played, a lot of their football was played in the back third of the field. Not many players go chasing up there, it wouldn’t be the right idea tactically let’s say. So you have to use the ball wisely when you get it.
“The other night we broke on them so many times and the best chance of the game, you take it, and nobody mentions it. Winning changes perception, nobody mentioned lack of possession last season, five home wins. Beating Liverpool, nobody mentioned it then. These are the challenges of modern management. When results go against you, everything gets dissected, picked to bits.”
Dyche had just 12 outfield players for Southampton and he reported some good news on the illness and injury front. Calvert-Lewin and Vitali Mykolenko should be available after illness, while Dyche was optimistic about James Tarkowski and Michael Keane’s fitness.
James Garner is still ill, while Jack Harrison should recover from the bug which has swept the dressing room to play. Idrissa Gueye is unavailable for personal reasons following a family bereavement and Seamus Coleman is still out with his groin problem.
Jarrad Branthwaite will step up his recovery from his groin operation and play for the Under-21s for this weekend, as will Nathan Patterson. “It’s not been helpful,” said Dyche on his lengthy injury list.
“On and off from pre-season, it’s been an awkward run and this week we’ve been stretched, particularly for the cup game. People were questioning why I changed the team, but this is the reality. We’re hopeful on a couple of these so we’ll have to wait and see.
“It’s difficult because the other day, three players came in ill so we had an hour in the morning to get the ideas over to the players as best we could - set-pieces etc and put them out there. We’re hopeful tomorrow we get a few back and have a day’s prep before going to Leicester.”
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