Everton boss Sean Dyche pays tribute to chairman Bill Kenwright who passed away this week and plays down rumours of points deduction over financial irregularities ahead of West Ham clash
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00:00 Good afternoon, welcome to our pre-match press conference to preview our game against West Ham United.
00:06 Before we start, we're just going to observe a moment's silence to pay respect to our chairman Bill Kenry, who sadly passed away this week.
00:15 [BLANK_AUDIO]
00:25 [BLANK_AUDIO]
00:35 Thank you for that.
00:51 We'll start off with Vinnie from Sky.
00:53 First of all, how are you after the sad news of Bill Kenry's passing?
00:57 Yeah, we sort of ran it as a group.
01:00 Obviously, some had a bigger connection with the chairman than others due to their time here, particularly Seamus.
01:06 Myself in a different way, obviously, being quite close to him over a period that was difficult for him and his family as well with illness.
01:13 So, yeah, it's a big loss, that's for sure.
01:16 The players have spoken about the text messages they used to receive off him. I take it the manager also received those kind of text messages as well. Is there anything you can expose to us?
01:24 Yeah, he's always, I mean, he's incredibly supportive.
01:29 I was reading some of Moyes' comments, you know, saying as a young manager how supportive he was.
01:33 He was supportive to me, sort of older manager, if you like, a bit more rounded in it.
01:38 And he was nothing but supportive, even through some hard times.
01:42 He's been someone to pick up the phone to, always got time for you and always wanted to find out what was going on, really, and get a touch base of what the feel in the camp was, the players, the mood, individuals.
01:56 And often telling me all of his wisdom about Everton Football Club and what we should be doing.
02:01 So, but always in a supportive way, I must make that clear.
02:05 What were those pearls of wisdom?
02:07 Last season was, you know, it's fair to say that we shared a moment that is an odd big moment, of course, you know, because you don't want to be having big moments that are at the bottom of the league.
02:16 But to stay up on the last day in the fashion we did and to sort of share that with him, that was a big moment.
02:22 And he felt probably differently than me how big that was after a tough season and for many different reasons.
02:27 So that was certainly a very big moment, one that he was very pleased with and very proud of.
02:31 You might have touched on it there, but I just wonder what the abiding memory of him for you will be?
02:37 Do you know, it's a bit of an odd one for me because there's the football side, but a lot of what I learned about him was not actually the football side, but the strength of what he'd done in the theatre.
02:45 You know, I knew he was in that world, but I didn't realise how powerful it was and how many lives he'd touched, you know, along the way and what he does on that side of his life, not on the football side.
02:54 So I think I was intrigued by that side of it, some of the relationships he'd had with people and some famous people and stars and, you know, some little quirky stories about people and that sort of thing.
03:06 So, you know, I must say, just on the human level, I thought he was a perfect gentleman and I always enjoyed listening to him about his stories about his own life, not about necessarily just having a football club and myself and the team.
03:19 How fitting is it that this weekend you face David Moyes' side as well?
03:22 Yeah, I mean, the twists of life are weird and wonderful, you know, and I've always got on well with Moyes.
03:29 He's always been very supportive of myself when I was younger, you know, as a younger manager.
03:33 So I look forward to seeing him, but it's just a strange one that we happen to be playing a manager who meant so much to the chairman and vice versa.
03:39 So, yeah, but anyway, it'll be good to see him anyway to catch up and then obviously with all the news this week.
03:45 In some ways, is that what you're trying to achieve here in a relatively short term, trying to build the kind of foundation that David Moyes, Bill Kenwright put in during David Moyes' time in charge here?
03:56 I think somewhat. I think, you know, my own interpretation and version of it.
03:59 But I think there was a lot of good around that period about the strength of the club, the team and the connection, things I've spoken about, you know, and I think it's still valid in the modern era.
04:09 And it seems such a short time ago, but of course, it was quite a while ago now. But amazing. It was 11 years, Moyes, wasn't it?
04:16 Yeah, 11 years. I mean, amazing. I used to look from a distance, marvel at his sides.
04:20 I know a few of the players, Timmy Kale, obviously, who I played with at Millwall and created a real, a tough side, but a good side, you know, with real underlying quality.
04:28 And I think we've been trying to sort of get, not necessarily mirror that by any means, but sort of make a version of that for what the club needs now and then going forward.
04:37 So I think there are some characteristics of his sides and the way they work that we definitely want here.
04:42 What do you see in this West Ham side now as well that maybe equates to what you're saying?
04:47 Yeah, I think he's, I mean, it's a slightly different group he's got there, obviously.
04:50 But I think a lot of the things that, you know, you usually get with his sides, they're usually, they're competitive, they work, but they can play as well.
04:59 And, you know, he tries to find that balance between a team that can defend, but a team that can still get the attacking side of the game right.
05:05 So, of course, his sides are always difficult to play against, or certainly my experience anyway.
05:09 Off the pitch, though, Sean, it's obviously been reported this week that the Premier League are pushing for a 12-point deduction if the club is found guilty of breaching profit and sustainability rules.
05:17 What are your thoughts on that even being a possibility?
05:20 I think there's loads of stories out there about things nowadays, particularly things of that type, you know, but at the end of the day, it's the commissioner will decide and when they do, we'll find out.
05:28 But even without knowing that verdict, does it feel like the pressure has been cranked up somewhat with that, even that possibility?
05:35 No, I think, to be honest, ever since I've been here, there's been pressure. There's pressure on all sorts, you know, around Everton Football Club.
05:40 And we've been trying to sort of stay calm within lots of different challenges here.
05:46 I think we mostly have done, trying to get things right on the pitch or better, certainly, and trying to improve other areas of the club.
05:54 And there's so much noise here, to be honest, that it's just another part of it.
05:58 And like I say, trying to change the noise, put in a more positive feel about the club, not just the team, about the whole club.
06:07 We're trying to work to do that. And, you know, every time you're just about getting there, another thing comes up.
06:12 So, you know, it's one of those things.
06:14 Obviously, then finally for me, a run of wins would help. The consistency and the level of performance has been there, just not being able to churn out win after win after win.
06:22 Yes, three out of four. And then obviously the game last weekend, I think it's fair to say, was affected by a decision.
06:28 I think we all know that. So that's slightly an anomaly, especially in such an important game.
06:33 But I've said all season, I think performance levels have been generally good.
06:36 There are details, of course, that need working on. But lately, I think they've been good.
06:41 I think there's a good feel of the group. I think the energy, the commitment to the cause has been good.
06:45 And I think that's important as a base to work from. And some of the quality has been good.
06:49 So we've got to continue to work and fine-tune and players getting that kind of connection, on-pitch connection with slight changes.
06:58 It's showing good signs, but of course, inevitably, it's got to win. And that's what we're trying to do.
07:02 I take it none of the injured players are back this weekend?
07:04 No, Shames is back, training with us fully now, but obviously he's been out for quite a while.
07:08 So he will need more of just training to get that sort of general fitness and then games as well because of the length of time.
07:17 Del is still a bit away. Andre is still a bit away as well.
07:20 Next question, we'll go to Mike at Radio Merseyside.
07:23 Just to get back to Bill Kenwright briefly, how important and influential was he in your coming to Everton?
07:31 And how did he sell the club? I know you know a lot about Everton anyway, but chatting to Bill would be kind of different, I suspect.
07:38 Yes, he certainly didn't have to sell the club to me, but I was told a number of years ago that he was a manager he liked.
07:47 But you hear different things about different people, but I told someone who knew him quite well, I always thought I could do a good job,
07:53 possibly one day for Everton Football Club. And then my day came around and he was a big influence in that.
07:59 Obviously, I met with the owner, Mr Meshir, as well and went through the interview process.
08:03 But I think the chairman was a big influence in bringing me to the football club, so I think that's certainly a debt of gratitude owed to him.
08:12 So, no Ashley Young this weekend because of his setting off.
08:17 You haven't been best blessed this season with the full-backs in terms of injuries and Seamus and others.
08:25 Vitaly Mikhalenko's had his problems as well, but just beginning to see signs of him, particularly last week against Mo Salah,
08:34 that he's getting to grips with what you want from him.
08:37 Yes, I think he's done very well and he continues to develop.
08:41 I think he's adding to his game and I think he was excellent.
08:44 I mean, we took him off tactically, of course, to chase a game, but I think he's done very well.
08:49 Part of it is still learning as well, still a young full-back, still learning from doing it every day and playing as well.
08:56 So, I think there's two really good players there, and then obviously with the experience of Seamus and Young in a different way.
09:03 But it's a good group when they're all fully fit. I think there's a good mixture there.
09:07 And what does Nathan Paterson need to do in terms of bringing consistency to his performances that will make him nearer...?
09:15 Well, I think that's it. I think it's consistency.
09:18 I mean, all players want consistency, but certainly our defenders.
09:22 And I think that comes with playing, it comes with natural maturation as a footballer,
09:26 both through your training schedule, through year-on-year of learning about the game.
09:30 And I think he's done pretty well with that, actually.
09:32 So, I think it's continuing his progress and continuing when he's not in the side to learn and improve.
09:37 But I think there's a lot of details that he is doing.
09:40 Amadou Hnaana has so much talent and ability.
09:44 He struggles quite often to put it all together in matches.
09:49 I know his passing can be a little bit erratic on occasion,
09:53 but in the two recent games against Bournemouth, which I think is one of the best that he's played,
09:58 and even against Liverpool last season,
10:00 is that an indication of him beginning to get to grips with what's required on a match-to-match basis?
10:07 Well, he's another young player. He's earning his spurs as he goes.
10:11 There's going to be ups and downs in performances from younger players. There often are.
10:15 I think 'bringing it together' is the right phrase.
10:17 I think he's got a lot to offer, and when it does come together, he's a very, very good player.
10:21 And it's just the nuts and bolts of his game,
10:23 learning similar in a different way than part of learning about the nuances of being a Premier League footballer,
10:28 not just the clean stuff that you can all see, or the positional stuff, anticipating the game, reading the game.
10:34 The things that you learn as you play.
10:36 So the more he plays, the more his game, to use that term 'bringing it together', will happen.
10:41 But we just want to fast-track that, of course, and so does he.
10:44 Thanks, Mike. We'll go to Shamim, please.
10:47 Hi, Sean. Just on the hearing, if there are leaks coming out,
10:52 are you worried that you're not getting a fair hearing?
10:55 I'm not worried about anything. It's out of my control.
10:57 I'm just waiting for the Commission to do their job and then see what's what.
11:01 If you do receive a point of seduction, do you think there'll be some clubs out there who are happy with that outcome?
11:05 There's no outcome yet. So we've got to just wait for the outcome.
11:08 So I'm not going to start talking about things that haven't happened.
11:11 And we've got a report this week that said that Abdullahi Dakouri might be close to signing you a contract.
11:17 Are you able to say anything about that?
11:19 No, just as I always say, we're ongoing with all the players and their agents and just keeping in the loop with all of them.
11:24 Is Abdullahi one of them?
11:25 He's just one of the players who we're keeping in the loop with his agent.
11:28 Thanks.
11:29 Thanks, Shamim.
11:30 Who's next?
11:32 Go.
11:33 Hi, Sean.
11:39 You spoke after the Arsenal match about your players wanting to stand up and take control of the situation.
11:44 Obviously, you felt no one did that up until the sending off last week.
11:48 Do you think your players did that, obviously, looking in against another top six side?
11:53 I think what we did, the game plan was to absorb the game a little bit,
11:57 take the heat out of it, the feel out of it, away from home, Anfield, of course.
12:01 And I thought they did a good job of that.
12:02 I think we kept them to very low-level chances in the first half.
12:06 And then we were hoping, as the game went on, to progress more ourselves.
12:10 And then, obviously, a sending off changes that.
12:13 We adapted the shape of the team to try and absorb it the second half and look for breakaways.
12:17 And it was beginning to show signs.
12:20 Yet again, I thought we limited a good Liverpool signing to very few real chances without trying to find that real breakaway we were looking for.
12:29 It's difficult. It's difficult with 10 players.
12:32 And then a big decision goes against you and that might have changed things.
12:35 You never know, but it might want to change things.
12:38 You talked about the noise surrounding the points deduction and stuff like that.
12:42 How hard is it to keep the players away from that and for them not to be distracted by that?
12:47 Well, to be honest, I haven't been speaking about it.
12:49 Everyone just keeps asking me about it.
12:51 So, at the end of the day, the players just can't be playing.
12:54 They can't control anything on the outside of this football club.
12:57 They're not in with the club, but you get what I mean.
12:59 Nothing they can do about it other than focus on what we're doing on the pitch.
13:02 And they've been really good this week, I must say.
13:04 I think they felt a little bit aggrieved with what happened last week with the decision going against them.
13:08 And I think they've responded in the right manner this week.
13:10 It's been a very good training week, so I'm looking forward to going into the game.
13:13 Thanks very much.
13:14 Thank you.