Everton manager Sean Dyke still has the full backing of the club despite being knocked out of the Carabao Cup on penalties by Southampton.
Everton have lost all four of their opening Premier League games and Tuesday’s disappointing result has not diminished fans’ calls for change.
However, Dyke had to cope with several players falling ill on match day and injuries to key players including defender Jared Branthwaite and club captain Seamus Coleman.
Pressure from fans is growing on owner Farhad Moshiri to take action as the club remain bottom of the table and face two crucial games away to Leicester on Saturday and at home to Crystal Palace next week.
There’s also an ongoing ownership saga that’s been going on for 18 months with no end in sight, after a takeover bid from MSP Capital and 777 Partners fell through.
Moshiri is in talks to agree a 94.1 per cent stake with American John Texter, but with the club facing a £400m-plus loan deal to fund a new stadium and working capital over the same period, it is a complex process that is likely to last until at least the end of the year.
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Everton manager Sean Dyke has said he is prepared to answer any questions potential owner John Texter may have should a takeover of the club be successful, but he believes any questions he may have will be for the club’s benefit rather than his own.
Dyke is expected to have his players back for the trip to the King Power Stadium where a win is vital to ease the pressure on Everton.
Dyke needs to ‘piece together’ team for Saints game
Dyke highlighted the injury problems and illness that plagued the team before their defeat to Southampton as one of the reasons why the team failed to progress to the fourth round.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Vitali Mikolenko and James Garner all fell ill overnight, James Tarkovsky pulled out with a back problem and Idrissa Gueye pulled out due to personal reasons.
As previously mentioned, defensive duo Branthwaite and Coleman are also out due to injuries.
Everton’s Dominic Calvert-Lewin (left) and Seamus Coleman were both ruled out against Southampton.
“After forming the team this morning, we had three players out sick overnight, but I think we did the best we could with the players available,” he said after losing on penalties.
“Putting it together, especially when you have the opportunity, to produce a performance that you thought was going to win the game… I know, even before my time, that it was a challenge to take the opportunity to blow the game, and we didn’t do that tonight. But a lot of the performances were right to win the game.
“Some of the plays were good and effective at times. We opened them up enough to win the game, but we didn’t take risks and were pushed out of the penalty spot.”
Dyche’s bank deposit
Sky Sports Until the defeats to Aston Villa and Southampton, Dyke knew he had been given ample credit by the club’s owners for guiding Everton to Premier League safety over the past two seasons.
This point is further emphasised when considering the additional complexities such as points deductions for breaches of Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR) and the negative impact that a club’s financial constraints have on its ability to move in the transfer market.
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Everton manager Sean Dyke was left frustrated after his team blew a two-goal lead to lose 3-2 to Aston Villa.
Dyke was credited with working with sporting director Kevin Delwell on player recruitment, developing Branthwaite and giving summer signings Tim Irogbunam and Iliman N’Diaye early chances.
The Everton management have an added incentive to lead the club to a new stadium next season, with securing a place in the Premier League certainly boosting the chances of Dyke leading the club into a new era.
Dyke is currently in the final year of his contract and discussions over an extension are yet to take place due to ongoing uncertainty over the club’s long-term ownership.
For now, the next step towards achieving the overall stability that Everton fans are desperate for is for manager Moshiri to successfully complete his bid to sell a majority stake.
Textor has not made a decision on Dyche.
Everton’s potential owner Texter has been interviewed exclusively. Sky SportsHe also revealed before the back-to-back defeats that he had not spoken to any other candidates to succeed Dyke if he were to take over the club for a sole term that ends on November 30.
“That didn’t happen. People just like to create instability in other clubs,” he said.
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John Texter has said he wants Sean Dyke to be ambitious to coach a diverse range of players, and he is keen to stay at Goodison Park and is not a fan of the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
“I don’t know Sean (Dyke) personally but I watched him do incredible things at Burnley for a number of years with no budget so he’s clearly someone who knows how to manage in the Premier League.
“I would sit down with him one day and say, I’m going to bring in a player from anywhere in the world with a very different profile and ask him if he’d be interested. I would ask him if he’d be interested in coaching this team.”
